I woke up with a real sense of anticipation this morning. I was going to Oktoberfest again. Not only that, but I was going to remember having pork knuckle today. There was no way it could be anything but an amazing day! I know you're all jealous already! Once again I made a strategic decision to skip breakfast - some might think that's a bit foolish, but when faced with going to a festival absolutely full of native food and heaps of other choices, or a general continental (I think that's the European word for ****) breakfast, I think it's a pretty straightforward decision. Instead, I got up, got ready, including expertly sliding into my lederhosen (wow I looked good), and hit the street down to meet Nikita. I really should've just taught her how to get to my accommodation; I was literally next door to the Oktoberfest grounds, while getting to her required a 20 minute walk there and a 15 minute one back. Oh well, at least I could show how good I looked, even if everybody else on the street was in exactly the same type of gear. Nikita met me in the foyer of her hostel (yep, I was going with a hostel pleb), and together we retraced most of my steps back to Oktoberfest. We had the whole day today, and I intended to actually make it most of the way through it (I really wanted a memorable pork knuckle), so we were keen to not only head to the beer halls, but also explore all the grounds and attractions. Nikita was really excited to go on the rides, to which I was a little indifferent. Maybe even apprehensive. Lucky I'm this big macho bloke who'd never let that be known (pfft), so I was also super 'keen'. Really the more likely story was that I'd promised her on the Monday night (when I was a bee's d*** away from passing out) that I'd go on all of them with her, and now she was taking advantage of that. I felt so used. As we arrived in the grounds, the first ride we came across was this giant spinning swing that lifted about 50 metres above us and spun around quickly. Nikita looked excited, and I did my best to act it, as we both paid our fare and got strapped in the chair. In reality (and through gritted teeth), it was actually great fun! The ride spun and swung us high above the grounds on a perfect Munich day. It was refreshing, fun, and made me feel a bit more alive and excited! It made Nikita feel sick. Oh boo hoo Nikita. Serves you right for getting me in on that. Putting it down to feeling hungry, we sought out, and found, a crepe stand for some food! They're obsessed with Nutella in Europe, it's everywhere, and this place was no exception. Nikita ordered a Nutella crepe, and the man serving us thought it was the very best crepe on the menu. I don't like Nutella all that much. Not enough chocolate flavour, too much hazelnut. The home brand choc-hazelnut spread was always so much better balanced in flavour growing up. Anyway, I digress (that's quickly becoming the most common recurrence in this blog). Needless to say, I didn't get a Nutella one. Instead I got one with Kinder chocolate and banana, to which the bloke said was an excellent choice as it was the best crepe on the menu. Good choice Gerard. And it was delicious! As we were leaving, the people behind us ordered their crepe - a fruit one - and the man told them it was the best crepe on the menu. I get the feeling that any crepe ordered is the best one on the menu, like customers needed reassurance that their choice was good! We continued wandering through the grounds, and came across an awesome looking water log ride. I was excited, but Nikita queazy. My my how the shoe was on the other foot! She's the one that wanted to go through with this originally, so I was gonna make her pay! To her credit, she got on it with me anyway, my promise that she wouldn't get wet got her over the line, and it was so much fun! And we got soaked. Haha. Next was the somewhat mellow Ferris wheel. Whoo! But it did offer some pretty nice views over all of Oktoberfest, at a speed that allowed it to be taken in. And it ticked off another ride! By the time we were done on that, I think we were beginning to feel content that we'd seen enough of the other parts of Oktoberfest to satisfy our desire to say we'd seen it all. Nikita was feeling peckish, and was really craving some currywurst (I was yet to have the pleasure of currywurst, but with the blessing of a very delayed blog, there is a very entertaining currywurst story coming up. In a few weeks), so we went searching for some. Unfortunately we couldn't find it, but Nikita did find some calamari and chips to satisfy her hunger. Not me though, there was only one food related thing on my mind today, and I sensed it was getting closer! With everything else satisfied, the last thing on our list, to get ********d in a beer hall for the rest of the day and enjoy German food in the process, was awaiting! We headed to a beer hall we hadn't been in on the first day, and really easily found a table right next to the stage. And it wasn't even reserved. I think both Nikita and I knew deep down that we'd just found our last location for the rest of the day! And the waitress was really nice too, not only bringing us beers super quick, but offering a menu in English to ensure when the time came for me to order my pork knuckle, I knew that I was getting pork knuckle and not super****inglongsausagehausen. I couldn't wait! We both settled in for the long afternoon of drinking that was in front of us. The beer hall wasn't that full, but it was rowdy enough with the band playing away right there in front of us, and plenty of English stag parties around doing their best to take over. They weren't. Idiots. Finally the moment came where I'd tormented my senses long enough. I was hungry, and desperately craving some legendary Oktoberfest pork knuckle! Along with it I ordered another stein, and within 10 minutes the pinnacle of Oktoberfest was in front of me. And oh boy, was it delicious. I feel it would be an injustice to even attempt to describe it (not that I don't remember it, I actually do remember this one), so I'm not going to. Just go there and have one. That illustrious high just fuelled me for the rest of the afternoon and night. Poor Nikita, who was still sitting on her first shandy, and subsequent lemonade, who would've had to cop the wrath of my general **** talking. But it's Oktoberfest Nikita, you must've been prepared for it. Lucky for her the hall was starting to fill up as the arvo stretched into the night, and the **** talking could be spread over a greater amount of people. First came the mother and daughter Americans, who were actually really nice and we all had a great time chatting. They joined in as the hall got rowdy enough to start dancing on the benches, which was heaps of fun. But then came old European man. That poor man. All I really need to say is that he had no hair, and as I have a friend at home with little hair that I missed, I used this poor man's head as my refuge from missing said friend (Bill, I can't wait till we're here together, and I'm sure poor old European man can't wait either). In short, there was a lot of head rubbing going on! Poor man. All too soon, but really perfectly timed because I was fairly drunk, we decided to head off. Actually I think we did it so we could go on rides drunk. I know I wanted to, much more than when I was sober. I'm not sure about Nikita, but hey, rides had originally been her suggestion! Our first stop was the dodgem cars. They were so much fun. Particularly the ganging up on this smart **** kid, though I think he got me more than I did him. Wait till you have to deal with intoxication too p**** Next was the first roller-coaster, which didn't go upside down but did throw us around a lot. Then, because I just couldn't resist it, the water log ride again. I think I tried to convince Nikita that it wouldn't splash at night. It did. Finally, it was the Olympic roller-coaster time, with its five rings ensuring five upside down moments. Earlier in the day it scared the **** out of me. Now, all I wanted to do was go on it with it on repeat. Alcohol makes me so heroic. This was a ride too far for Nikita though, and she opted out. Wimp. Her loss though, because it was so much fun, and I felt so carefree drunkenly rolling around on it! By the time that was done, and I had given up convincing Nikita to try it, it was time to walk her home. Along the way we found an old bloke passed out in the bushes. Oh Oktoberfest, how I'll miss you. With Nikita safely home, I made the trek (stumble) back to my apartment. Along the way I found a kebab shop and bought up big. Finally back in my room, I sat, dined on epic kebab goodness, and drunken called up my missed friends at home. What an amazing day, and an experience to tick off the box! My time at Oktoberfest was done!