Beer Bottle Nfl Game I Guess Were Back to Normal Again

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Tuesday 27th June

Sorry if you've been sitting eagerly by your computers, patiently waiting for today's diary (as if!!). It'southward at present 1420 here in Federal republic of germany, so I must apologise for writing it so much after than normal. I do take an excuse - I was working until the early hours on this morning time's Today programme item near Berlin'southward Turkish community.

It was rather nice being able to edit my report in Berlin because we have a BBC agency and a studio here. Commonly, one of the most annoying tasks about compiling a study when you are "out and about" is finding somewhere suitable to record your voice. When I tin can, I try to tape the "links" for my radio packages as I go along. This forenoon, you will have heard me talking in the middle of a crowd of noisy German fans. The idea of that was to give you a sense of the temper and to help pigment the scene. However, some "links" accept to be recorded subsequently. Back in the UK, I usually do this in one of the BBC's modest workshop studios. These are sound proofed and are designed specifically for the task - dissimilar hotel rooms! I stayed in a nice comfortable place in Nuremburg simply, being an old building, the ceilings were really high. When I spoke, it sounded like I was in a tiled bathroom - the echo seemed to terminal forever. I did some of the links outside merely the route in front of the hotel was rather busy and there was a very noisy bar a few doors away. In the cease, I had to do resort to sitting with my microphone under the duvet to go rid of the echo! Obviously it was rather dark nether in that location, so I had to adhere a torch to my head in order to read my script. And with the temperature and humidity already uncomfortably high, I tin can tell yous that it was far from pleasant! In fact, I could but manage ane link at a time earlier coming up for air and water! What a glamorous life us reporters lead!

I mentioned the other day that yous tin can't fifty-fifty get abroad from the Earth Cup when you're travelling between cities on German trains. Well, it's the same on Berlin'south underground organisation. The windows in some carriages have come out in a nasty football type rash. Also, I've noticed more and more than people seem to be wearing World Cup clothes and conveying Globe Cup accessories!

Cheers for your e-mails. And so far, the best 1 I've received in my fridge magnet challenge has come up from Michaele Jaacks from here in Germany:

In my opinion the fridge magnet came up in the seventies. I am sure the first ane had the shape of a bottle opener and has been invented by a human being being crazy about cold beer and football game. Since men never find anything in a kitchen ( I speak out of experience because I live with 4 ) and don't have the time to look for bottle openers during an heady football game match, the fridge magnet must have been invented during the Globe Cup maybe 1970 or 1974.

At the moment Michaele is in line to receive a World Cup fridge magnet (shaped like a canteen opener, if I tin can detect one!) but information technology isn't as well belatedly to send in your thoughts and to snatch it away from Michaele in extra fourth dimension. Send me an email - call back, my question was where did fridge magnets come from? Yous are also more than than welcome to send in questions and ideas. I'm reading them all and will effort to get some of the ideas on air!

I'll endeavor to post tomorrow's diary at the normal time!

Jon

Mon 26th June

Starting time things start - here's the World Loving cup urinal every bit it should be!

My colleague Ellie very kindly posted the photographs on the net for me on Sat but she has apparently never been within a men'southward toilet before!

I watched the England game yesterday on a telly screen exterior a nice Italian restaurant only effectually the corner from the Kaiser-Wilhelm-Gedaechtniskirche (the church which was left standing despite being badly damaged in the Second World War). I appeared to be the only Englishman in that location. There was a sizeable group of Argentineans but they didn't seem to be enjoying themselves very much. I glanced over during the second half and 1 of them appeared to accept dozed off. There were too a number of people with black, yellow and cerise garlands around their necks. These strange mode accessories take get rather pop in contempo days and are bachelor in other colour combinations too - although, the vast bulk seem to be in Federal republic of germany's national colours.

If you watched England's game, you lot'll recall that you didn't have that much to cheer about. Well, for me in that location was nothing to cheer well-nigh at all. Our moment of glory was cruelly snatched away. Just as David Beckham stepped upwards to take his free kick, the picture on the boob tube screen suddenly froze. When normal services were resumed, I noticed that the score in the top left hand corner was showing England 1 Republic of ecuador 0 - and so I presume Mr Beckham scored. The game certainly didn't get into extra time and Sven seemed to be grin, so nosotros must accept won.

To be honest, I think England's game went largely unnoticed here. People in Berlin were and, in fact, are all nevertheless far likewise decorated enjoying Germany's victory over the weekend against Sweden. The celebrations on Saturday evening were only incredible. I was in 1 of the main shopping areas and then many people took to the street that the road had to be airtight to traffic. I can't imagine what information technology'southward going to exist like if the hosts actually cease up winning the World Cup. In fact, you tin can already buy t-shirts with the High german flag and the word "CHAMPION" printed on information technology!

