Cesky Krumlov to Münich ‡ arriving alive

Not until four days before the opening of the Münich Beer Festival, known as Oktoberfest, did I decide to throw my hat in the ring and try to get accommodation. As it turned out, I ended up getting accommodation through the same company as Robin had months earlier and so the “Matman & Robin Show”, as we had come to call our travels together, headed off to Oktoberfest. All that was required was getting a shuttle bus from CK to Linz (Austria) and then a train to Münich (Germany). Simple! All we had to do was SURVIVE THE SHUTTLE BUS.
Seven of us piled into the shuttle and launched from CK towards Linz. As the roads became more windy and narrow, and the oncoming traffic (consisting of a large number of tourist buses) increased in frequency, our driver was unperturbed as our cruising speed continued to increase. Thankfully there was enough room between our seats and those in front for us to comfortably assume the brace position. All this whilst exchanging worried glances between each other. It was amazing how quickly “Do you think we are going to survive?” and “I don’t know I hope so!” can be relayed between people just through a facial expression! Despite many attempts, Robin was unable to find that which we didn’t really want to know…our speed. The lurching stomach at each bend, dip and rise was enough to tell us that the speed we were doing was probably not the safest. All she was able to say was that the taco-meter was always in the red. All we could do was pray the brakes still worked!
Eventually we arrived at the train station and, more importantly, in one piece!! As the effects of the adrenaline slowly wore off, it was off to Münich on the relative safety of the train.
The plan to arrive a couple of days before the start of activities was so that we could see some of Münich before our field of vision was limited to the bottom of a Stein (the name for the 1 litre glasses the beer comes in). This we did immediately on arrival. It was only a brief sojourn into the city but enough for us to discover one of the more important things about Münich, namely the lions.
As we wondered the streets we noticed a well dressed local lady walk past and make a pointed effort to touch the nose of a lion statue. And so, we did the same. Not 10 meters further was another lion and another local, this time a man in a suit, doing the same. Hence, we did the same, to that lion and the next two along the way! As we found out later, it was a local tradition to touch the lions for luck and I think Robin and I were wishing the same thing: “Please let me survive Oktoberfest!!”.
The following day, we took a tour to the nearby concentration camp of Dacau. Despite all or any feelings related to the war, a visit to any one of the surviving camps is a must. Unfortunately the tour wasn’t necessarily the best way to absorb the gravity of the place as much of the information provided by the guide was detailed in each of the exhibitions. It was a bit frustrating being rushed through each of the areas , not being able to stop for a moment and gaze at photos or identity cards and reflect. If anything, the tour dehumanised the whole thing. Each German school child must visit one camp during their schooling and we couldn’t help but wonder what they thought of the whole thing.
After the tour, Robin and I bolted into town with one mission in mind: The Hoffbrauhaus, to see where it all began. Arguably the most famous beer hall in Germany, hence the world, the actual significance of it is lost to many who venture inside for a beer in the Hoff. It was, in fact, where the Nazi party was founded! None of this history is obvious anymore of course but before getting swept up into the atmosphere that is the Hoff, we took a quiet moment to reflect on the building’s place in history……Prost!! (German for cheers!) Now, wrapped in the atmosphere we prepared ourselves for tomorrow, the opening of Oktoberfest.