Fooball fever!!

Well the world cup is upon us and Germany are whoop, whoop, whooping their way to football glory! I'm a little bit gutted that I'm not in Berlin right now as I imagine the atmosphere on the street is amaaazing!

A couple of years before I moved to Berlin, I visited during Euro season and the whole football fever atmosphere was one of the things that really made me fall in love with the place.

I'll set the scene: It's a sunny, happy day and inner city Berliners have moved outside to soak up the sunshine and revel in the 'Berlin in the summertime carnival atmosphere'. People are sitting on the pavements outside their apartment blocks in deckchairs, sipping on beer and licking an ice cream. The big game will start later in the evening and someone has the bright idea to move their TV set out onto the pavement so that everyone can enjoy the game together.

They bring out a fogey old 1970s TV set and link it up with an extension cable hanging from a window above. When the game begins, things really start to get good. Initially it's a group of friends gathered with a box of beer, but it's not long before a crowd gathers. People cycling pass suddenly stop in their tracks transfixed at the little TV set. An old man wanders past and is heartily welcomed into the group. Soon random strangers are the best of buddies, all united out in the street over a football match and a fogey old TV set.

Who needs high tech sports bars when you can have a happy street festival in Berlin?

Well that was my memory of Euro2008 anyway (Hmmm, probably got the year wrong there but hey ho...)... Seeing as I'm not in Berlin right now I thought I'd borrow a couple of Facebook comments from a few of my friends on the street! :)

"Berlin is exploding with joy over World Cup win, flags & fireworks & costumes & honking everywhere. Then antifa march and riot police by my apartment..."

"Berlin is going crazy. Fireworks, cars honking, people riding on mopeds with giant 3 meter flags. It's been going on for over an hour now. (Oh, of course in my neighborhood, an anti-fascist/anti-football march with riot police.)"

"As soon as there's a football game featuring Germany, the whole country goes silent. except for during/after the goals/near-goals, but it's still quite nice."

"In case anyone is counting, Germany has scored 4 goals and their opponents zero ever since they became the object of my undivided fan attention. You're welcome...:)"

"Großartig, Deutschland!"

Sooo, semifinals here we come!! I'll be keeping my fingers crossed! :)