I've decided that it's the pictures which really tell the story today - then I'm leaving you with a photo' diary of Saturday in Berlin.

The "mini Olympic Stadium" viewing area during the match

Wigs, flags and the meridian of the Reichstag edifice

Fifty-fifty the gloves are in the right colours!

View from the top of the Reichstag building of people watching the lucifer

How many people can you fit into a automobile?

Traffic came to a standstill

Shortly after this, the road had to be closed

And hither are those fashionable garlands!

Weekend 24th and 25th June

Information technology's interesting watching how people from unlike nations celebrate. I'one thousand now in Berlin and Thursday evening was astonishing. Ghana had shocked everybody past qualifying for the next round and there were Ghanaian fans everywhere. They were dancing and playing drums and having a really expert time. The Italians seemed to be pretty happy too after their victory. And of course the Brazilians were playing, and so some of their fans were playing street football game! Some others were playing football on the railroad train platform until the brawl concluded upwardly on the tracks and a member of the U-Bahn staff had to go and retrieve it. However, last night the atmosphere was really boring. The Tunisian fans are commonly actually noisy. This photo' was taken from the window of my hotel before yesterday's game against Ukraine.

Just Tunisia lost, so their fans suddenly went very quiet. The Ukrainians might accept won simply they looked like they had lost. There were some Korean fans effectually only they had lost as well.

I imagine today could be a different story though. The hosts are playing in the first knockout match and, if all goes to script, it's going to exist one long political party. I'1000 not sure what volition happen if the German team is knocked out though.. There are High german flags everywhere hither. Before the tournament started, a Sunday paper quoted an academic equally saying that the national flag remained a taboo in Federal republic of germany. However, at present you tin't seem to turn a corner without seeing it being proudly displayed on cars, buildings or on items of habiliment. I spoke to i adult female who, like many others, had painted the flag on her face. She was in her forties but said that this was the offset fourth dimension she had e'er washed that. And this night there will be hundreds of thousands of flags to be seen. I'm told seven hundred thousand people watched Germany'south final game on the big screen most the Brandenburg gate. This night there could be more.

I mentioned yesterday that you tin can buy virtually everything you tin imagine with a Globe Loving cup blazon theme. Well, last night I discovered that even toilets have been decorated especially for the occasion. I got a few odd looks from the men around me when I took this motion-picture show. I'm sure this is the first fourth dimension a urinal has always been featured on the Today Plan's website but I thought it just about summed up this country's current obsession with this sport. Oh - the other picture is of football shaped bread rolls.

Finally, as promised I spoke to FIFA virtually my confiscated water bottle yesterday. I was told to speak to the press officeholder at Germany's Globe Cup Organising Commission, Gert Graus. I 'phoned him up on his mobile and he informed me that bottles of water had been banned for security reasons. He told me a journalist had thrown one on the pitch during a game in Munich. I said that I idea the difficult plastic cups, which are being handed out when you lot buy replacement water (for iv Euros), were likewise potentially dangerous. I mentioned to him that I had asked someone to drop a cup on my caput from a peachy acme and that it had really really hurt. He told me the cups wouldn't injure people and that y'all can't throw them more 5 or maybe 10 metres. I'm going to give that a go but first I demand to buy a record measure. He also said that the plastic cups are environmentally friendly, as they can be re-used. What I don't sympathise is why don't they give you these "rubber and environmentally friendly" plastic cups at the turnstiles? You would and so exist able to pour your own water (from your unsafe plastic bottles) into the cups. Equally this is all about safety and goose egg to do with making lots of money by selling water for four Euros, surely this is a actually good idea. I'll suggest it and let you know what they say.

Have a great weekend. Enjoy the football game - am I right in saying that England are playing at some stage?

Jon

Friday 23rd June

I retrieve I tin can safely say that I won't be staying in the same hotel as the Czech Republic's football team again - certainly not on this trip anyway. Alas, hours later I took these pictures of some of the players in the lounge area yesterday morning, they lost against Italia.

If they haven't gone already, the side by side journeying they'll be taking in their team bus will be to the airport to become a flight home. It's a pity, as their fans were some of the most colourfully dressed that I've seen so far. Forget Batman - they had Czech Man.

