Wales to Berlin to Wales

Second trip of the year and the only one this year that is actively planned around a running race event, but for me, may be the most leisurely effort of the year to date. In terms of races mission accomplished on home soil at the Great Welsh Marathon with a PB and return to my sub 4 benchmark, and then 4th best half marathon at Bournemouth last week. So this is more or less a nice building week with a couple of race events in April, but the pressure is off.

That allows for the holiday vibe to seep in a little, but I did not rush to the beer in the BA Galleries lounge, and even my airside rule for the year so far will be at least changed to airborne on this trip.  Obviously after the marathon in April all bets may be off but its been a relatively fit and healthy few months so far this year and some benefits have been reaped.  Food perhaps not quite had the same meticulous treatment and certainly didn't in the lounge! The trip to get there fairly straightforward, left home 7.10, into Purple Parking 9.25, ar y bws,  and at Terminal 5 10.00

Brand new Airbus for the 2 hr hop across to Berlin and it pretty much flew by if you excuse the pun. 10 rows of Business Class, methinks BA pricing is now pulling more into this part of the plane, and maybe a little less exclusive than once it was.  That didn't stop me engaging with the old ways of flying and quaffing a bit of champers with my salmon salad. The dessert was a treat too, mango and white chocolate mousse.  Flicked through my Lonely Planet and looked out of the window at the world below.  Lonely Planet feels like a more sanitised read these days, strangely as our travel has become a little less 'backpackery', so has the treasured guidebook.

All very hi tech in Berlin Brandenburg ( what happened to Tegel?_) airport, but we did get a stamp, this old school travel document is beginning to look the part. The non EU queue of course did take a bit longer, gather we may be paying a few Euros soon for the necessary visa paperwork for short trips to Europe. So in essence we will be paying into the EU, but not getting the benefits, am sure the irony will be lost on the 'make britain great again' brigade.

A 5 Euro S Bahm train direct to Alexanderplatz was sourced by Chrissi, probably not using the Lonely Planet, but using the internet. That of course is why the Lonely Planet has had to become a bit of a vanilla guidebook. All the top tips are of course on the online forums and message boards and AI, our new best friend. Both running coach and travel companion, it is the 21st centurys flexible friend.

Our hotel the Park Inn, right next to the massive TV tower (offers comparable views apparently) was adjacent to the train station and so that all worked out well. As did the check in and visit to the hot and very small gymn. Not sure we can say that was a workout that went well but did mean a few weights were lifted and the legs given a bit of a loosener on the bike.

It was then a quick change and out into the Berlin night.  But with a big football match on back home, it was not really a night that would escape old home comforts. Bucket hat adorned and a bit of internet googling for sports bars we went in search of football.  The first bar Belushis looked perfect, multi screens and many levels, and a promise by the bar man of the Wales v Bosnia game been shown.  As we looked to settle down we got chatting to some Bosnians who explained it was all a lie, the bar did not have a screen and they were going to look elsewhere.

Got the name of the bar they were going to next, had a beer anyway, and then back on the google maps to seek out Sports Bar Tor.  A much smaller, smokier joint and we didn't hold much hope. But the bar staff direcred us to the back room where the advance party of Bosnians had secured the seats and the TV and we were good to go. Beers began to flow, football sort of began to flow, and we were joined by some of the Lliswerry welsh. I think safe to say this was the home of welsh and bosnian football in Berlin tonight.

I guess the game was exciting in that it went to extra time and penalties, but with Wales ultimately falling at this hurdle it won't go down as the perfect night. Our Bosnian friends were of course ecstatic and I hope they beat Italy on Tuesday. If I'm honest I think both teams probably knew that was going to be an unlikely outcome whoever triumphed this evening.  But the bond of football means we are on their side now, and good to keep on the right side of Bosnia as we will be visiting that nation on our next trip.

Turned into a late night then, and with all pretence of health and fitness firmly thrown out of the window with 6 or 7 pints, went the whole hog, or should I say sheep, and finished the night with a Donner Kebab. Remember from my last trip here the Turkish influence been strong, and indeed the quality of the take away a notch up from those student days in Southampton, but was very much needed for the same purpose, to soak up the beer.

So back to the hotel with spirits surprisingly high, as we are away in a big European city, and I think it will be definitely alcohol free for a couple of days now!