My morning walk in Alkrington Woods was punctuated, not this time by the usual avoidance of dog shit, but the poignant sight along my route, of carefully placed posters for the missing Stone Roses fan, Chris Brahaney, who vanished at Heaton Park, a mile from the furthest point of my walk. Sadly there was no happy outcome.
I reflected and resolved as I trudged along in a slight drizzle, that lousy summer or not, I'd better be a bit more cheerful. There's a lot of pain in the arse things going on around me at the moment and there might be no good weather to look forward to here, but I'm alive and kicking and there is good beer to be supped both here and on my future agenda too. Maybe even in sunnier climes in the shape of the Berlin Beer Festival, where I'll be in just over three weeks. The weather that far east in August ought to be sunny. Right? Well I have had a good record of sun there in the past, so here's hoping. Then, after that, a bit of work at the GBBF. I'd previously decided to have a year off, but instead I'll just do a fair few hours less, back in our old haunt of Olympia, though travel may be a nuisance. In between I have a trip to see my dear old Mum and a chance of a couple of fly pints in Glasgow. Then after all that two weeks in sunny Andalusia. Reasons to be cheerful? I think so. And tomorrow these soggy posters referred to above should be a reminder of that.
Although I think I have what I need, any Berlin tips from those there recently, are welcome. Beermug is scheisse though.
I regularly have these moments of clarity, but find them so difficult to hold on to. I'm too quick to slump back into my negative ways, missing all that is good! Cheers.
ReplyDeleteI agree, but worth a try!
ReplyDeleteI've had a bad year so far: I've been to several funerals and earlier this year I seemed to be going deaf (I'm not, it was a pernicious virus), which is worrying for anyone, but I was especially concerned about my main interest, listening to and playing music.
ReplyDeleteA few nights ago, after an evening in my favourite pub with some good friends and great beer, I found myself thinking as I walked home how great it was to be alive.
Very sobering post that we all need to pay attention to.
ReplyDeleteI've had my own challenges to overcome in the last year or so and it's healthy to be reminded how lucky I am, things could be much worse.
Enjoy Berlin - don't keep me waiting to be served at GBBF xx
Keep you waiting? As if.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy yourself in Berlin, keep away from chemical fizz.
ReplyDeleteIt will be red hot in Berlin...the heat only relieved by a thunderstom!
ReplyDeleteEnjoy the Berlin fest. Walking down the biermeile for the first time is quite an experience.
Sounds like Gunnar's going to Berlin too. (Düsseldorf 2006). We MIGHT go, but the beer situation sounds pretty dire.
ReplyDeleteWho? Another Johnny Foreigner? You are bad enough. :-)
ReplyDeleteI am going for a good time and there will be beer I'll be happy with and good company. Me. And E of course.
Yeah, if we go, it'd be to see youse, especially after having perused the alphabetical beer list. I assume the UK beers (mostly Ker-ching and some traditional Scots) will be bottled or keg. Proper Alt and Kölsch might be a nice draw, but I bet they're also keg.
ReplyDeleteThere are plenty of unknown Kraut beers there, but I figure only 10% of those might be better than bland industrial shite.
But do keep the Kreuzberger Klosterbier in mind: rich, dark, and malty. That's one I'll go for if we go. Hell, there's actually lots for me to try.
But for an international beer fest, the vast bulk of the non-Kraut stuff is utter cack!
At least Gunnar's a continental type. From this continent. Nice, nice bloke who also knows his cask beer.
ReplyDeleteMaybe so, but I'm not going to Berlin to hang out with people I don't know. It's E's holiday too.
ReplyDeleteHaven't looked at the kist. Where is it?
Here's the alphabetical list, organised (?) apparently both by beer and brewery name.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.bierfestival-berlin.de/biervz/biervzk.html
Your beloved Müncheners are well represented.
http://www.bierfestival-berlin.de/regionen.html
is a region-organised list Dingsbums.
And this appears to be the brochure from last year:
http://www.bierfestival-berlin.de/bierkompass.html
Well I've gebucht ein Zimmer, actually an apartment, for Thu-Sun. Pretty affordable. And cancellable up until a few days before. What are your dates and where are you staying?
ReplyDelete