Most people associate lederhosen and liters of beer with Oktoberfest, but little do they know that Germans have many other, equally rowdy festivals. This past weekend, we headed to Stuttgart, Germany to meet up with friends and partake in their acclaimed Fruhlingsfest (translates to Springfest). Below are the highlights.
The Floor is Lava: We arrived around 7pm on Saturday and immediately headed to the tents to meet up with our pals, Cori and Bennett (who we met on Yacht Week and with whom we have since had Munich Oktoberfest and Swiss skiing adventures). The party was in full swing when we arrived, and Cori and Bennett had secured a prime spot right by the band. We quickly consumed one of our favorite fest delights (roast chicken like you’ve never imagined), and before you know it, we were up dancing on tables and making friends with strangers. We’d like to say that our dance moves are better without the ski boots, but let’s be honest – Sarah dances like her old man [read: poorly].
Carni Rides: Sarah has carni in her blood, so no matter how old we get or how many beers we’ve consumed, she always insists that we ride at least one carnival ride. With a little convincing, we all ended up driving bumper cars (rather Chris and Bennett drove while Sarah and Cori rammed their cars into the side wall for a few minutes trying to figure out how to go forward), and we raced down the slides (Chris won all three times because, well, he’s a cheater).
Stuttgart: Stuttgart, though big, is really lovely, so on Saturday morning, we were happy to enjoy some outside time palling around the city. A little time in the park, a quick glance at the typical-European, touristy stuff (castles, churches, etc.), and a lovely lunch were exactly the rejuvenation needed to hit the “fest” again.
Cherry On Top: Saturday was wasted away with more time at the festival grounds, but this time, we were fortunate enough to meet up with Sarah’s cousin, Josh (who was in Germany for work). We met his army-reserve pals, shared a few beers, spent the afternoon catching up, and stayed a little too long at the tents. We didn’t feel great the next day, but we have no regrets. It was so good to see him and fun to show him our “new life” abroad.
Champagne Sunday: On Sunday, we celebrated Bennett’s birthday as a white-DINK (double-income, no children) does – drinking champagne from a terrace overlooking fabulous Stuttgart. We met many of Cori and Bennetts Stuttgart friends (all of whom were lovely), grazed on the extensive, American spread, and indulged in their recent bubbly purchases from the Verzany villages of Champagne. Everything about it was bougie and wonderful, and when it came time to catch a train back to Basel, we weren’t ready to leave.
SASgoesSwiss 