Herr Mike in Deutschland

Has always been my outlook on life and I've been doing just that during the Berg festival.
Was up enjoying the party at the weekend but the weather was miserable for the bank holiday and on Tuesday.
Headed to Munich yesterday to a film studio where our latest promotional film is being edited, was very interesting, with lots of creative types swanning around.

Today the weather has improved and I'm praying it stays that way for the weekend as it's 'Rock im Park' a festival with some great acts lined up. My friend Zoe from uni is coming over especially and Christian and lots of his friends are travelling from Wurzburg. We'll be camping on the field where the Zeppelins used to land for Hitler's rallies, should be an experience - will report all next week!

For the first time in 45 years FC Nuremberg have lifted the German Cup. After a thrilling final the trophy will be coming to Frankonia, the icing on the cake after what has been an incredible season for Der Club.
Back in September the pundits tipped for another typical Nuremberg season, a fight against relegation at the bottom of the table. How wrong they were! A UEFA Cup place and the coveted Pokal Trophy have been won through sheer determination and character, fuelled by some of the best, most dedicated fans I have ever seen.

I first went to watch FCN just to get a football fix and was captivated. I had previously thought I would use FCN as an excuse to watch some of the better teams in the Budesliga but instead I have seen the best teams come to the Franken Stadion and lose - Champions Stuttgart and Bayern Munich included. It isn't through having star players that FCN have achieved so much, in fact quite the opposite - solid players who work for each other, chase every ball and give 110% every game. Credit must be given the the manager Hans Meyer as well, who must be an incredible motivator.

For the final itself VfB Stuttgart were of course favourites, having just taken the Bundesliga title. And they started like champions.
On 20 minutes, after some great use of the ball, striker Cacau latched onto a precise through ball and steered it past Raphael Schafer in the Nuremberg goal. 1-0.

But in typical Nuremberg fashion er Club kept their heads up and pushed for an equaliser with Stuttgart looking a little complacent. Just seven minutes after Cacau's opener Marek Mintal slid onto a ball across the box to equalise.

It has been a nightmare injury filled season for Mintal who is certainly the most technically gifted player that FCN possess. Unfortunately for him and Nuremberg the injury curse struck again only minutes after the goal. A rough challenge from Fernando Meira saw Mintal stretchered off and replaced by Jan Polak.


This saw things turn a bit nasty and the game swung fully in Nuremberg's favour when Cacau was sent off for throwing a punch. This got FCN really fired up and when they game out for the second half they caught VfB by surprise. Marco Engelhardt, a revelation since he came back from a long injury layoff, hit a peach of a shot into the roof of the Stuttgart goal to give Nuremberg the lead.

In turn this stung Stuttgart into action and they threw men forward. Andy Wolf at centre half held off the onslaught until the 80th minute when he mis-timed his jump to head a long ball. Goalkeeper Schafer was off his line quickly to intercept but in doing so he tripped Gomez and the referee pointed to the penalty spot.

Disaster for Nuremberg. Pardo stepped up and slotted the ball home, a real blow for the Club which took the game into extra time.

Both teams looked very cautious during the extra period and didn't create much - it looked like penalties were a certainty unless someone could come up with some magic. And they did.
Nuremberg right midfielder Jan Kristiansen held the ball up on the edge of the Stuttgart penalty area and was closed down immediately by a wall of defenders. With little other option available to him he pivoted and took a shot. It seemed to take an eternity as the ball came sweetly off his laces and thumped past Timo Hildebrand into the top corner - a dream goal. They had surely done it!

FCN held on for an incredible victory which will live long in the memory. The party in Erlangen afterwards was really something to behold.
It was the perfect end to my FCN experience and it has been a great honour to see FCN's best season in nearly 50 years. German football might not be able to compete with the English Premiership in terms of superstars but what it lacks it money it makes up for in passion. Exactly what football is really all about.

Labels: FCN

'O Zapft is!' is the Bavarian cry which declares the first barrel of Bergkirchweih beer has been tapped and the festival is open! Yesterday I headed to the festivities straight after work with Steffi and Sebastian from work to see what the fuss of the past year has been about and to drink beer which is rather strong and sold only in litre jugs. It was an experience to say the least.