I also saw four or five men (or were they women?) dressed up as Teletubbies. I don't know whether they were Czech, Italian, or from an entirely unlike state altogether. One thing that I'thousand learning fast is that just because fans happen to be at a particular friction match, it doesn't hateful that they accept anything to practise with the two teams who are playing. Also, if y'all run across someone in, say, an Italian football meridian with green, white and cherry face pigment, don't assume that they are Italian or that they are supporting Italy. A lot of people seem to be dressing upward simply for the sake of it or because they happen to like the colours. I met a German woman yesterday who was selling her ticket for the Italy versus Czechia game (at a vastly inflated cost) because she didn't like Italia. She said she followed Brazil, still she had the Italian flag painted on her face up.

Face painting kits are available everywhere - and they seem to come in every colour combination imaginable. In fact, it seems you tin purchase virtually everything you tin call up of with a World Cup logo on it. I fifty-fifty saw a shop selling official World Loving cup Eau de Cologne. If I go the run a risk, I'k going to compile a list of the strangest and most ridiculous World Cup souvenirs available. Past the mode, I now appear to take a suitcase full of Globe Cup fridge magnets. The latest member of my family to request i is my mother-in-law, Margaret. Information technology's only off-white that she should have one, as she collects them. In fact, I had actually bought her one before she'd even asked (at present I'll be in her good books!). However, I'm worried that this fridge magnet matter is getting out of control. I left Heathrow with my luggage full of minidiscs to record my reports and I'll exist returning with it weighed down by refrigerator magnets. How do I explain this to Community?

I've just had a thought (and, yes, it is rather painful). Who invented fridge magnets? Where did they come from? I don't recollect seeing them on my parent's refrigerator when I was a niggling boy. If anyone knows, let me know. I'll tell y'all what - I'll purchase a World Cup fridge magnet for whoever gives me the best answer! Send your due east-mails, along with questions and suggestions.

I forgot to mention yesterday that I sort of, well, er, nicked that solid plastic loving cup from the Poland versus Republic of costa rica game (see Th's diary). I saw others doing the same and it would have but been chucked out if I hadn't taken it. Anyway, it gave me a chance to examination it out. I got someone this forenoon to drop it on my caput from a cracking pinnacle and it really, really hurt. This proves conclusively that this official FIFA plastic cup is a potential weapon and would accept been just as unsafe equally my confiscated (in my view completely innocent) plastic bottle of water. In fact, I think the loving cup is potentially even more dangerous because it has a hard flake at the bottom. So, I pose my question again - why ban bottles of water? FIFA - I demand an answer! I volition give them a ring today and I'll let yous know what they say tomorrow. Oh, and here's a picture show of the cup (that's the plastic one - not the World one).

That's it for now.

All-time Wishes,

Jon

Thursday 22nd June

I had a late nighttime yesterday - I was trawling around the streets of Hamburg trying to observe a couple of English speaking Italians for the plan. I but arrived hither yesterday evening. Today's game between Italy and the Czech republic is crucial, as neither team has qualified for the next round yet. When I got back to the hotel at merely after midnight, in that location were security guards exterior. I had to testify them my room key to go far. I'm not sure if they would have let me in at all if I was Italian! This is where the Czech team is staying. In fact, earlier, I was in the same lift every bit Milan Baros. I think I even heard one of the Czech coaches discussing tactics - he seemed to be saying something about the histrion Alessandro Nesta. I'thou agape my language skills let me down though, and then I can't tell yous what he said! I'm but hoping I didn't wake the team up when I was trying to gear up upwards my miniature satellite dish to send an interview dorsum to London in the early hours!!

Getting to Hamburg meant another German train journey. I know it fits in with the national stereotype simply the government here really do seem to have thought of everything. You can imagine a couple of officials sitting in an office in Berlin many months ago, with 1 saying to the other:

Herr Eins: It is actually of import that everyone knows what is happening all the time
Herr Zwei: Ja - of course but that is why we have wall to wall television set and radio coverage.
Herr Eins: Ah - simply what most those who are travelling by railroad train during the matches?
Herr Zwei: Oh dear! Ja - I hadn't thought about that. We must sort it out.

And sort it out they did. Yesterday afternoon, I was sitting in my comfy seat in the train, filling in the latest scores on my handy A4 size Earth Cup nautical chart, when there was an annunciation. The games in Group D had finished. The scores, we were told, were Portugal 2 v ane Mexico and Angola 1 v 1 Iran . Thanks to Herr Eins (or was it Herr Zwei), you tin't fifty-fifty escape when you're on the train. Of form, it goes without maxim that, in this Globe Cup, the announcement of the scores was sponsored. Aye, Portugal 'south victory and Angola 'due south describe were brought to me courtesy of a well known mobile phone company.

