Back To The Roots

Before we begin, I should probably tell you about the first time I came to Serbia. In the run-up to the 2014 World Cup Serbia were drawn against Scotland and I decided to make the trip. Curiosity was one reason, fuelled partly by the bad reports in the press. Surely it couldn't be as bad as …

The Emperor’s New Clothes

And just like that Mr Pfister disappears from my life. I now have all of the documents required to obtain citizenship. Once I am satisfied that the list is complete I dial the number on the piece of paper he has given me. It is not Mr Pfister who answers the call. It turns out …

Puzzler

Des has some news. I see him after Dortmund's home match against Cologne. The hosts hit five without reply in a raging storm of a game played under angry black September clouds. As the final whistle blows and the heavens open the visitors run for the dressing room. I met Des for the first time …

The Elephant And The Leopard

What's the difference between a Scottish three-star hotel and a German youth hostel? In a German youth hostel the shower has hot water. That's not particularly funny but neither is most of what follows today. I check out of the youth hostel in Werningerode and head for the railway station. I am not looking forward …

Trainspotting

We tend to think of the barriers between the former East and West Germany as man-made. The first thing that pops into your head when you reflect on the subject is almost certainly a physical structure. The Berlin Wall is the most potent symbol of an economic, ideological and cultural division which to some extent …