Back to Blighty

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Back to Blighty
Tuesday, 10th - Sunday, 15th September 2026.

Summary: 

Afte.

Schengen Break in London. (Tuesday, 10th September)

rd a video of the incident.

In Bayern, in Bayern, wieder...

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In Bayer, in Bayern, wieder.
Friday, 30th August - Wednesday 4th September 2026.

Summary: 

Afte.

Schön, wieder in Nürnberg zu sein. (Wednesday, 4th September)

Day 180 Accomodation 74 ~ Schön, wieder in Nürnberg zu sein.

You wouldn't notice crossing the seamless EU border from the Czech Republic into Germany unless, like me, you were a bit fanatical about such thnings and were keenly tracking them on Google maps so that you could record a video of the incident.

The scenery on ether side of the border was very similar with only the language on the road signs betrraying which country you were actually in. Soon enough, we arrived at our next destination and home for four days, the lovely city of Nürnberg, where I had been a few times, the first of which was in 1974.

The hotel I booked was 200m from where the bus stopped and we were soon unpacking yet again and getting ready to explore yet another city.

As I said, Nuremberg is a bit special for me as my Oma and Onkel both lived here after the war and after Germany had brimed Ceasescu with sufficient cash to let my grandmother leave Romania. I came here with my mum to visit them almost exactly 50 years ago. My uncle Josep was a big football fan and bought us three tickets to watch games im WM74 (Welt Meistershaft 1974.) The first in Munich (Poland 7 Haiti 0 is the only football match my mum went to), the second was in Frankfurt (Scotland 1 Yugoslavia 1... England didn't even qualify) and the final one was in Stuttgart (Poland 2 Italy 1 https://youtu.be/5_5CztD1FSk?si=uYttHsmZNtXMt9SJ).

We spent the afternoon in the big and beautiful Old Town.

After bratwurst mit semf und sauerkraut, Leb and me had a stroll around the area around Nürnberg castle.

It definitely brought back some memories, especially the view from the castle over the city. Just hearing German being spoken all around does somehow feel quite homely to me. I want to try to find out more about "Jupp" while I'm here.

Nürnberg 2. (Thursday, 5th September)

Day 181 ~ Remembering the Nazi rallies in Nürnberg.

It was so nice not to be woken up by builders next door. Funny how you take things like peace and quiet for granted most of the time.

We had the option of a €15 (each) brekkie at the hotel but as we're a bit tight on the budget at the moment, we decided instead to go to the nearby Haupt Banhoff to see what they had to offer. Bratwurst mit semf (boring) for me, healthy fruity muesli yoghurt for Leb.

We then set off to the shopping district to (haa haa!) look for a new pair of shoes/boots for me as both my pairs are wearing thin. The prices here though are ridiculous. I am not paying €200+ for a pair of bloody shoes. I'd rather walk barefoot.

So, we then decided to catch the tram to the Volkfest (apparently Nürnberg's answer to the Oktoberfest).

The grounds are near to the Kongresshalle, the planned Nazi HQ of Ceauşescu-esque proportions. It's a massive semicircular structure that my uncle Josef paid special care to show me 50 years ago. Construction stopped in 1940 because of the stupid war effort and it remains an incomplete but nevertheless grotesque reminder to anyone not too busy going on roller coaster rides, watching trashy Netflix series, football matches or getting pissed in pubs about just how much power fascists can get if we let them.

On the tram on the way there I was heartened to see one stop was called something like "square for the victims of fascism."

We decided to walk around the beautiful lake Großer Dutzendteich (means big lake I think) until we reached another grotesque reminder of the Nazis... Die Zeppelinhaupttribüne, named after the massive field where a zeppelin landed in 1909 but most well known for where that angry ugly ranting psychopath whipped up 80 million people to hate everyone but people he told them to like. Not Trump, of course, but Adolf Hitler. Same thing really. In 1974, my uncle was keen for me to see this too. If you're thinking Jupp sounds like a Nazi you'd be right. In fact apparently he was a member of the SS but I was always told the family story that he was just in the brass band.

I wonder.

My Hitler Salute

Anyway, after that we went to the Max Morlock stadion, home of 1FC Nürnberg. My Uncle's favourite team are now languishing in the 2nd tier of the Bundesliga but in Jupp's day... in Deutschland, in Deutschland number eins war FCN.

We then had a moment of confusion trying to find the Volkfest. See, there was a (Alsatian only, it seems) dog handling 'fest' also going on and for a while we thought this might be it. No way. Too small and too many nasty big dogs.

