May Fest

In my previous post I mentioned the washing machine dying on me about three hours before I was due to leave for a fortnight. I finished my packing and other preparations and started my trip to Offenburg. Catching the connection in Karlsruhe was (as is the case more often than not) adventurous but worked out, simply because the connecting train was a few minutes late, too. 

The days leading up to the 1st of May are always busy for O.K. - the village band  traditionally organises the May Fest. The band members and some of their families and friends do everything from setting up a large tent complete with counter, kitchen equipment, benches and tables as well as buying and preparing all food and drink served during the next two days (and nights).

We clean and cook, serve and provide the music, and when it‘s all over, we clean again and put everything away for another year.

O.K.‘s Dad has his birthday on the 29th, and so the first thing I did after arriving at the village on that Saturday afternoon was join the family for birthday cakes and coffee (Black Forest gâteau as well as raspberry cream sponge cake, all home-made).

Proper May Fest business started the next morning, Sunday, April 30, at 8:00. We set up everything in time for the lunch crowd. In the afternoon, I spent a couple of hours resting at home before going back down to the fest in time for an evening meal and starting my shift behind the counter at 8:00 pm. It was open end from there, but although people still wanted food, it was nowhere near as busy as last year.

O.K. and the band were playing until shortly after 10:00 pm. About an hour later, we started to shut down the kitchen and did some cleaning. We had a few drinks and went home a little after 1:00 am.

Good job our next shift started only at 2:00 pm the next day! May Day was busy, and we had plenty to do pulling beer from the tap, mixing wine spritzers and opening bottles of coke.

Our shift ended at 6:00 pm. We had something to eat and went home briefly to change into our sturdy working outfits, returning to the fest to help wrapping everything up and starting the cleaning and dismantling.

I was home at 9:00 pm with O.K following 1 1/2 hours later.

Phew!

It was less busy and stressful than last year, but it did feel good when my two shifts were over. Still, I enjoy working at the fest, because it is so totally different from what I usually do. And it is my small contribution to making the May Fest a success.