The hill at to the north of Erlangen is normally the quietest part of what is a fairly sleepy town, but for two weeks all hell breaks loose as 'The Berg' beer fest takes place. The crowds of people that flock here are incredible, the streets are so rammed you have to shuffle along like a penguin to get anywhere. At the festival itself there is a fairground, lots of stalls selling food and sweets and a long row of beer cellars which stretch along the hillside. Deep underground is where the beer used to be stored to keep it cool before refridgeration and at each cellar door there is a bar. The hill is lined with benches and tables, thousands of them - in fact I have heard from several people that it is the largest beer garden in the world. As of lunchtime there is not a single seat to be had so people line the walkways, sit in trees and search desperately for space.


We were lucky that Steffi's sister and her boyfriend had gotten there early and saved some seats for us. I grabbed a 'Mass' - pronounced Maarse - of fest bier (A porcelain jug) and sat listening to the live music, chatting, and basking in the evening sun. It was really cosy and just how I had imagined a traditional festival to be - not like the over commercial Oktberfest. There were lots of families around; many use the festival as a point for a reunion each year.

We met up with some more colleagues and as the sun went down the party started, people dancing on the tables, all singing and prosting (saying cheers) and enjoying the atmosphere - it was great. The crowds were so huge we lost Sebastian and then Steffi headed home but I stayed a bit longer with people who I had just met, having great discussions about all kinds. That's typical of the Berg I hear, a really friendly togetherness. I headed home not too late and not too drunk (though there were plenty of people who'd had a litre too many strewn about the place) having had just the right amount of beer to relax and enter into the spirit of things. I will recuperate tonight and head up there again tomorrow, hopefully celebrating a win for FCN in the German cup final!!!

Summer is well and truly here, with temperatures reaching over 30°C. It is baking at the moment and I am most thankful for air conditioning in the office which not every Siemens building has! Had a quiet weekend to save money and rest my back, watching the slightly disappointing FA Cup final on Sat and having a picnic in the Schlossgarten with the gang on Sunday.

Hopefully the weather will stay lovely for the beer festival which starts on Thursday. But with the heat comes storms and this week could be a bad one for 'Donner und Blitzen' (thunder and lightning) with a weather warning having already been given for Bavaria.

When my time here is up I'll be leaving behind a host of colourful characters. I have made some great friends who I have become really close with and I have a great set of colleagues as well.

But there are some people who probably don't even know that I'll miss them. They are the quirky folk of the Wohnheim and Erlangen town who have all played their small roles in the pantomine that is my placement year. This post is a tribute to these fine fellows, hope I don't forget any of them:

n.b. the names given are monikers which I have created, not their actual names.

• 'Olaf' - Every morning this blonde haired, blue eyed swedish looking fellow struggles onto my bus with a pram. It's always a major inconvenience to all of the other passengers but his apologetic nature makes it impossible to get annoyed with him. He never actually speaks, just makes hand gestures and a remorseful face which leads me to think he may actually be scandinavian.
• Cute blonde bakery girl - I often pick up a broetchen (sandwich) or a coffee from the bakery next to the office and it always brightens my morning if I'm served by this little cutie. The only turn off is that she has an incredibly deep voice. I remember the first time she asked me 'sonst noch ein Wuensch' (anything else?) and I thought for a second I was being served by Brian Blessed.
  
• Pretty blonde fruit shop girl - (There may be a theme emerging here) Always happy and smiley and once charged me for one less apple than I actually had in my bag. What a gal.
  
• Turkish fruit shop legend - Another employee at my favourite grocery store this guy is cooler than a polar ice cap. He always greets me with the traditional southern german greeting 'Servus' and knows exactly how I have my fruit salad. Hero.
  
• Short sighted Russian - Not actually sure he is russian but he looks like a soviet villain from a Bond film. Always watches TV in the living room standing around 40cm away from the screen. This can be annoying if you want to watch it too but he may be a member of the russian mafia so we'll let him off.
  
• OCD black lady - If she's not in our shared kitchen cleaning then she's singing really loud gospel in her room or the shower. For keeping the place clean and your powerful, if not always melodic voice we salute you!
• Mothering bank cashier - On the rare occasion that I slip into financial difficulties I can depend on my Sparkasse Bank team for advice. Particularly one lady who, though always helpful and pleasant, chastises me in exactly the same fashion as my mother would for being careless with my funds.
• Doctor's receptionist - Though she was a bit off hand at first it turns out she really is nice and actually has a very dry sense of humour. Knows me personally (never a good sign if the doctor's receptionist knows your first name after only a few months) and literally threw my Zecken immunisation into my arm like a dart. A credit to the medical profession!
  