Soon enough we strolled on by the lake to where I remembered I'd been in 2006 with Gerry Touhey, Simon Haveland, Steve Buckley and Rory O'Brien for the 2006 World Cup. If I remember rightly England played Jamaica in the Nürnberg stadium that day and I (stupidly) tried to get in to see the last 15 minutes. Fail.

Anyway we eventually did find the ground to the Volkfest. Think Perth Show Grounds. Just a big fun fair with several huge beer tents. Is the Oktoberfest like this? We were too early for anything going on but from 6pm it was apparently going to be ladies night so the females get half priced drinks whilst the guys still have to pay full. I must admit the thought of seeing thousands of young women dressed in drindls getting pissed was quite appealing but after one beer I realised I was too old for that kind of thing and we decided to walk back to the city center.

On the way back we spotted some of those bikes to rent and Leb hopped on to see if riding a bike was feasible with her still ongoing back pains.

It took about an hour before we reached HBF Nürnberg and its conveniently located Lidl to buy some stuff. Whilst at the station we had very nice schnitzel, kartoffl und sauerkraut for €10 and then popped back round the corner for a snooze.

By now Leb's feet had lost some of those urchin barbs but I think we overdid the walking today, so I left her to rest while I went back into town to explore a couple of bars in the old town. (Dedication!)

First stop was Hausbrauerei Altstadthof where they brew their own beers and I tasted three of them. Finally the classic bierkeller Tucher Mautkeller would be wonderful in winter but on this balmy hot day everyone was sat outside by the street so I had an entire bierkeller to myself!

Another great day. At the time I thought it might be the last hot balmy one before we were due to go to Bali in November.

Day 182 ~ Reliving the Nürnberg War Trials. Nürnberg Day 3. (Friday, 6th September)

50 years ago, when I visited this city for the first time, my uncle took me to see the Nazi rally site but he never showed his 14 year old nephew the Exhibition on the Nuremberg Trials of those same Nazis.

It's incredible to think that back then only thirty years had passed since key Nazis were found guilty. Thirty years, and now... fifty. Time flies and distorts. Anyway, it was our main objective today to put Jupp's omission right and go and see the war crimes trial memorial for the first time.

But first, cake! After a quick, cheap, breakfast at the nearby station we decided to find a good German cake shop.

One of the many things to relish in Germany are their delicious cakes but so far we'd had keine. Not one kleine torte bissien.

So Leb found a cake shop (Ludwig Bakery https://maps.app.goo.gl/aB66sBR7zPnvgwSm7) highly recommended on Google and we set off to walk there via the station. (Where, sorry couldn't resist, I had to stop off at Braun's and have three groß bratwursts mit sauerkraut und brod.)

We tried three types of Ludwig's cakes and they were all delicious. It turned out that the couple who run the store are, like my mum's family, from Romania, but further over to the east in Transylvania.

So... cake or death (as Eddie Izzard put it) and time to get back to the sombe Nazi theme.

Back at the station, we got public transport to the Palace of Justice where the Nürnberg war crimes trials took place 79 years ago. I feel daft admitting this but I had still not realised Nürnberg had a metro system until this day. So we caught the U1 line to Bärenschanze and then walked a few minutes to the impressive-looking Palace of Justice.

Just next door is a smaller, less grandiose, building where the famous courtroom 600 housed the actual trials that took place.

We spent a few hours in the comprehensive adjacent museum with an English audio guide describing all the details about the court room, the reason and method of the prosecution, the prosecutors and defenders, who were on trial and what happened to them. Fascinating and depressing.

The powerful opening statement by Robert Jackson is worth repeating...

"The privilege of opening the first trial in history for crimes against the peace of the world imposes a grave responsibility. The wrongs which we seek to condemn and punish have been so calculated, so malignant, and so devastating, that civilization cannot tolerate their being ignored, because it cannot survive their being repeated. That four great nations, flushed with victory and stung with injury stay the hand of vengeance and voluntarily submit their captive enemies to the judgment of the law is one of the most significant tributes that Power has ever paid to Reason."

Leb noticed that the "Russian" delegation, of course, didn't want any of this. They wanted them all liquidated asap. The part of the trial describing the murder of the Polish officers at Katyn was illuminating (or should have been). The Soviets claimed it was the Germans that had killed them and then just tried to cover it up but when Czech independent witnesses confirmed it was the Russians, the evidence was just removed.

Stalin: The bloody murderer of the working class, I suppose?

