As Bavaria awoke to a giant collective headache this May Day morning (helped by the football results last night as well I imagine!), I enjoyed a leisurely morning’s drive on the empty roads, and took time to slowly cruise past our brand new Maibaum, and admire it in all it’s blue and white stripey glory.
We said goodbye to the old one last year, and this one was ceremoniously put up yesterday lunchtime having been dutifully guarded for quite some time… They take these things very seriously over here, and the front page of our local paper featured a picture of a proud carpenter asleep in a barn next to a newly finished Maibaum in fear of poaching marauders demanding a ransom. I kid you not.
We have yet to see one put up traditionally by a team of strong Bavarian boys wielding sticks and slowly slowly propping the thing up, but it does still happen. Ours was given the honours by an enormous green crane which blocked the road for the duration, not that anyone seemed to mind.
And when the formal stuff was out of the way, it was round the back to the bier tent to let the festivities begin, complete with incredibly smart traditional band, plenty of steckler fish (barbecued mackerel in this instance, plenty of bier (of course), enough tracht to make it feel festive, and lots of joviality… My German is obviously getting a little better because I managed to pretend I was local for all of five minutes, until I had to give in and and admit I was English, but nobody minded, and the “prosts” carried on nevertheless. I like to think that Bavaria appreciates it when its temporary residents join in and make an effort to integrate, and they could definitely teach us a thing or two about community.
And although Small Girl and I decided not to wear our dirndls thanks to the cooler weather, Small Boy insisted upon wearing his lederhosen much to the delight of our elderly neighbour. And later on, his inner Bavarian decided upon a little weight-lifting challenge especially for the occasion (with his Father’s bier glass obviously!)!…
Ha! Love this. I have fond memories of an October in Munich (yes, it was good timing, but purely accidental) when I first encountered a serving of beer this large. This sounds like a great time, a fantastic way to spend May Day–and a perfect post for the Where I Live Linky! Thanks for linking up x x
Thanks Michelle! (: xx
You are so Bavarian these days!
Now, if only I could speak it… :D Thanks Gemma! xx
oh, love love love Small Boy with the big boy drink :)
He will insist on trying to lift them. I think he’s hoping for a job at Oktoberfest! :D xx
All sounds like a lot of fun, love the look of the fish. I think it’s great that you make an effort with the language and that you are obviously doing so well and it must help you feel more integrated. Helps when your adorable son wears his lederhosen too. xx
Thanks Sarah! I make an effort with it, but that doesn’t mean to say I am any good at it! :D The fish is amazingly good, and goes surprisingly well with all of the liquid refreshments available! xx
Now that’s a proper drink!! Love that SB wanted to wear his Lederhosen, can just imagine how adorable he looks in them. And best to make the most of him being keen, my boys are SO fussy now!
Hope you have lots more fun over the weekend :) x
Thank you… Yes, I will make the most of it. It’s not uncommon to see teenagers wearing the more fashionable ones. I wonder if he would wear them then!! xx
I could drink that now :-)
But could you lift it? That’s the question! Thanks Emma xx
I’m rather pleased he kept his end up wearing Lederhosen. I’m rather disappointed by the girl’s team!!!
I know, I am sorry, but it was cold… :D Thank you! :)
I love that outfit (and the bier obviously)! Reading this is making me thirsty, asfter all it’s (nearly) Friday lunchtime, it’s sunny…
And you have a lovely long Bank Holiday ahead…. Enjoy! Prost!
No dirndls again!!! I feel so let down.
One day, one day! :D
Prost!
I lived in Poland for several years and the amount of respect and sympathy I got for trying to join in with conversation in Polish was well worth the embarrassment :-)
Thank you! I bet that was fascinating… We have yet to make it over to Poland for a visit, I will have to pick your brains! :)
Love the Lederhosen (the part I can see!) We have several kiddos here who wear theirs on occasion, but not too many, since our families come from all over Germany and it’s only the southerners who seem to wear Trachten. The little ones are always so darling in them. Impressed with SB’s arm strength- I know how heavy those things are! ; )
Thank you. Yes it does appear to be just the south that wears traditional dress like this… I think it’s great coming from a country that has no traditional dress at all :D He does look very cute in them and I am just making the most of him actually wanting to wear them! I will tell him that you said he was strong! :D
We might head off to the Auer Dult at Mariahilfsplatz on Saturday if it isn’t raining. The giant pottery markt half might make for some nice photography, and maybe an opportunity for Small Boy to show off his stein-hoisting skills again…
And now I know that I can understand a little more as I heard an advert for this on the radio this morning and wondered if you were going! Will speak to you later! :)
oh my word my bladder would go bang drinking a beer that big !! not that i should be drinking beer at the moment..
Thanks Helen! No, indeed you shouldn’t! Hope you’re feeling well! :)
Prost! Sounds like you are really part of the community now. I know in Italy they can certainly teach us more about that!
Thank you Brina! :)
I INSIST you buy a bit of the M thing and bring it to BritMums Live – we simply cannot carry on without it!
I will see if I can fit one in my case! :D x
What an enormous stein!! All sounds like loads of fun. Looking forward to some pics of the dirndls at some point.
I promise I will post some at some point :) Thanks Sally! :)