28 days later...a month in Germany.Day 9

Bloody hell day nine...gotta say it’s flown by so far.Hamburg’s been superb.Spent much of my time around St Pauli & Altona.Both cool places with what would probably be called an alternative lifestyle thing going on...it’s always thought dock area’s of port cities are basically no go parts filled with cutthroats and general dodgy characters,and let’s face it that’s part of the appeal,but I’ve felt as safe & secure here as anywhere...

 Every day in Germany last year I was plagued by wasps but so far this time around all’s been quiet on the buzzy little yellow bastard front.Maybe things will change the further east I go or maybe Frau Merkel has eradicated them...god they were a pest in every sense of the word...granted it’s not as stiflingly hot this time around and I noticed from the train window that the millions of acres of maize seems to be healthy whereas last year all the crop was dead in the fields...anyway that’s all from Country File this week...

In a small bar with just me & the landlady (small bars in Germany are all run by women it seems) and she said it’s sweet that you order in German but we can speak English if that makes you feel better...was trying to explain that I’m trying to show some respect by at least attempting the language etc when I saw her glaze over and grab the remote “you want to watch some football?” Totally fobbed off in my diplomatic quest but of course it was “ oh yes please!”(Karlsruhe v Dresden btw.1-1 at half time) She clearly knows the way to a man’s heart and also how to shut up a patronising Englishman...anyway a ludicrous own goal puts Karlsruhe in the lead.Dresden look shocking,Karlsruhe look sort of ok but it’s hard tell and the landlady still doesn’t want to talk...well it’s now 4-1 to Karlsruhe with 10 mins left.Frankly it could be double as Dresden are piss poor.This has been your Bundesliga 2 correspondent from a pub in Hamburg...Still here.Another game about to start.Hannover v Regensburg.Don’t worry I’ll keep reports to a minimum unless it’s a nutty game.

Fella in the bar loves Springsteen...fine but been here for as long as the normal Bruce gig and I’d say half of what he’s put on the juke box is the New Jersey bard...with the odd guest appearances...found a bar showing the cricket.Obviously it’s an Irish bar but as they’re now a legit test playing nation that’s permissible...they also have Black Sabbath on the juke box too 

As you sit there watching cricket in an Irish bar in Hamburg and wonder aloud if Mohin should come back to bowl you get into a conversation with a Northern Irish Fulham fan who lives in Berlin because,well of course you do...nice chap...

Packed up waiting to get my €20 deposit back on the key then grab the train to Berlin.I’ll miss Hamburg though.The last time I was here was the first time I’d been to Germany on my own and the place passed me by really but I’m a bit more confident about doing this now so I can step back and appreciate things more...

See you all tomorrow from that there Berlin.