A longer trip back to UK

Claire was due to return to the Uk with me for a short trip this last weekend but, unfortunately, her course in Runnymede was postponed and I had to go back alone. It's funny how you get to see so many people in a short space of time when you have limited opportunities yet never manage it when you had plenty of time beforehand. Maybe everyone should leave their home country for a short period of time so that they enjoy both the country and their friends when they make return trips! The chance to see friends is even more enjoyable than the odd 5-0 thrashing seen at the Emirates on Saturday.

Thanks to everyone who provided excellent B&B (Ian, Stephanie, Wendy, Alistair, Elizabeth & Neil) and we hope we can return the favour when you get out here.

Sprechen sie Deutsch???

At last I've enrolled in a German language course and I made the decision to go for it in one simple intensive manner. The course starts in a month and lasts for 8 weeks, 5 days a week, 3 hours a day plus homework. I'm not sure how many people will be on the course though it will be between 4 and 10. The company, Inlingua, run courses across the whole of Switzerland and this one is centrally located in Basel.

UEFA2008 - Volunteering

Next year Switzerland is one of two co-hosts to Euro2008, together with Austria. Basel is the main Swiss city and will be home to all of Switzerland's games and UEFA are looking for 1000 volunteers in Basel alone. Today I attende an interview for the volunteer roles and as I said I would be willing to be avialable for the whole period they seemed impressed and asked if i would like to be a Volunteer Manager - though I won't know until March 2008. Part of the process also included a fitting session for the Adidas supplied uniforms - trousers, polo shirt, coat & trainers! Above is the lovely logo !!!

Alsace Bike Trip part III - Ottrott to Ingwiller

The third day provided the stiffest challenge as we spent the first part of the day climbing to the highest point of the week. The "Col des Pandours" reached 662m (it was actually a 3eme category climb in the 2006 Tour de France) and proved a tough hour long drag through a fairly chilly dense forest. Ingwiller was fairly small and certainly lacked some of the Alsatian charm of previous stops but the sun came out in the evening for a couple of quiet beers in the charming beer garden by the main road!

Alsace Trip by Bike Part II to Ottrott

At last we reach mile after mile (or should that be kilometre..) of vineyard in the heart of the Alsace on the wonderful "route des vins". If you've ever visited this area of France you will know that it's a constant stream of pretty village, vineyard, pretty village, vineyard and is gently undulating (my definition - Claire may have another word! - especially after the steep hill out of Barr). We visited Riquewihr, had lunch in Ribeauvillé and finally arrived at Ottrott. We found a wonderful alsatian wine that I had never experienced before, Rouge d'Ottrott, which like all Alsatian reds is served "frais". Claire took a liking to the Cremant D'Alsace and we had a wonderful dinner in the Au Rouge D'ottrott - a typical French restaurat packed with locals.

Alsace Trip by Bike Part I - to Colmar(well nearly)

Somehow I managed to persuade Claire that we should take a trip through the vineyards of the Alsace. We started this morning by catching the train to Basel before taking the gentle (i.e. FLAT) trip of 43 miles over 3hrs to Vogelgrun (just East of Colmar) along canals and through the (soon to be) typical Alsatian villages. Vogelgrun may not be high on a list of places to visit but it sits on the Ile du Rhin, allowing us to walk across the river to Germany for a beer in the town of Breisach Am Rhein.