Family, soccer, work, soccer, work… And more soccer.

Frankfurt from across the Main

Before I get started in on this post I just want to point out a few things about the new layout of my blog.  On the right now I have added a few new items to help keep up with me.  A link to my Instagram, as well as a countdown on my next return to the states and a few songs I enjoy while traveling.  Also, front and center I have included a link to my calendar which I will be updating with trips and other such items.  ALSO, I finally decided on a new title for my blog, “My New Life in northern Germany.”  And lastly, I came up with a logo which I felt really summed up my blog and life for the next 18 months.  Enjoy.

Two weekends ago I was finally able to start sight-seeing again.  It feels so great to get back into the swing of traveling like my classmates and I did last Spring, while studying in Austria.  Waking up early and getting to the train station with my backpack ready for the weekend, brought back a flood of memories of my friends in Salzburg and our cold morning treks to the Hauptbahnhof.  This morning in particular was really, really cold.  There was a light snow in Osterholz-Scharmbeck and I packed myself a thermos full of hot chocolate to enjoy as the german countryside covered in snow whizzing past my train window as I made my way to Frankfurt.

Waiting for me in Frankfurt were my Aunty Fran and Uncle Dan just off their amazing trip to Malta.  It was so great to see some familiar faces again, bonus points as well because I get to hear someone speaking english again also.  As this was my first time in Frankfurt, and because my aunt and uncle were seasoned veterans of the city I followed them around as we walked and talked our way through Frankfurt.  We went by the European Central Bank and stopped into a small restaurant to have a drink before our walk to dinner.

European Central Bank and my Aunty Fran

Now, it had been awhile since I used to walk through European cities every weekend with my buddies but I figured I’d be up to whatever challenge my aunt and uncle had in store for me… I was warned it was a “bit” of a walk… It was a “bit” more then a “bit” to be quite honest…  I’m a little ashamed to say I was a tiny bit tired upon arrival at our restaurant.. But luckily the restaurant at the end of our long walk was amazing.  It was called Gerbermühle, and it had some traditional Hessian food for us to try.

We had some “Handkäse mit Musik” to start.  The dish is a specialty of Frankfurt and it consists of sour-milk cheese that is normally shaped into a ball by hand, hence the name hand=hand, käse=cheese, hand cheese.  It was served with some vinegar, oil, onions and bread and it had a unique taste that was strong but pleasant.  We wondered why it was called “hand cheese with music” when we never heard any music.  We weren’t able to find an answer that night. Luckily, I did some research and found two possible reasons why “mit Musik” is included in the dish’s name.  One very reputable source told me that when foreigners ask, “where the music is,” the usual German response is “die Musik kommt später,” or “the music comes later.”  As in flatulence, thanks to the onions.. Really beautiful Deutschland…  The more likely reason for the “mit Musik” I have discovered, is from the sound of the ceramic containers for the oil and vinegar that is served with dish clinking together musically.  But where is the fun in that…

I had a really nice visit with my aunt and uncle and before I knew it the night was coming to an end and I made my way back to my hostel for the night, ready to wake up early to catch my train back to Osterholz-Scharmbeck.

The following week was my first full week at work and it went well.  I’ve been learning a lot and working on my german language skills but who wants to hear about that.  The following weekend I purchased tickets to yet another soccer game, this time in Köln.  It was FC Köln vs Schalke 04 and while I knew it wasn’t going to be as exciting as the last game I went too, I was still really looking forward to it.

I arrived in Köln earlier in the day in the hopes of being able to see the old cathedral but it was pouring rain and made almost any sight-seeing impossible for me.  I barely even got to get a good look at the cathedral.  I will definitely be coming back though to get a better look, hopefully when the sun is out.  But soon after the time came to make my way to the stadium.  As I got closer I started seeing bars full of fans and supporters drinking their way through the streets towards the stadium.  So, naturally after buying my scarf, I had to join in and try to blend in with everyone.