I'm not sure if, every bit a BBC reporter, I'yard allowed to do this but I am going to have a quick moan this morning. Why, oh why, are the stewards confiscating plastic bottles of water when you try to become into encounter a match? It was another very hot and humid solar day when I went to see Poland play Costa Rica in Hanover . It is basic mutual sense that fans should be allowed - in fact, encouraged - to drinkable as much water equally they can. Yet, my small-scale plastic bottle was confiscated at the turnstiles and, looking around, so were hundreds of others. Peradventure, they are worried that someone might throw a bottle and injure someone. Ok, that'southward an understandable concern. Once y'all're in the stadium, though, yous tin can purchase h2o for four Euros. They don't requite you the bottle but they pour the water into a fairly solid plastic cup. What's to stop the potential hooligan from throwing the cup through the air instead? So what is this all near? I actually have no thought merely, patently, it does hateful that they make more money through the sale of soft drinks. By the style, the plastic cups are emblazoned with the logo of a well known soft drink company.

Anyway, no more than moans. I'm going to go and see whether I can see some more Czech players - 1 of them has recently signed for my squad, Arsenal......

Adept luck the Czech republic (and Italy , Ghana and the USA )!

Jon

Wednesday 21st June

I honestly thought I was hallucinating. I hadn't touched a driblet of booze, so perhaps it was the estrus - information technology was another very boiling mean solar day. Or maybe I had just been working also hard. I stopped where I was and listened once more. And, yes, at that place it was - I wasn't imagining it. In fact, information technology was actually slightly louder than before. I connected to walk and, the further I went, the louder it got. Then, finally, there they were. I of a sudden had to offset thinking very hard. I hadn't fabricated a mistake had I? I'd thought England's was the just British team to have qualified for the Globe Cup. That's why there was all that fuss nigh whether or non the Scots and Welsh should support England. Only there they were, correct in front of me - three men in kilts and a bagpiper, blasting out a rather raucous rendition of "Bloom of Scotland". And, no, we weren't in Glasgow but nigh 300 yards from the World Cup stadium in Hanover!

In the finish, I lost count of the number of Scots I bumped into yesterday. It seems that they but wanted a sense of taste of the Globe Loving cup. It didn't actually thing to them which game they were going to see. Just because their squad had missed out on beingness there, why should they miss out too?. It turned out that the bagpiper wasn't actually from Scotland at all. He was a Canadian with Scottish roots. There were too Australians there, with inflatable kangaroos (called Skippy 1, 2 and iii - yes, how original), Mexicans with the obligatory sombreros and several Englishmen. No one seemed to intendance that their ain teams weren't playing in Hanover. With tickets so hard to come up past for nigh of the games, this was their opportunity to sample some of the activeness.

So, who were the teams who were attracting this international crowd? Well, equally I mentioned yesterday, they were Poland and Costa Rica. And, you shouldn't get the impression that their own supporters weren't there. In that location were thousands of them. In fact, the Poles painted the city red and white. It seemed every single 1 of them was decked out like a walking, talking, singing version of the Polish national flag. Many of them had come on day trips - on special trains direct from Poland - just for the occasion. It didn't seem to matter that, even before the game started, both sets of supporters knew that their teams had already been eliminated from the contest.

For much of the day, I was with a Polish policeman but, when he went into the stadium to watch the game, I was turned away by the stewards because I didn't have official FIFA accreditation. However, exterior the ground, I noticed that the touts seemed to exist looking rather more desperate than normal. In fact, many of them weren't really touts at all but just ordinary individuals only trying to become rid of spare tickets. Now, if yous've been reading my diary, yous'll know that I was under the impression that y'all'd have to be prepared to part with hundreds of Euros to buy a ticket. Well, I can now exclusively reveal that I was wrong! When it comes to a game like Poland versus Costa rica, the tickets are much cheaper! There were some touts who were undoubtedly still trying to make a profit but many were actually asking less than they had really paid! With the kicking-off getting closer and closer, I was becoming more and more than tempted. The trouble was, I only had 30 five Euros on me (I hadn't fifty-fifty thought about buying a ticket when I had left the hotel). I looked at my lookout. It was about five to four. There were five minutes to go. I approached a man who was clearly trying to sell a ticket and who obviously wanted to go into the ground. Inside seconds, the deal was washed. The price on the ticket was lx Euros and, yep, I paid just 35 Euros!

It was worth every penny. I have to admit that my heart did flutter just a fiddling when I was putting the ticket through the machine at the turnstile. Was the infamous display (see yesterday'south diary) going to turn greenish or was it going to flash cerise? Fortunately, information technology went green and I was in! And it was terrific. Information technology wasn't the all-time match I'd ever seen just the temper was wonderful. The stadium was pretty impressive as well. Unfortunately, I missed the third goal (it finished 2-1 to Poland), equally I had to take a phone call on my mobile nigh a story I was working on. Nonetheless, I call back I did join in all the "Mexican waves" effectually the footing! So, your World Cup reporter has finally experienced some World Loving cup action! I know my Editor said I wasn't hither to watch whatever football but I'k sure he won't listen merely this once......

