You sure know winter is coming when the Cows come down from the Alps in Bavaria and Austria. This is called Almabtrieb.
It’s a nice tradition (some images here), but still more than just a tourist attraction like the Oktoberfest.
You sure know winter is coming when the Cows come down from the Alps in Bavaria and Austria. This is called Almabtrieb.
It’s a nice tradition (some images here), but still more than just a tourist attraction like the Oktoberfest.
“Ozapft is!!!” – the traditional deflowering of the first beer keg by Munich’s mayor.
The “Münchner Kindl” – the symbol of Munich in the opening parade. It used to stand for monks who founded the city – now it’s a bloody woman …
Try to find some “Gemütlichkeit” in that overcrowded beer hell!
Nah, not going. I am missing that old flair and Gemütlichkeit. Today the Oktoberfest is just an overcrowded theme party – everybody is wearing Dirndls and Lederhosen without honoring tradition or any sense of style.
And the “Kampfsaufen” (combat drinking) has become epidemic. In the good old days the tents closed around 23:00 – and everybody went home. But today people swarm to “afterparties” and other events to continue drinking until they drop. And I mean that literally: the number of death through alcohol has risen in recent years and medical help is more often needed to revive seriously intoxicated party animals.
This has nothing to do with a “family festival”.
| 1. Click player below to start the music.
2. Click the image to dive into the art. 3. Study for four minutes this great piece of art and it’s beauty. |
I am a big fan of Germany expressionists – and Frau Münter is at the top of my list. She is always referred to as Kandinsky’s lover – but she is a great artist by her own achievement. Especially in a time when males still dominated every facet of arts & culture.
There are not many big pictures of her art on the intranets. I guess I have to get myself a book and do some scans.
BTW, many of the expressionists paintings are even more fabulous when you stand before them and I am a lucky bastard, since many of the image of the Der Blaue Reiter are in Munich.
More? Gabriele Münter @ Wikipedia
Click image for more milk …
Oh Gretel, what have you done?! You have stumbled! You spilled some of my precious milk all over nature!
My oh my …
Click image for more alpine smacking power …
Actually the whole of Bavaria is a secret fetish nation. We are deeply into leather and pain – as the document above perfectly demonstrate.
Music, dance, Lederhosen and a good "Watschn" is all we need to enjoy ourselves …
*Thanks to Edosan for that historical image*
Here is a lovely story from Bavaria, which most people think is a real thing. But it is actually a brilliant marketing campaign by BMW.
Enjoy!