Fourth trip to Schliersee in five years. Schliersee is now like a second home for us. We know the transport links, the lake walks, the mountain walks, where to get the best Bavarian food and where the best cake shops are. The weather in Schliersee is difficult to predict like the British weather. When the sun is out it is one of the most beautiful places on earth.
We normally arrange the Bavarian trip around this time of the year. The first time we came, the Oktoberfest was in full flow. All the commuters were dressed in traditional clothes. Men in their lederhosen and women in their dirndl dresses. It is the traditional dress of the Alps peasants and I thought that this was how everyone dressed in this part of the world. It took me a little while to realise that it was because of the festival. Although people do tend to wear it at other times of the year as well.
It is normally difficult to get tickets to attend the Oktoberfest. The hotel has its own allocation of tickets and the first year we joined the group from the hotel and had a fab time. It is one of those must do things if you come to Munich in the fall. If you come at any other time of the year you can go to the Hofbrauhaus Beer Hall in Munich to get a similar toned down experience. This year the Oktoberfest starts on the 17 September and so we will be missing it. I hear that the security is going to be really tight this year as they will be checking each and every bag before everyone enters the venue. I can imagine the chaos this is going to create. Even without all that security, getting into the beer tents was a struggle that day. I won’t be missing the festival this year, but I will certainly miss the colourful outfits.