As I didn't bring you lot any photo'southward yesterday, I've given yous five today. Apparently the fan from Republic of costa rica was roofing his face because he was ashamed of his team's performances in the first 2 games! I hope you like the 1 of me with the silly lid (I can see a bit of a theme developing here).

Best Wishes,

Jon

PS: Merely in case yous were wondering afterward yesterday, the match passed off peacefully. Patently, four Poles were arrested before the game because, according to the police force in Hanover, they were banned from the game.

Tuesday 20th June

Another day and another city!

I woke up this morning in Hanover.

Ideally, of form, I would have opened the defunction and looked out over Cologne. That's what Sven'south men will be doing. Yes, in case yous've missed it, England are back in activeness in a few hours. This time, they're playing Sweden. Their chore today is to try to ensure they don't meet Federal republic of germany in the next round. And over in Berlin, the hosts take on Ecuador. Ii huge games then. And so, what'southward going on in Hanover? Well, the Polish team is playing. And what happens if they win today? Well .... null really - the Poles have already been knocked out. Any happens, the players and fans will be packing their numberless and going home. In football parlance, "they are simply playing for pride". They are facing Republic of costa rica and, aye, the Costa Ricans are also "simply playing for pride". Between them, the two teams take accumulated a great large full of zippo points. Well done then Jon, you have called well, haven't you?! What a massive game ....mmmmm.

In truth, I don't call back I'yard going to be able to see whatever of the friction match anyway. Call up, I'chiliad not in Federal republic of germany for the pitch side action (alas!). In a moment, I'm off to meet the Polish Constabulary hither in Germany. I know at outset glance that doesn't make any sense but, just similar with the British police force, there are Smooth plods here too to help control the less savoury elements of their supporters. I'm sure you lot will have seen that there were arrests and some trouble in Dortmund last week when Poland played Frg. I'm here to see the policing functioning from backside the scenes. Hopefully, they'll have a nice quiet day. I don't actually fancy watching a bottle or chair throwing competition. In fact, I call up if that happens, I will politely bid my Polish police hosts farewell and head off!

Fifty-fifty if I was in Cologne, of course, I wouldn't be going to the game. Getting tickets seems to be a difficult and risky business. It'south interesting talking to people who accept managed to get tickets through "unofficial channels". I spoke to a couple of women final week who said they merely happened to run across an official from FIFA when they were on holiday somewhere. They claimed he'd offered them the chance to buy tickets for games including the concluding. They declined those but told me they'd bought (cheaper) tickets from him for matches earlier in the contest. And so, in Nuremberg, I met "the Nottingham lads", who are travelling around Germany in a motor home. Ii of them had bought tickets from touts for England's against Trinidad and Tobago. Apparently, when you enter the stadium, you accept to put your ticket through a machine. There'south a small screen which either turns green or red. If information technology goes greenish, you tin can become into the ground. If it turns red, you've got a dodgy ticket and you're turned away. Fortunately, information technology went green for both of them. Withal, I met a grouping of fans on a train who told me about a chap who'd bought a ticket for 4 hundred Euros and the screen had turned cerise. I imagine his face did too - his ticket was confiscated and he was turned away. Anyhow, that'due south going to have to be that for today. I'm sorry it's a slightly shorter diary today (maybe that'south a relief) but I need to go and come across my Smooth policemen.

Oh aye - earlier I go - a quick appeal to anyone reading this who has my mobile telephone number. PLEASE can you text me the England score during the game because I'll nonetheless be on the streets of Hanover. Let me know if anyone scores! Thanks!

Jon

Monday 19th June

Ok, it'southward confession time. Your World Loving cup Reporter did something really, really stupid yesterday ("surely non", I hear my wife weep). As regular listeners to BBC Radio 4 may know by now, I travel regularly with work and I've had to navigate myself to and around places like Guantanamo Bay, Libya, Saudi arabia and northern Sri Lanka. So, you would have thought that I would be able to use the U-Bahn in Nuremberg without getting lost. Subsequently all, I am used to using an cloak-and-dagger train system - I was brought up in London! In fact, I was and then confident nearly using Nuremberg'south tube, that I was even giving some tourists directions yesterday (goodness knows where that poor family ended up). Anyway, imagine the scene:

Jon is hungry.

He decides to pop into town to get some dejeuner.

He gets onto the U-Bahn at Baerenschanze Station.

Only iv stops after and he'south in the center of Nuremberg.

