Home.

Just a short post here to say I safefully made it back to Chicago. Thanks to a bunch of great people I met in Deutschland, my family, my friends and especially Katie. I will make one more post as kind of an epilogue and then this blog will be done.

Thanks for everyone for their comments and I look forward to seeing a lot of you at my wedding in August 12th....wait, do I hear the makings of another blog, hmmmmm.

Country roads take me home!

Hey all, this should be the last blog from Deutschland. We went out with a bang. I camped in Berlin the last couple of nights and I met more people there then I did the whole trip. Thanks again to Mike W. for that idea. He is actually curled up on a chair in the Internet Cafe trying to sleep.

We partied in Berlin like rock stars. We watched Italy win the whole thing - who woulda thunk. We pulled an all nighter and took a 3:00am train to Frankfurt. Everybody was wearing their home colors for the last day, we even had a few people chant U-S-A. We hung out and listened to a drum group (60-70 people) jam out. Eveybody was dancing. We had a big group from the camp just hanging out and taking it all in. Our boy Neal got his dancing shoes on showed us all how to do it. Now just waiting to get on that jet plane and boogie home.

A few odds and ends before I go, glad this is my last day as I must have tweaked my right ankle -making walking kinda tough. I think both my feet are crying uncle. And boy am I stinky.

Mr. Schwanebeck I have some new German Friends working on a photo from the town. No one I talked to knew of it or how to get there so but don't worry, we will get something from there.

Tara, they don't have phone books here, no really - I am sure somewhere there are a few, but now they just look up everything on the internet. So I can't tear a page of the computer. Sorry.

Just wanted to say having the blog and reading your comments has been one of the highlights of the trip. Thank you and good night. Elvis is leaving Germany. OK actually if I fall asleep now I will miss the plane.

This is going to be quick as well.

The highlight of today I did hear a David Hasselhoff song. Now I can come home. Sooo, I am thinking Euro MPU tour in an RV? What could go wrong. The campground is strange but very cool. Met some cool people and will post a photo when I get home. We are at the Fan Fest today to watch Deutschland play in the losers game (to determine 3rd and 4th place) but they are still into it.

Did a pub crawl last night and whoa, put it on the life list ya'll. Saw some wierd stuff but met a load of great people. Sorry no links today.

Rained this morning but clear for the game.

Music, heard some BoDeans which is very cool. Johnny Cash doing "One" by U2. Tony L is that out there? 48 hours but a lot more to do. See yall soon.

Berlin,Berlin we are falling off Berlin.

This is going to be short as the Internet Cafe is sehr Heiss. Very hot! Brian your comments are awesome. Thank you Tony on the song info. Did the bike tour in Berlin - sites, beirgarten and nudist park...I am a sensing a theme here in Germany. For some reason finding a bunch of people interested that I am a Recruiter. Maybe it is the 21% unemployment - Banner Berlin?

I am so ready to come home on one hand - but meeting some nutty people and there is so much to see here. Some drunk English guys were throwing fireworks into a campfire last night. My friend Mike ditched out when they were talking about putting a stick of TNT on the fire. Katie, I will come home in one piece, I promise.

Weather - freakin hot - but storms a brewing.

Songs - The Killers, beatles, and the stones.

Well it's the French vs. the Mafia.

Great night. Had fun taking in the game even though the French won. So on to Berlin. Hey help out they played a song "It's the Final Countdown" and I am to lazy to google. I will be camping the last few days in Berlin. Ready to come home.

This AM came a bit early.

After a hard night of consoling our German friends (for those of you who don't know they got eliminated last night), I was awoken by one of my new roommates complaining about another roommates snoring. I know my friend Steve S. is not reading this but he held the title of worst snore since we did some Cisco training in Wisconsin. This guy last night took top spot by a long shot - past my Dad, past my friend Dan when we've camped, past everybody. Needless to say I did my part to "drown" the sorrows with my fellow Germans and those of you that know me know I sleep soundly, but this got me up and out by 6:00AM. Lets just say I went to bed sometime very near there.

Did the tourist thing to day walking off the lack of sleep. Saw the HofBräuhaus - which has the onlyvisiblee swastika's in public. The symbol is outlawed (as well it should be) but it is still interesting to see this history. Stopped by the Hard Rock Cafe only because they have part of the wall on display...oh yeah and they cut it into the shape of aguitarr. Gotta love us Americans. And climbed St. Peters Tower - I am thinking that Katies obsession with planning is not all that bad. I don't think she would have scheduled drinking practically all night and then climbing a towers stairs. Katie you would be very happy here, shopping is a major attraction here.

The French have arrived and the town is getting very snooty. Let's just say I am hoping that Portugal wins this one.

Met some very cool Germans last night and they said they come up to Berlin with Mike and I.

One of yesterday highlights at the München Fan Fest was before the game the had events on the main stage. The best was this Asian fan singing ACDC "Highway to Hell" in English via a huge karaoke screen to a bunch of drunk Germans. This trip is great.

Tomorrow I may not blog - Mike and I are off to Berlin and I may do some camping but maybe not. The weather is supposed to turn bad for the rest of the week. Rain and heat. And I am not sure if they have heard of a small invention called air conditioning. Very few places have it. Today is sunny and hot. But a great day.

Today's music (all in English of course, both from Internet Cafe and heard from passing cars) - Cher(coming from a kids car), Shakira, Pink, 50 Cent and Will Smith.

Approaching the final Stretch - Photo Update

I have kinda teamed up with this guy Mike from the Bike trip. A small group of us is headed out to watch Germany win another one.

The bike group turned out to be one of the best things to do - the more senior guy in the pic owns a few soccer stores out in Cali, turns out he used to be Head Soccer Coach for UCLA and played for the team in the 70's. Turns out Bruce Arena(current US Mens Head Coach) was mentored by this guy. He had some awesome stories.