So, err, I think that's it for now, an awesome bunch I'm sure you'll agree. If I think of any more I will be sure to give 'em a mention.

The BBC has asked for all bloggers out there to add the small icon shown below to their blogs in support of Alan Johnston, a BBC journalist abducted in Gaza. On his 45th birthday I join the masses in praying for his release. I have unbelievable respect for people like Alan who put their lives at risk to bring us their reports and push the boundries of journalism on a daily basis. My thoughts go out to him and his family at this difficult time.

Just a quick post to congratulate my little bro after making his debut in the revered Eccleston Park Tennis team, have to fight for my place when I get back! Proud of you dude!

Also, thanks to those who made excellent comments on the previous post, long may it continue!

Had a hard, long day in the office with my aching back today but can look forward to a day off tomorrow as we have a bank holiday. The tingling seems to have subsided a bit which must be a good sign though I do get the occasional electric like shocks in my feet, It's a bit like I'm a faulty robot.

Greetings from a wonderfully sunny Germania!

After a stormy week the sun has remerged for the weekend.
Had a fairly quiet weekend as I try and save some cash for the forhtcoming festivals.

On Friday I had a drink after work with some of my work colleagues(see pic), they're a cool bunch and I get on really well with all of them. Many who have worked in other places have said they've never met a team like it so I really landed on my feet as far as co-workers are concerned!

This weekend a few of us went to Titting - a small town nestled in the Bavarian countrydside between Erlangen and Munich. There were numerous reasons for the visit - the comical name of the place, the nice weather and a hotel which costs only €21 a night were among the motives for our little rode trip.

The key attraction in Titting, in fact the only attraction in Titting, is the famous Gutmann brewery. Gutmann (pronounced Goot-man) is a highly regarded wheat beer and this year marks the three hundred year anniversary of the day when Herr Gutmann first brewed his special golden beverage. This was a pilgrimage for my mate Norman who quaffs a very large amount of the stuff. The factory itself hardly looks like it churns out gallons of beer for commercial sale, but rather a quiet country retreat with well manicured gardens and fountains.


We stayed overnight in the hotel on Saturday, chilling out in the pool area during the day and visiting the Gutmann pub in the evening to sample some special variations of the Gutmann brew direct from the source. On the Sunday we had a look around the town and the surrounding countryside before driving back. All in all a very nice excursion.

• Enjoyed the weather in the Schlossgarten, as mentioned.
• Spent May Bank Holiday Tuesday (it's always a tuesday over here) larking around on the fields near Alt Erlangen (the old town) with the guys from Wheelers, sunbathing, kicking a ball around etc.
• Been trying to work out a way to stop my laptop overheating which is driving me mad.
• Got the first of three injections to protect me from the brain disease carried by the ticks! A doctor told Norman there are loads of 'Zecken' in the Schlossgarten (not all carrying deadly illnesses of course but I'm not taking any chances!).
• Hired my successor, seems like a nice guy, been helping him get sorted with accommodation etc. Seems strange to think I only have a couple of months left.
• Semi-cleaned my room (Not a proper clean where you move stuff around, one where you push dust under things so it can't be seen).
• Had a quiet week in work as most people were off on Monday and things haven't really got moving again yet.
• Watched the Champions League semis, disappointed there won't be an all English final.
• Taught the Germans in the office about pasties. Marvellous invention.
• Began planning trips to Berlin and Hamburg, must see places before I leave.
• Started looking forward to the Berg Festival and to the Rock im Park Festival just around the corner now!
• Was too lazy to write a proper Blog Post so wrote a list instead! ;)

In the heart of Erlangen there is the ornate residence known as 'das Schloss'. Behind this impressive chateux style building stretches a large garden (Der Schlossgarten). With fountains, flower beds and long lawns it is the ideal place to hang out and chill when the sun is shining. Even the prospect of being bitten by a disease ridden tick won't put me off visiting; it's such a cool place. There are often people playing instruments, sunbathing and studying which gives the place a cool continental vibe. It is a real oasis right in the centre of town, perfect for escaping from your daily troubles.