After a successful hour or two at the bars, and now that I was full of beer and bratwurst, I joined the mass migration of fans marching and waving their red and black flags on their way to the stadium.  We arrived just as the players were exiting the field from their warm-ups.  Before I knew what was happening, the FC Köln mascot (a live goat) was run onto the field and every fan began singing a song they called the “FC Kölne Hymne.”  I’ve noticed at the 3 different stadiums I’ve been able to visit in the past month that every team has their own theme song of sorts.  In Bremen it’s “Lebenslang Grün-Weiß”(life long green and white), in Dortmund it’s “You’ll Never Walk Alone,” and now in Köln I got to sing along to “FC Kölne Hymne” (FC Köln Anthem) with 50,000 other fans…  And a goat.  Each song has a special meaning to their team and fans and it’s a really cool experience to join in with everyone in an entire stadium to sing it.

RheinEnergieStadion home of FC Köln

The game, started out really fast with FC Schalke scoring in the 2nd minute and Köln coming very close to tying the score moments later but unfortunately the game died down drastically.  The official was really lenient with his foul calls as well, which I really liked as it meant that the players couldn’t just flop down and get a whistle.  So, luckily, the game moved along somewhat well and it was entertaining to watch as the players really started to play harder and rougher as the game went on thanks to the official.  BUT both teams were pretty awful and even though Köln was able to tie it up, the skill level of the game wasn’t very high and when the final whistle blew and the game ended as a 1-1 tie I was more then ready to get back home.

For the next two weeks I made sure to buckle down and focus on work and making sure I made a solid first impression on my employers and colleagues.  I’m still in my training program and for most of those two weeks I worked on a project where I was given a “test blade.”  The “test blade” is made identical to a massive wind turbine rotor blade, except instead of being 80 meters long, it’s only 3 meters long.  My task for the week was to repair it, smooth out the imperfections on it and then properly apply the coatings so that when all was said and done I would be dealing with a rotor blade that could withstand all that mother nature could to throw at it for the next decade.

I can’t say much about the coatings used but at the end of the week I was pretty satisfied with my finished product.  A few imperfections, but overall not a terrible first attempt.

And lastly, this weekend I was able to go see Werder Bremen play again here in Bremen.  I was really looking forward to this game because I feel a better connection to this team then any of the others I have travelled to visit.  At those games I’m just a tourist, but in Bremen I’m a fan, so it was great to go to another game at their stadium where they were playing a team they could probably beat, SV Darmstadt (last in the league).

I took the train into town, walked down to the river where all of the bier gartens are and where all of the fans congregate prior to the games.  I found a great bar and met a group of nice fans and we shared a few beers before starting the walk along the Weser River to the stadium.  The stadium is called the Weserstadion and it is located right along the banks of the river.  It’s not massive but it’s a really neat stadium and when the team plays well it can get really loud.

Werder Bremen (green) vs SV Darmstadt

Luckily, Bremen played really well on Saturday and the stadium was rocking the entire game.  They ended up winning 2-0 thanks to a two goal game from their best player, Max Kruse.

Penalty goal for Max Kruse (sorry the phone was knocked out of my hand)

All in all, it was another fun day in Bremen watching soccer.  The fans here really impress me as the team is going through a rough patch in their clubs history.  As recent as 2004, Bremen won the German League.  Beating the teams many of us know just from Sportscenter such as Bayern Munich or Borussia Dortmund.  Not only did they win the league, they smashed their competition, AND they won the DFB Pokal, which is a single elimination knockout style tournament that includes the top 64 teams in Germany.

And now, Bremen sits in 14th place in the table, only 2 points away from relegation to the 2 Bundesliga..  Yet, every week the fans still come and sell out the Weserstadion to sing and cheer and to watch their team play (and probably lose).  But, to me that’s really a special atmosphere to go and be a part of as often as possible because now, when Bremen wins the fans enjoy every single second of it, because they know how rare it can be, and how quickly things can change every week or every season.

And on that note, I’m going to call it on this post.  I’m not entirely sure what my plans are for the next month.  I know in April I plan on visiting Paris as well as hopefully Switzerland over my Easter break.  All great things to look forward too, Auf Wiedersehen!