Hitler: The scum of humanity, if I'm not mistaken?

It's worth remembering the crimes of Stalin and his henchmen have never been exposed to such justice which is largely why the world has ended up with Putin's kleptofascists.

Anyway watching the videos of the mass of dead bodies at Belsen will never be forgotten.

After such a gut wrenching and emotional experience what better than a gentle walk through woodland by a quiet flowing river. I must admit I never realised how charming the Pegnitz was and how beautifully the city has been built around it. So many magical bridges.

Once back in the old town, we sat down at a cafe by the river for a refreshing beer.

After that we headed up towards the castle to see the original house (turned into a museum) of Albrecht Dürer the famous German artist of the middle ages.

After that, we had another beer and then - exhausted - we walked back to our hotel via the beautiful old town center and a busy street market.

One more day here and then we head off south to München.

One other pleasing landmark... I finished Anne Applebaum's important book, Autocracy Inc., warning us of the dangers of the kleptofascists. It's a short read and well worth it.

We also made a decision that day: the end game of this trip. After our European adventure ends in Amsterdam on Oct 7th we decided to have 12 days back in blighty before the 180 day Schengen window renews so we plan to return to a few countries in that block we couldn't go to before returning to London to fly to Bali on October 30th. After a few days relaxing in the tropics back in the WA time zone we finally fly back to Perth on 5th November.

It is strange, and a bit sad, to see the light at the end of the tunnel at last. Over 75% of the way through now.

Searching for meine Oma und Onkel in Nürnberg on day 4. (Saturday, 7th September)

Day 183 ~ The third and final full day in Nürnberg was dedicated to a few simple tasks:

1) Do a laundry wash;

2) Try to find my grandmother's (oma) and uncle's (onkel) final resting place;

3) Visit the bratwurst museum, and

4) Watch England's first game after the Gareth Southgate era and hopefully Morgan Gibbs-White's full international debut.

The first went well. I chose a laundromat close by that was also close to Ludwig's Bakery we went to yesterday.

Speedy-wash laundry were reasonably priced and easy to use but I have to say the clientele and staff were very grumpy. New York and Peacehaven were much nicer. On the positive side, we did have delicious cake and coffee during the wash.

Anyway job #1 done it was time to set off to task #2. I am ashamed that I knew nothing about the funeral arrangements for my grandmother's death in 1980 or my Uncle's twenty years later but thanks to cousin Vic Kaval and especially his neice Lena I at least knew the cemetery where Oma was buried and therefore maybe Josef too. So we set off on tram 5 to the massive Südfriedhof (southern cemetery).

As soon as we got there we knew it would be a futile exercise as the info center was closed and so we had no clue where the grave was. We attempted to cover as much of the vast, beautifully wooded, area as we could, but all the time knowing it would be a miracle to come across the grave of Familie Schõnherr. At least we saw some very moving graves of the dead of WW1.

Then we caught the tram back to the city and then a walk to the - it has to be said - disappointing Bratwurst museum. It did answer a few things but it wasn't great and, most disappointing of all, no free bratwurst!

Then Leb and I had a drink by the river in Bar Celona (get it!?) before we separated with Leb looking in the Lindt shop before heading back to our room and me heading for an Irish pub to watch Ireland v England.

There was great atmosphere in the stadium in Dublin for the first post-Southgate match and England soon silenced the crowd by taking a 2-0 lead. The second goal was really well worked and I was hoping for one more goal on either side to win a long overdue betting flutter.

Murphy's Law set in of course and despite seeing Morgan Gibbs-White's full England debut, substituting for Jack Grealish, I had to endure England splutter to win but only 2-0, so losing my bet... again.

I then tried to find a bar (in Nürnberg remember) to watch Germany's opening Nations League tie v fascist leaning Hungary in Dortmund. Frustratingly all the bars ChatGPT and Google recommended weren't showing it. The big beer keller wasn't showing it. The old-style pub I'd seen the other night wasn't a pub, it was a restaurant (smells were divine though). The only places showing football in this German city were bloody Irish bars. Now don’t get me wong, I welcome a nice Irish pub every now even if day only sell d fookin black stuff and remember Mulligan's was my choice for the England game, but come on, what's going on when you have to go to an Irish pub to watch Germany v Hungary IN GERMANY?

Well, turns out I was wrong (as always) just around the corner from our hotel there was a busy looking place and inside I could clearly see the match about to start.

Bargain!