It'due south all so easy.

He has tiffin.

So far and so good - simple.

So, all the same, our intrepid reporter needs to get back to the hotel to finish editing his report about Nuremberg. He gets onto the platform and remembers that the station he needs begins with B. So ...... he goes to Bauernfeindstrasse station. Not only is this the wrong station merely it is in completely the incorrect direction. Funnily enough, by sheer coincidence of course, information technology also simply happens to be the stop for Nuremberg's World Cup football stadium.

Suffice to say, with head bowed and pride firmly dented, I and then had to cross the platform and get all the way back again.

This all reminded me of an incident a few years ago. My lovely sister-in-law, Beth, came to stay with me in London, as she was enrolled on a course for a calendar week. She lives in Bangor in Northward Wales. I was in living in Ealing in west London at the time. All she had to do was to get onto the tube at Ealing Broadway and go on the Central Line (the red i) to Oxford Circus and so come up back again in the evening. It was so simple - all she had to remember was Ealing Broadway and blood-red line . I was wondering where she was when the 'phone rang:

"Howdy Jon, I retrieve I've made a fault...... I'm in Epping."

She'd got the blood-red line bit right merely had ended upwardly at the wrong end of it. Her alibi:

"Well, it began with an E "

I think it must run in the family unit.

Back to the World Cup, and I saw some evidence yesterday that some Germans might exist getting a chip fed upwardly with it all already. I passed a pub and then a restaurant which had big signs saying (in German) football free zone. I didn't pop my head around to take a look because:

a) I was in a blitz (having got lost on the U-Bahn)
b) I'm seeing painfully niggling football equally it is, without voluntarily going into a football costless zone! It should be pointed out that they didn't' exactly seem packed.

Iii more things earlier I become.

Starting time, thank you to the Croation band for their amusement yesterday evening.

Secondly, I saw an outbreak of violence yesterday in the eye of Nuremberg and it had zilch to do with football. Two waiters in a buffet suddenly clashed. I was pretty sure it was going to come up to blows but a brave waitress managed to get betwixt them and their ice cream specials.

And finally, I need to thank Ari - a Japanese fan. He taught me another word for cheers (see my weekend diary). Manifestly, in Japanese, information technology's "Kan Pai". I hope this is correct and that it isn't some awful swear word.

I'thou now off to Hanover to meet a Polish policeman.

See you lot tomorrow,

Jon

Saturday 17th and Sunday 18th June

They were drinking well into the nighttime. The beer glasses were huge. Nosotros aren't talking about "pint after pint" but "litre later on litre"! At one stop of the marquee, they were standing on the tables. And, as more and more of the larger disappeared, more and more people started to join in the singing. Yet, there were no big screens and nobody was asking the score. Every bit amazing every bit information technology may seem, it was exactly a calendar week later on the World Cup had started only at that place wasn't a single football shirt to exist seen. This nation might be gripped with football fever, just this was all the proof I needed that normal German life continues speedily. This was the beginning of the local beer and sausage festival in the village of Lohe, simply outside Nuremberg.

I call it the "beer and sausage festival" because that was how someone described to me. Yet, I'thousand told information technology's actually known every bit a Kerwa, which is brusque for Kirchwei . Many of the local villages hold them around this time of year. They are really religious festivals and are meant to have place on the day the local church was consecrated. Even so, I should tell you that the village of Lohe doesn't actually have a church building. So, there are no prizes for guessing what they are really all about - or, at least, what the Kerwa in Lohe is about. In a word - beer. In four words - beer and more beer. To be fair, y'all should as well add to that nutrient, music and tradition.

If you lot are male and aren't married, so you are allowed to bring together the Kerwa Burschen - the Kerwa Boys. You dress upwards in the colours of the local district - in this example, white shirts and cherry-red waistcoats with black trousers and black leather boots. They besides article of clothing rather fetching hats - black with ruby and white ribbons. They sing (or, a lot of the fourth dimension, shout) nearly love and beer. I'm told on the 2nd day of the festival (today) they get into the woods and bring a tree dorsum to the village. I become the impression they visit other villages on their mode home and, those who are one-time plenty (the Kerwa Boys consist of young boys likewise equally those in their teens and early twenties), indulge in another beer or two. At some phase, the tree is planted in the village to show that the annual Kerwa has been and gone. At the stop of the festival, which lasts most 4 days, at that place seems to be some kind of contest to found the main Kerwa Boy - I suppose, the Kerwa Male child Rex. I didn't quite sympathise this but I get the impression that the winner then gets the girl - but I might be wrong. Peradventure he only gets some other beer.

