Carole Terwilliger Meyers's Blog, page 94

Things to Do: Oktoberfest, Munich, Germany

Hofbräu Festzelt  With almost 10,000 seats—6,896 inside, 3,022 outside--this is one of the largest tents at the Oktoberfest. It might also be the most famous tent. Affiliated with the world-famous Hofbrauhaus restaurant in Munich, it is lively and busy all day with revelry and oom-pah bands and attracts a young crowd. It is a particular favorite with Americans and Australians. This is the only tent with a standing area, found just in front of the band.



video c2011 Carole Terwilliger Meyers 

Things to Do: Oktoberfest, Munich, Germany

The fairgrounds holds 14 huge beer tents that each can seat about 6,000 people. Six of the tents are operated by the Munich breweries that provide all beer for Oktoberfest--Hacker Pschorr, Hofbräu, Paulaner, Spaten, Lowenbrau, and Augustiner. Beer is traditionally served in one-liter krugs (steins). An exception is Weissbier (wheat beer), which is usually served in tall, fluted half-liter glasses. Currently it costs about US$11 cash for one mas (liter) of beer. Each tent is a temporary structure, and each has its own unique character. Entry is free, and most tents feature food, music, and picnic tables and benches that fill quickly. Groups of two to three can usually squeeze in, but larger groups should reserve a table in advance or head for one of the smaller, less crowded tents. To learn more about the tents, visit www.oktoberfest.de/en/navitem/Beer+Tents



video c2011 Carole Terwilliger Meyers

Things to Do: Oktoberfest, Munich, Germany

Oktoberfest In September or October; a 16-day festival starting in September and ending on the first Sunday in October.  Tents open: M-F 10am-11:30pm, Sat-Sun 9-11:30; beer served until 10:30pm.. Family day is Tu noon-6pm, with reduced prices. Free admission to festival grounds. This annual beer bash occurs in a meadow in the southwestern part of Munich. Locals call the festival grounds "Theresienwiese" and the festival "die Wiesn." Oktoberfest has occurred almost every year since 1810 and is the largest folk festival in the world. It is most famous for the enormous beer tents that each hold several thousand people. Each tent is hosted by a local beer maker and each has its own unique decor.

Good Eats: Mo's Original Restaurant, Newport, Oregon

Mo's Original Restaurant 622 SW Bay Blvd., 541-265-2979. Daily; $$. No reservations. This is the very first, original Mo's. Situated across the street from a Wyland Whaling Wall mural, it is a popular, casual spot and is famous for its clam chowder—a version of which is available in a bread bowl. Some of the items are fresh-caught Oregon seafood—but not the mediocre over-breaded fish and chips, which are prepared from flash-frozen Alaskan cod. Better bets are the avocado stuffed with rock crab or shrimp, halibut fish tacos, or tender pan-fried fresh oysters served in-shell, and don't miss the marionberry cobbler for dessert.



image c2011 Carole Terwilliger Meyers

Good Eats: Rice to Riches, NYC

Rice to Riches 37 Spring St./Mott & Mulberry, in Nolita, 212-274-0008. Daily 11-11; 8 oz. solo $6.75. This sleek sweet spot makes both traditional and frou frou versions of rice pudding--with good use of fruit.



 image c2011 Carole Terwilliger Meyers

Sights to See: Berlin Wall Memorial, Berlin, Germany

Berlin Wall Memorial Bernauer Strasse 111/119, +49 (0)30 467 98 66 66. Apr-Oct, Tu-Sun 9:30am–7pm; Nov-Mar, Tu-Sun 9:30am–6pm. Free. This is the main memorial site for the wall, which was built in one night on August 13 in 1961. It features an open-air exhibition along the former border strip, and the grounds show the original wall construction that was actually two walls with a death strip in between.  A Visitor Center and Documentation Center provide a viewing platform and exhibition about the building of the wall.

