What a week it has been in Football!!!

Whew, its been a week since i properly posted and this is probably going to take me about an hour to write and you, the reader, about 10 - 15mins to devour. But rest assured, it is jam packed with goodness that you can tell your colleagues at work, or even your friends at school...

It starts way back last thursday night when i went back to The Cottage with my cousins and decided that because i had an early flight the next day, i would just "take it easy"... hmmm dont think that was ever going to happen. England got up and we had a couple more pints. Then it was off to Cousin Stus house for a visit, 4 crazy kids packed into the truck... not very safe i know, but it wasnt too far, and it seemed like a good idea at the time. I remember Billie tellin me, "hey Bruce, the only way u can make this flight is by stayin up all night." JESUS!!! After singing in the backyard numerous rat pack songs with the boys out in the back yard, we ventured indoors to see in absoulute amazement my cousin Stu carving it up on the decks!!! i will put the video on youtube as soon as i get back to london... the kid is a genius!!!

By the time i left Stus house it was 2 oclock, had to leave the house by 4.30 to make it to Stansted by 6am. big problem. So i set my alarm and got up at 3.30am to pack and tidy Lols place before i left. mission accomplished. the next problem was trying to get a train in london that didnt stop every two friggin stops and make me change trains due to signal failure or some shite. I ended up having to run to another station about 10mins away to get the train to the airport... phew i made it and checked in with 8 mins to go. Mills style!!!

Was recognised by a girl named Rita (apparently Big Brother last year, so she told everyone) and she talked mine and this other dudes, Cuddles (good bloke) ear off for the next 20 mins before boarding. luckily i got a seat a bit away from her or else it woulda been non stop. She could talk under water that girl... Nice girl, dont get me wrong, but damn she could talk!

After having trouble with the Farkarten (which i found a totally appropriate name) ticket machines at the airport, Cuddles, The Old bloke we just met, Rita and I hopped on the train to Munich central. Yee HAA!!! Football Fever had struck the town of Pork and Beer.

After a quick pizza (pizza hut of course) and a couple of beers, i was able to acquire directions to the hotel an, after parting ways with Cuddels, the old guy and Rita, i passed out in my hotel room... leaving a note for the guests i was staying with saying... "Hello, i am Nics friend Rob" hell i didnt know if i was in the right room. the people at the front counter didnt speak to much english and i sure as hell didnt pack my munchen dictionary, so i thought it was better they didnt get a fright to see a naked man sleeping on their bed.

The sign worked out good and Nic, Jamie, Emily and her friend Luca (Italian), decided to go for a drink. WE caught up with Greggy (dude from Walkabout the monday prior) and his mates and got right into it. Rubber darts were game of choice and we decided on 501... thats right kids, "ONE HUNDRED AND EIGHTY!!!", well no one actually got that but i managed 6 triple 20s during my game. I got extremely lucky because like pool, i get better the more i drink. I won the championship, got the girl and saved the day. actually i just won the game.

My roomies and i were all keen to do some sight seeing and had heard about the Dakar concentration camp not being too far out of Munich, we all jumped at this option and head for the train station. I cannot tell you in words how scary that place was... To know that thousands upon thousands of people were killed, no, pretty much slaughtered or gassed there, was a grim and quite emotional day for me. It is definitely worth a visit just to see the conditions in which they lived and to read some of the history about Hitler and the Nazi regime. I kinda wished i hadve done world war history as a kid.

So it was back to munich after some terrible pasta i purchased at a road side cafe outside the camp... hmmm pork bolognaise sauce, of course. We ended up going to the FanFest (http://fifaworldcup.yahoo.com/06/en/060428/1/6mvv.html a little info, photos are coming) that night to watch Lucas beloved Italia vs USA.. awesome game and to watch it on a 60m2 TV... noice!

In bed early that night about 12ish to make sure we were all ready for the big game against Brazil the next day.

I had bought an Australian top on the friday and when i pulled it on for the first time on the sunday morning, there were nearly tears, i thought we could win this farken game today. WE caught the train with the of 20,000 (probably more) fans to the FAN FEST (the photos will show just how packed it was on the station platform and the trains)... Brazillians were beating their drums and singing their songs, Aussies were Aussie Aussie Aussieing and well, Oi Oi Oiing up and down the path that lead to the FAN FEST... What a site!

We found a great position up on the hill right in front of the bar and amongst what later became the loudest Aussie cheersquad. Flags tied like capes and massive plastic cups of beer, these boys meant business.

Of course we all know the result, Australia went down, but not without an extremely comendable effort. The party continued though, as if Australia and Brazil had both won the game... AFter watching some of the South Korea match on the grassy noll, it clear that some soccer was needed to be played by us the Aussie SPectators... After singing in the train with all the aussies against the brazillians, it seemed like some weird sort of "battle" youd see in 8 mile, i pulled out the mini soccer ball i had purchased and the 200 or so people in the station played soccer like we were in the Nike ad. I can still here "Little Less Conversation" playing in my head now as i think back to that night. It was awesome...

There was obviously more partying to do so we proceded out of the main station down the main mall, now my memory goes a little sketchy here, but from the photos, it appears i ran through the historic fountain in munich in my jocks for a good 5 mins... and was dried down by australian flags of guys that id met... thats aussie spirit. I remember one of the guys saying as he was drying my hair, "this is so gay, but i dont want you to catch a cold"... everyone around burst out laughing.

Pretty much went off to bed after that and woke up the next morning S T Ruggling, but had another drama other than how to stop my head aching, how do we get to Croatia... It was the next stop on the tour for my friends and i decided that it was mine too. But the flights cost us 300euro which totally sucked. But having spent the last couple of days here in Croatia... WELL WORTH IT!!!

So monday night after spending the whole day finding flights and checking emails (thanks to everyone who has sent me one, especially for my birthday on Wednesday) we couldnt leave Munich without going to their famous beer gardens, so after a siesta, we headed down to the Haubraunhauss (that could be totally wrong, please dont be offended Germans, as i said i dont have my translator book with me and i ate your pork for three days straight, and your drank your beer). Now speaking of beer after about two litres and some snuff (nicotine powder) that was offered to us by a local, (he had been drinking there for 40 years, and showed us all these photos of the animals he and his hunting buddies had shot. hilarious) we ordered dinner. The place was packed mind you and there was a lot of chanting from Aussies, Americans and of course Brazilians.

We had a couple of beers afterwards and then went home to get some serously needed rest.

So now, i am in Croatia... have spent the last couple of days here, from Dubrovnich, to Split, to now Hvar.

I will give u more details soon...

sorry for the long blog but it has been a week... Am having my first night off tonight, tonsuls are massive and need some rest.

Speak soon

Millswah