I sat at the bar and ordered a beer as the match was about to kick off. No use asking for the commentary turned up here though. Nope. Loud and proud, they played heavy rock at max volume, the sort of stuff I liked when I was 17.

After 20 minutes I left and returned to our room where Leb was watching Mama Mia 2. After that was finished I caught rest of Germany's emphatic 5-0 trouncing of Orban's fascists, so another great day!

München 1. (Sunday, 8th September)

Day 184 ~ As we used to sing in the Trent End: "To Munich, To Munich, tra la la lalala tra la lalalala!"

We caught the cheapest train from Nürnberg to München, the one that leaves at 9:07 am.

So we got up nice and early to pack and then made the short walk to the station. Many travelers had the same idea and the train was choc-a-bloc.

After arriving in Munich it was a 16 minute walk to our next home, (65th) the Premier Inn Centrum. Unfortunately the room wasn't ready so we left the bags and explored the city center around Marienplatz. ChatGPT had lined up the 11 O Clock and 12 O clock ringing of the chimes there as "must see" events but I have to say it was a bit underwhelming.

Maybe I was just getting tired and grumpy so after a beer we headed back for a kip through strangely quiet and empty streets. Reminded me of "Good" Friday in Perth. Apparently it is German federal law that all shops close on Sunday hence no convenience stores only inconvenient ones.

A couple of hours later, with a new lease of life, we headed out again to see the Münchner Ķünstlerhaus, the iconic Frauenkirche, the Hofgarten of the Rezidence and then finally dinner and beer at the Hofbräuhaus.

We've been incredibly lucky with the weather on this trip and even as it started raining this afternoon I reckon we've still not reached double figures for rain affected days.

München 2. (Monday, 9th September)

Day 185, Duolingo Streak 300. Dachau depths followed by Bierkeller bergen. Six months gone. Two to go.

The weather forecast was gloomy for the first time in weeks (better get used to that, London next) so we know it wasn't going to be a fun day. In fact we decided to spend most of the day visiting Dachau, one of the least fun options as it was one of the first concentration camps in Nazi Germany and one of the last to be liberated.

We took the S-bahn to Dachau and then walked an hour or so to the camp memorial. It was weird that for the last 2km or so the road we we walking down was separated from an equally liberal-looking avenue and plush houses by a big barbed wire fence. Odd indeed.

Anyway once we arrived it was great that it was free to the public and so full of great information.

Dachau was in operation pretty much from the start of Hitler's rule to the end (1933-1945). In those 12 years apparently 41,000 innocent people were murdered there. I can't help but pointing out that at Paneriai in Lithuania more than twice that number were shot in just one year.

The memorial is a fantastic achievement. Anyone that visits Munich should go but it left me feeling hollow that all that talk of "never again" falls flat when "Russia" *IS* doing it all again and no one seems to even raise an eyebrow any more.

Feeling a bit sick, we caught the bus back to Dachau Banhoff and then the S-Bahn back to Munich where I wanted to pay a visit to the famous Augustiner Keller. It's quite close to the Haupt Banhoff but the heavens opened up just as we got off the train. Soon enough we found the historic Keller where we settled in to dry off and order bratwurst mit sauerkraut und semf and several very nice beers. Later we switched tables to the very front of the stage where a lovely umpah-umpah band played rousing music. The downs and the ups of German culture all in a few hours.

We traipsed back to the Premier Inn and had a quick one in their bar before hitting the sack.

Auf wir dersehen, Deutschland. (Tuesday, 10th September)

Day 186 ~ From Munich to Wembley to see Harry Kane's 100th cap.

Another crack of dawn start in Munich to get the airport to catch our flight to Gatwick started smoothly enough but at Karlsplatz station we had problems buying a ticket and choosing which S-Bahn train to get on. The arrivals list kept changing every few minutes as to which of two trains to the airport was coming first. In the end Leb asked a couple who were obviously going to the airport for their advice. Too easy.

Then, going through passport control at the airport we were told by two border police that for US and Australian citizens the 90-day Shengen limit is reset if you leave the area for even one full day. What!? If so, why is that not clear on any web site - especially the Australian one? Leb tried to find this on the web to confirm that it is the case but it doesn't seem to exist. If it's true I wouldn't have had to change the itinerary twice and this side trip back to blighty wouldn't have been necessary. You kind of have to trust border police but why isn't this documented somewhere?

Anyway, the EasyJet flight was... easy, and we arrived in typically grey and colder Gatwick. At least it wasn't raining. Train to Clapham Junction and then onto Kew Bridge and our 66th accommodation at the Travelodge here.