Good Eats: Sandwichworks, Portland, Oregon

Sandwichworks 2376 NW Thurman, 503-954-1737. Wait in line to order, then grab a chair at one of the mostly communal picnic tables in the open industrial-style dining room featuring rustic wood walls, concrete floors, and big windows looking out to the sidewalk. Deli sandwiches include a meatball hero, a French dip, and Reuben sliders (one satisfies an average appetite). A hot dog, burger, and soups and salads are also options. Everything seems to be uniformly delicious, but do note that potato salad can be disappointingly undercooked.



 image c2011 Carole Terwilliger Meyers

Sights to See: Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, Berlin, Germany

Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe Cora-Berliner Straße 1, between the tiergarten and Potsdamer Platz, +49 (0)30 2639 4336. Outside open 24 hrs. Free. This quiet spot is a memorial to the 6 million Jewish victims of WWII's Holocaust. It consists of 2,711 rectangular grey concrete blocks representing funeral pillars (or stelae). They are in varying heights on an open plaza that takes up an entire square block. A subterranean Information Center gets more personal, with the names and images of Jews and their history during the Third Reich (1933-45). Opened in 2005.



image c2011 Carole Terwilliger Meyers

Great Sleeps: WildSpring Guest Habitat, Port Orford, Oregon

WildSpring Guest Habitat 92978 Cemetery Loop, (866) 333-WILD (9453), (541) 332-0977. 5 cabins. A one-person party must be at least 25 yrs old; unsuitable for children under 13. No phones. Hot tub. Continental breakfast. $198-$306; pull-out bed +$20. No pets; no smoking. How charming are directions that indicate this covey of cabins is "five miles north of Humbug Mountain"? Guests park in a woodsy lot, and check in by picking up their key from a row of rustic mailboxes in an open-air shelter. Then they can either load their bags into an easy-to-maneuver contemporary wheelbarrow or contact the office via intercom for assistance. The contemporary two-room cabins are scattered within a 5-acre private forest of 100-foot-tall second-growth Douglas Firs. Ferns dot the forest floor, and trails padded by a bed of pine needles lead to each cabin. "We're very proud that during construction we only had to cut down two trees," says co-owner Michelle Duarte. Cabins feature light hardwood floors, and pocket-door dividers provide privacy when someone uses the sitting room's twin hide-a-bed. Furnishings are an interesting eclectic mix of antiques and exotic imports rescued from Hollywood Hills garage sales. A fluffy feather comforter make the generally cool coastal nights warmer. It is a short walk to the far end of the property (by the Guest Hall) to use the very special oversize slate hot tub overlooking the ocean. The Guest Hall is where everyone gathers for snacks and breakfast, and to play games, borrow DVDs and books, and enjoy the ocean view. Guests are encouraged to get reconnected with nature. Facilities include a walking labyrinth, a sculpture garden, and several trails, and a rocking chair or hammock makes the perfect place to listen to the wind blowing through the pines. Birders will find a huge bird population, and from October through May a drumming circle is conducted when at least six people express interest. Co-owner Dean Duarte informs that Port Orford is a "dark skies initiative city. Hoods are placed over street lights to direct glow down, not up, so we can see the stars."



image c2011 Carole Terwilliger Meyers

Sights to See: Dolores Hidalgo, Mexico

DOLORES HIDALGO  30 min. N of San Miguel de Allende. Mexico's independence from Spain was fought out here in 1810. Today the town is known for its ice cream and beautiful handmade talavera pottery. Ice cream vendors have carts at the four corners of the central square, and the flavors are unusual—shrimp, tequila, mole, avocado. The town is also known for great carnitas. It is one of the premier places in Mexico to buy Talavera pottery at a fraction of the prices in the United States or even nearby San Miguel. Artists are seen at work painting in shops.



●Our Lady of Sorrows church is a carved from rose-colored quarry stone and a gorgeous example of churrigueresque architecture.



image c2011 Carole Terwilliger Meyers