So, at that place's lots of tradition involved in the Kerwa but the bottom line is information technology'southward about having lots to drink and having a fun few days. Indeed, one of the most important parts of yesterday evening was the breaking of the start beer barrel. Some of the locals in Lohe were having then much fun final night that they decided to victimise (in a friendly fashion, of form) the simply Englishman present. By the time I had left, I had been made an honorary Deutsche and had German language flags painted on my face to prove information technology. I did exit my mark on my hosts too though. There are now about 10 locals in Lohe who will no longer be shouting Prost (cheers) when they clink their beer glasses. They are now honorary Welshmen (this is my wife'southward influence - even though she wasn't there) and will now exist shouting Iechyd Da (pronounced Yachidar)!

Anyway, another day and another mission and I'm now about to meet the Bratwurst King of Nuremberg. It'due south all in a 24-hour interval'south work and you'll be able to find out why I'g putting myself through all this hardship on Monday forenoon's program.

Until Monday, Iechyd Da!

Jon

Fri 16th June

Nuremberg Y'all're never going to believe this. Yesterday evening, here in Nuremberg, the Today Programme's Earth Loving cup Reporter finally got to encounter a World Loving cup friction match! I didn't see it in the flesh - I think trying to get a Earth Cup ticket is going to be impossible. Instead, I watched it on a big(ish) screen in the central square - the Hauptmarkt. The game, of class, was the England versus Trinidad and Tobago game - one that I simply wasn't prepared to miss. It's wonderful being hither in Frg for the World Cup simply, as I mentioned the other solar day, I'grand not going to meet much in the way of football game. That's quite foreign for me. In normal circumstances, beingness a flake of a football anorak, I would be trying to take hold of as much of the action as I possibly could. As a result, I owe a large cheers to the sports section of the BBC website, which is keeping me up to appointment with all the scores.

I think I must have been the only Englishman in the Hauptmarkt who was stone common cold sober. I was recording some of the oversupply sounds for a written report you'll hear on Mon and I knew I had to do some editing last night, so I declined the offer of a beer or 2 during the game. It's interesting what you observe when all those around you are drinking (a lot). I was wondering, for example, why 1 chap had bothered coming all the way to Germany to picket the football - he spent much of the second one-half asleep nether the table. And why did a man pull his trousers and pants down when England scored? Fortunately he had his back to me (the meliorate of the two options). It too seemed obvious to my sober caput that when 6 or seven men started dancing and jumping up and down on the table, at some stage it was going to collapse. I thought it was going to break but the Germans build strong article of furniture. Instead, it only toppled over. Alas, fifty-fifty when completely sober, I obviously don't react apace enough and I didn't quite get out of the way in time simply it's all role of the World Loving cup experience!

As I'm sure y'all know all besides well by now, England just about managed to win the game and now the thousands of fans following the team will be making their fashion out of the city. Simply to remind you, I'll be telling you about the impact they made on the area (and its tables) on Monday'southward programme. The citizens of Nuremberg is now preparing themselves for their next Earth Cup experience - Croatia versus Nihon on Sunday.

I'm going to a local beer and sausage festival this evening but I also need to try to find a Globe Cup souvenir shop. I think the thought of the "Ask the Reporter" section of the website was to come upward with ideas that y'all wanted me to report on from Federal republic of germany. However, Manon Edwards from Cardiff has asked me to buy her a World Cup refrigerator magnet - like the one I generously bought my wife. Manon, consider it done!

Talking of my wife, by the way, I have to make a public apology. She insists she was only joking when she referred to England as "nosotros".

It's probably time to get before I have to apologise to anyone else.

I'm off now to interview someone from Nuremberg's Chamber of Commerce. I promise y'all heard the paparazzi report this morn. If you didn't, it's on this page at the top.

Oh, don't forget to keep those ideas coming in.

Guten Morgen!

Jon

Thursday 15th JuneSven, we take a problem. I'm and then deplorable to permit you down. I know you were relying on me this evening but information technology seems the human foot jinx has struck again. I don't think it's a metatarsal simply I'thousand agape I certainly can't play for you today . And if you're looking for someone to blame, information technology was the suitcase what washed it. Not realising it was quite so heavy (weighed down by the satellite dish and all the other BBC equipment I'm having to comport effectually), a squeamish German man thought he'd help me get it off the train and, you've guessed it, he placed it neatly on top of my pes. I'm not sure what the High german word is for "ouch"!

Talking of trains, I'one thousand getting to know Federal republic of germany'south railway system rather well. I've now been on v trains at present in two days and I'm about to reveal something which will shock you all. It seems that the stereotype about High german efficiency is a myth. I never thought I would hear a German train driver take to announce that the train was stationary considering there were problems with the engine and to have to apologise for the delay. Those sitting near me told me this wasn't unusual. "Oh yep", they said, "we are oft delayed past ten or xv minutes".