A side note, while waiting for the 11:00 Glockenspiel this cute little girl(Maddie's age) come up to me and started asking me questions in German. She was part of a school group at the famous square (there must have been at least 10 school groups). I explained in German that I did not speak the language or understand. But I guess in her mind if I responded in German, I MUST understand so she persisted in asking me questions about the Clock. Oh yeah this went on for a good 5 minutes. She reminded me of some other little blond headed kids I know in Naperville.

On a more somber note - went to Dachau today. Still a bit overwhelmed. The couple on the bike trip and done it before and kinda prepped us for it. It didn't work. No way can I express the level of sorrow you feel just walking through there. At one point I felt like I wanted to leave Germany all together and just go home.

So with that in mind Mike and I are a little bit more subdued but hope to have an uplifting time at the Fan Fest in München tonight.

Roommate update: last night Asian Family of 4, 1 remaining Anti-US Iranian. Tonight 2 English drunks (already met them) and they told me the rest is some nutty Brasilian's that are really ticked off that they (their team) has been sent home.

Tom W. told me, before he left, the most important thing to do when faced with tough situations - curl up in the fetal position and cry. Captain, ready and able.

I got the Munchkins.

So one or two hiccups. I got off at the wrong stop to Berlin. And yeah I almost did the same thing at München. Lucky a little lady saved me and got me back on the train. So I am in München, my home turf. Let's just say I found the bad part of town, saw a total car wreck (yeah somebody didn't make it, and am living with 5 crazy muslims). I am not making this up. Lets just say I was last to bed and first up and out. I did have a great Bike tour - History, Biergartens, and nudist park. No really. I will be at 3 different hostels in my stay in München. The game here on Wed should be nuts. One thing noticed by everyone on the bike tour is the lack of laughter in Germany. I keep thinking of my Godson Tyler Walls laugh. It should be universal, just let live and let live as they say. Life shouldn't be as serious as the Krauts make it. (I am almost about to break into "I am proud to be an American" by Kenny Loggins)

OH AND BY THE WAY - guess what song they played at the World Cup game I went to and that is HUGE here - MPU get ready for this: Country Roads! Yeah, I almost freaked! No, scratch that I did freak! In the Internet Cafe that I am in now I have heard: Gwen Stefani, Scott McKenzie - Come to San Fransico, Crazy from Gnarls Barkley, and Madonna. Oh and guess the first song they first played in Berlin after Germany won...We are the Champions by Queen. Ed's you would love it here.

Also, I have to comment that Tom W. had started calling McDonalds our American Embassy and no matter where we went it was the place to be. Even in Karben the BK was the hot spot. It ain't right but just a sign of the times. Pretty soon it will be David Hasselhoff 24 hours a day on all channels. Andy B were are your comments? MPU are you out there?

Oh and I guess the French/Brasil game I saw in Frankfurt got out of control and the Polizei had to step in at the Frankfurt Fanfest. I was there and missed it but it got to the point of breaking into a full riot. Don't worry, next time I will be an embedded reporter.

Totally off subject, I can't wait to get home to my Katie and look forward to our date in August. Just a met a couple getting married Aug. 13th. She is Italian and 13 is lucky in Italy. Go figure.

Here is a fun one. A puzzle a day keeps the Vet away (that was for you Tony Cappa)

Man, the French won again!

It was a nuthouse here in Frankfurt having France beat Brasil (the way they spell it). A little oddity was the amount of Asian tourists here - from all over Japan, Vietnam, China. With Tom gone home I am flying solo, but meeting a bunch of people. Americans from Texas, Cali, AZ, CO. One is a Army guy on leave and decided to take a free military flight over to here to hang out. We watched the games and he turned out to be a very bright kid, after a stint in the Army he is going to Grad school and then looking at one of the consulting firms. I told him I have a sweet spot for PWC. Any way he kept plugging me for info from a recruiters stand point - like all night, but in a nice way - kinda funny. Don't worry Tony, if he is going into insurance we got him.

I stayed in Karben last night - the hotel billed itself as in Frankfurt. Yeah and Dixon, IL is in Chicago. Actually it was Wunderbar! No not Wunderland. Very nice small town people - had to get by on my Deutsch. It has cemented for me the fact that kids should learn a second language - not just a few words in school but be fluent.

Fashion trend over here that is kinda funny (not that I am looking) is clear bra straps. I don't think we have them in the US but I don't think they would work either. And no, these were in plain sight in public - no funny stuff. Honestly I thought they were clear medical tape.

I can't wait to get home, do some grilling, relax and there is something else coming up...

On to Muchen for next 3 days. I was told by someone they have a bike tour that includes the pubs! The weather is sunny, high 80's not a cloud in the sky here in Frankfurt.

Berlin, ah Berlin

OK just a follow up to being in Berlin as they won. It was incredible. Meet a number of people - there were reported a million people on Juni 17 Strasse. I believe it. Half of them were polzei - they are taking the security thing seriously. It was mayhem after the win. Again, just tough to put into words. Awesome.

Photo update

I had to put the one with the guy behind me as he was also an American. I didn't let him know I was though and that was for a very good reason. Imagine taking Hank Hill to a soccer game. There you go. Just a red neck who didn't like where he was. He must have been a quest of someone for the Italian side and he didn't understand the game - and didn't really want to. Kinda of a jerk.

And per Katie, I am not providing enough details :) The weather is great here in Frankfurt and on to Munich. 80 Degrees (F) and partly cloudy. I saw Tom off this AM and he is feeling much better but looking forward to going home. And having talked to Katie on the phone last night I am going to be glad to come home soon as well.