Football/House in Shop/Hamburg Railway Station

Celebrations in the city late into the night.

Football fever has taken hold, and after the Germany won on Wednesday evening, the city has gone mad!  I was not there to witness it, I watched on the tv, but Scott and Craig watched the first half on one of the big screens in the city for "Public Viewing."   I went into town on Thursday morning, to be met with a strong smell of beer  in the streets, and  the   discarded remnants of a big party lying in the gutters. The street cleaners must have  been  busy all day.  I have to support both nations, as I feel I have dual nationality and  I will watch every England and Germany match even though I'm not a footer fan!   I brought my flag of St George with me this year, so I can sit  in front of the tv tonight and wave my support for England when they play against Sweden.

On Thursday afternoon I met Janet in "Graff"  for our weekly chat session, where we drink hot chocolate with cream and talk women's talk.   I like speaking German to my friends, but it is nice to speak to another English person and be totally understood.   We later visited T.K.Maxx, a shop that sells English sweets and household bits and pieces, where I was interested to see that the new building had incorporated an old house into its structure.  How very imaginative, although I expect the building regulations demanded the preservation of the old house.  Brunswick was once a city of half timbered houses, and every one that managed to survived the fire storm in the war has been vigourously protected. 

The home furnishing department in T.K.Maxx

My visitors left this morning, and it is very quiet without their American accents, their relaxed attitude to life and their very big smiles.   They caught the 08.53 bus and then a tram to BS station and travelled back to Hamburg for their leaving party tonight with friends.  They leave Hamburg Airport for Portland, Oregon at 09.00 on Saturday morning.   In Florence, Oregon they will report back to their father the details of the big search for family "Buehrig" in the Timmerlah area.  I wish them all the success in the world, for when I began a search for my ancestors, I gave up after having spent £100 and only gone back to 1840.  I can see how family searches can become totally compulsive.

Hamburg main station, where I met Meggie and Jan + beer a fortnight ago.