After a wonderful relax it was time for me to set off again. Strangely, the idea of going to Wembley to watch the UEFA Nations League Group B tie between England and Finland didn't appeal to my darling, so I caught thr 267 bus on my own. A quick change to the 440 and I was excited as an eight year old on Christmas morning. Two and a half hours before kick off, plenty time to find a good old British Fish and Chip shop and a decent pub near the Mecca of tootball, and then take my seat in time to watch the beautiful Finnish national anthem (and, ok, if we have to, the most dreadful English one.)

Almost immediately a few Finns got on the bus including one guy who had flown from Luxembourg this morning to be here. I couldn't help pointing out that I could beat that!

What could possibly go wrong?

London rush hour traffic.

One and a half hours later the bus was stopping and starting, rolling a few metres, and then stopping again as we crawled towards the north circular road.

Sod it.

Time to get off and walk. With about an hour to go before kick off, I strode off into the increasing drizzle towards the beckoning sight of that amazing Wembley arch. I passed scores of kebab places, curry houses, pizza parlours but not one proper chippy. I did pass a couple of pubs that looked half decent but I was determined not to miss "Maamme" the national anthem of Finland. https://youtu.be/PX7cPorwX5M?si=lMUuuSVcDnm_G6DS

Beer could wait.

As I got closer, the rush of a big crowd got ever greater. It's one of life's great pleasures, I think, to attend a big match and even though many are cynical and skeptical about the UEFA Nations League, the match still attracted over 70,000 fans.

I took my seat high in the heavens of the magnificent new Wembley Stadium (it is still new to me anyway) just two rows from the very back near the half way line. Maamme did not disappoint and soon Harry Kane's 100th appearance for England was under way. Predictably, Finland parked two buses, hoping to keep the score respectable and they succeeded. England, to be fair, always looked dangerous and Grealish and Gordon were constant threats down the left. Finland managed to create a couple of chances too, keeping it interesting. Harry Kane had a goal ruled out for off side so the teams went in at half time with the score 0-0. It frustrated me that so many fans seemed so bored that they started making and throwing paper airplanes. When one or two landed on the pitch, they got a roar as big as some of the nice interplay England were doing on the pitch.

Anyway, after a disgusting "chicken tenders and chips" ($19 aud) and a decent pale ale ($15 aud), I climbed back up the mountain to my seat in the gods for the second half. Kane got the great goal that he deserved, and then another, to give England a comfortable 2-0 win to top the group. (We are going up... I said wearegoingup!)

Walking back through the massive crowd I bumped into some Finland fans and congratulated their team on a strong performance, their country on joining NATO ("we know a bit about Russia" they said) and their lovely, lovely anthem.

When I got back to the 440 bus stop I met the other Finnish guy who I'd met earlier. He'd been waiting ten minutes already and eventually decided to catch the No 18 instead. This bus was going to Euston so not for me. After waiting 40 minutes, another three 18s went past another couple of 92s but not one 440. Damn.

Earlier, I did pass by the the Wembley train station but the queue was huge and, in any case, heading to Central London not Kew. So that wasn't really an option.

Struggling to remember as much of the London transport system as I could (no mobile SIM this time) I decided to walk back as far as I could until I saw one of the "every twenty minutes" 440s the bus stop schedule promised.

Eventually I saw one speed off into the the distance as I turned the corner by Stonebridge Park station. I decided to go into the station and ask for advice. It was here that I found the answer to the missing 440 mystery: Apparently they sometimes change the route when there's a big match at Wembley. If only I'd known that an hour earlier. Anyway, the very helpful lady recommended me to "take the train to Willesden Junction and change to the overground service to Gunnersbury and then walk from there." I followed these wise words and finally got back here at 12:30, cold (wearing four layers) and with aching feet.

... And that's why I luv football!!

Having just woken up here to a nice sunny day we listened to the Trump/Harris debate with horror. As usual the orange-faced crook just lied without push back, butted in at will and the so-called moderators did nothing and, truth be told, neither did Harris.

One example... for two minutes Trump was given the floor to rant on about how Victor Orban thinks he's great but no-one made the point that he's one of the two leaders in the EU who are Putin poodles and wannabe dictators like Trump.

Having just been to Dachau and seen the result of one lying psychopath, the last thing we needed was to see another on his way to power.

Suddenly depressed again by this and by how bloody expensive London is. $50 aud to go to and from Wembley from Kew last night... 5.8 miles away.