Time to find a new type of holiday
I’ve just finished uploading my photos from my trip to the FIFA World Cup in South Africa. That was my third major sporting tournament I’ve attended and will probably be the last I travel abroad to.
London has the Olympic Games in 2012, maybe England will get the World Cup in 2018. Apart from that, I’m done. It’s not that I am no longer enjoying myself, it’s there are lots of other things I want to do.
There major football tournaments on three different continents in eight years is enough for me.

new friend
So what next? I can’t afford to be a space tourist. So maybe a couple of months in China or India, perhaps a cruise around the Adriatic or Caribbean. There are lots of places I have yet to visit in Europe. I have never visited Paris, Berlin or any other major capital city. I tend to stay off the beaten track.
A couple of years to think about it yet, and I need to get off my ass and find some more work to pay for it all.
Once I have a new plan I have incentive.
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Posted in: Breathing In, The Beautiful Game
Apart from the football, I had a great time.
I was in South Africa as long as the English team was. South Africa is a country of great contrasts. Each day was like a different holiday.
As well as the football, I went by cable car to the top of Table Mountain, played football in a township, night clubbed in Cape Town, wine tasted in the Cape Winelands, I went on safari, visited Robben Island and generally played the tourist.
I met lots of great people and made loads of new friends.

bafana bafana
I’ve uploaded some of my photos from South Africa. They capture the many different aspects of this trip.
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Posted in: Soap Box, The Beautiful Game
I went to England’s last warm up game at Wembley on Monday, a strange day for an England game. Still it sold out. With both the Mexican and English fans in a party mood the atmosphere was great.
England won 3-1. A good result, but they missed the Chelsea players who were being rested. This made it difficult to see how the team is progressing. The World cup is only two weeks away now.
During the match, I took part in a record making event. With the exception of the Mexican part of the stadium, every seat in Wembley had a free t-shirt draped on it before the game. These were either red or white.
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Posted in: The Beautiful Game
76 Days to go.
I went to The Offside Bar in Islington with Garry last night. Another London England Fan meet.
It was great to mix with other people who are going to South Africa this summer. I know no one locally who is. Comparing itineraries is fun.
We were talking to someone who knows Cape Town well. He told us there is a great night club near to our hotel by the beach. It looks like we have found our temporary home for the trip.
Each meeting has a theme. This one focused on personal security in South Africa. There was a panel comprising of the FA, the police, the Foreign Office and some others. It was interesting.
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Posted in: Friday Night Music, The Beautiful Game