The train, by the mode, was taking me to Nuremberg. You might have heard me this forenoon being drowned out by a steel band in the centre of the city.

One of my guests - Shawn Benoit, from Tobago's Aqueduct 5 telly station - mentioned that my wife was supporting Trinidad and Tobago tonight. And indeed she is. In fact, Catrin (who's from Wales) has always supported whoever whatsoever England team happens to be playing. Withal, I should signal out that, the other twenty-four hour period, she referred to England as "we". So, mayhap, my influence is finally start to rub off on her.

I'thousand going to endeavor to catch the game on one of the big screens in the centre of Nuremberg, where I was this morning. And I'thousand going to look out for a group of students from Leeds who I met on the railroad train yesterday. They are quite easy to spot, as one of them made a fleck of a schoolboy error when he was watching England's first game in Frankfurt. He had a small St George'southward flag painted on his brow. He caught the sun on the residuum of his forehead, then he now has a white rectangle half way between his nose and his hairline. He's not exactly embarrassed about information technology though.

Well, that'south information technology for now. I need to start editing my study about the paparazzi, which y'all'll be able to hear on the plan tomorrow morning. After that, I'thou spending the weekend here to report on the metropolis subsequently the thousands of England fans have left and you tin listen to that on Mon. If in that location'southward annihilation which y'all desire to hear from Germany which you aren't hearing elsewhere, then do permit us know via the website and I'll encounter what we tin practise.

By the way, I couldn't find my Blue-tac, so the World Cup poster is still in my heavy suitcase.

Good Luck England (and Trinidad and Tobago)!

All-time Wishes, Jon

Wednesday 14 JuneIf anyone arriving at Frankfurt Airport yesterday somehow hadn't heard that there'south a football tournament going on here, they certainly know at present. Even some of the aeroplanes accept had a makeover. The olfactory organ of one plane I saw had been painted to arrive look like a football game. Then, walk towards the baggage reclaim hall and you'll see a big World Cup poster - "bask the games". And guess what you demand to await for if y'all want to employ a public telephone. Yes, they seem to be marked out with footballs too. Is it going to be like this everywhere?

There are at to the lowest degree ii official FIFA souvenir stalls past the Airport'due south railway station. I've bought my married woman a World Cup fridge magnet (she'll be and then thrilled) and I'm at present carrying around the official Today Plan Earth Cup. It's only 4 inches alpine but, by placing information technology past my bed in each hotel I stay in, information technology ways I won't exist able to forget about the football. "How can he maybe forget about the World Loving cup when he'due south in Germany?" I hear you mutter. Well, that might be easier than you might think. You meet, my Editor has told me that I'm non here for the football. If you desire to hear almost injured feet and whistle happy referees, they heed to Gary and Steve during Today's sports bulletins. I'm going to exist looking at stories "around the Globe Loving cup" rather than what's happening on the pitch. For example, I've simply picked upward a train from Karlsruhe and I'm on my fashion to Baden-Baden to run into a couple of members of the paparazzi. Baden-Baden is where the England team is staying and the 2 "snappers" are hanging around outside a posh hotel trying to become pictures of the WAGs - the England squad's wives and girlfriends. I don't know whether that'll hateful I'm going to be spending the afternoon hiding in bushes or standing exterior sectional shops but I'll presently find out.

More in a minute only the train's pulling into Baden-Baden now and I think it's final destination is Paris - and so I amend get off or I'll stop upwardly reporting from the wrong country and if that happens my Editor definitely won't be happy.....

How-do-you-do once more. It's now half xi at night and I'm in the hotel in Baden-Baden. I don't know if this is something to exist proud of but I now know the names of several of the England football players' wives and partners. I even know what colour bikinis they wear. And while chasing around with the paparazzi, I even met young Theo Walcott - the England team's youngest thespian, who hasn't even played a game for his new side Armory yet. Whoops, I'm mentioning football game - don't let the Editor see this. I'm afraid I have to admit that, as an Arsenal fan, I had my moving-picture show taken with Theo, which will be the first entry in our Today Programme Earth Cup Anthology. Anyway, I need to find my blue-tack to put up my World Cup poster and fill in Brazil's result.

Then I'd amend go some sleep.

Speak to y'all again soon, Gute Nacht!
Auf Wiedersehen!

Jon

Encounter folio two of Jon'due south World Cup diary
See page 3 of Jon's World Cup Diary

boonetiond1964.blogspot.com

Source: https://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/today/reports/misc/footballdiary_20060613.shtml

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