World Footy News

For those Australians who have wondered what it would be like to undertake the big tour of Europe and possibly see a little Australian Football as well I would like to try and make it a little less daunting.
 
In 2010 my wife and I took the trip of a life time to tour Western Europe. After much research we chose a VW rental camper and staying at caravan parks as the optimum mode of travel - for convenience, flexibility, comfort and affordability. Ease of parking and driving on narrow congested roads were prominent considerations. With finances settled,  we flew into Frankfurt Germany and took possession of our vehicle. Cautiously driving out of the yard I indicated a right turn by switching the window wipers on and immediately stalled the van. Nervously I continued, adapting to driving on the right, reversed vehicle controls, unfamiliar road signs, differing road layouts, a new GPS and my wife’s directions.  Surprisingly, everything quickly fell into place as we travelled down the nearby “Romantische Strasse” (Romantic Highway), a road linking a string of walled medieval cities. Soon, we would be completely relaxed, executing a massive clockwise spiral into Austria, Italy, France and Spain.

The Australian Football season in Europe was mostly coming to an end. Searching the internet there were few games available to visit matching our rough itinerary.

Whilst travelling in the South of France, the Coup de France in Strasbourg appeared as an opportunity. Leaving Paris we detoured through champagne country to arrive at a campground on the outskirts of Strasbourg. The campground operator informed us that not only did he know about the game but he knew the organizer. So next day we moved into the teams’ campground at the end of the Strasbourg tram line. Old Strasbourg is a beautiful island city of German appearance and French trimmings. Indeed, the Strasbourg Kangaroos played as the Black Devils in the German league before France developed a league. Next day, we arrived late at the sports ground. The GPS kept sending us around in a loop until a human intervened and then the 2.0m boom wouldn’t let our 2.1m van into the vast open space that was a car park.

Being an umpire is almost always appreciated and a great way to give something back to the game. Helping umpire the 2010 Coup de France was definitely one of the social highlights of our European tour. The championship continued late into the day in what we would refer to as twilight hours but there was still strong sunlight and it is not unusual for people to dine very late as we later found out.

After Strasbourg we followed the French border to Belgium and the Netherlands and then returned to Germany following some major rivers. Arriving back in Frankfurt we were able to catch the Frankfurt Redbacks Vs Stuttgart Emus game.  Amazingly this was a full length, 18-a-side game played with no concession to the 40 degree heat.  In Australia we’re used to escaping the heat but in landlocked European cities it’s a bit different.

My wife and I were so impressed with our tour that it spurred us to do it again. This time we were even better organized and with the appreciating Australian Dollar the cost was significantly lower. So 2012 found us flying into Frankfurt again and driving out in our familiar VW rental van. This time we arrived a little earlier and were armed with a “camping card” for better and cheaper camping .We added a toaster to the electric jug that we had bought last time and an eReader  in preference to carrying  hard copy books. The most important item was our Netbook, a small laptop. The laptop was our GPS, our photo album, our jukebox, our internet connection and this time we included some movies. 

Our itinerary this time was totally flexible. Last time we had managed to see most of the “must see” destinations. I had emailed some football people and they referred me to AFL Europe. Thanks to them they sent out some introductions and from those replies I was able to form a rough itinerary. Leaving earlier, the rates were cheaper and more football was scheduled .This time we executed an even greater spiral with our first football stop being Austria. Thus Northern Austria and Vienna was the obvious route before we found ourselves on the Southern border in Bad Radkersburg with the Styrian Downunder Dogs. It was a Friday evening and the start of a three day preseason camp. Fortuitously that evening , they were discussing umpiring with the aid of an AFL DVD so I could aid in their interpretations. The weekend  was a mixture of skills sessions and mini games.  It was great to be included even though I had limited coaching input.

After lunch we were all had some fun playing an old game called Eisstock which is like Curling on bitumen to lawn bowls rules. The Downunder  Dogs play out of the university town of Gaz, the second largest city in Austria and play in the Croatian league . There are no Australians in the team but all players spoke better English than my German. Of course Austrian is different to German and learning the differences, Austrian History and European history from Europeans is fascinating to a person with an education dominated by the history emanating from the British Empire.  Unfortunately, because the Vienna team was in recess, the Downunder Dogs also carried the flag for Austria in this year’s maiden attempt at the Euro Cup.

Not all plans work out. We entered Switzerland to visit the Lugano team that plays in a Northern Italian league but took too long in finding accommodation that evening. Onwards to Toulouse and Bordeaux in France but those games had been rescheduled and forfeited respectfully. A disappointment - but we were seeing Andorra, Northern Spain and the French Atlantic coast for the first time. Following the Loire Valley (containing more than 300 chateaux) we drove East to the Czech Republic and North to Prague. Prague has it all – architecture, history, culture, vibrancy and affordability. Not only that but we met Eugene and Andre from the Praha Kings, fantastic hosts, keen to see that we didn’t miss anything – like Museum night, the one night a year when all of Prague’s museums and historic buildings are open free to the public.

Sunday was game day. The Kings play in a four team Prague competition. Despite continual rain the standard was higher than expected. The Kings started well but the Praha Dragons adapted to the wet conditions quicker. The Dragons also supplied an ex Perth umpire so there was little extra to offer than to address some minor law updates.

Just North of Prague is Dresden and Germany. The German league plays every fortnight. On an H&A basis that means a home game every month and that made it difficult to visit a game this time.

We have now travelled a total of 20,000 kms in 17 weeks throughout Western Europe – on autobahns, departmental roads, farmer’s roads and through many a town where we had to retract our mirrors to pass or park.  We have had a very broad experience and football adds that extra dimension and extra highlights and so easy to include so why not try it..

To summarise.

Cost: There are ways of touring Europe that aren’t excessive or allow you to stay  much longer. Research is so easy these days and is the key.  In our method, Germany was cheapest for van rentals and a great starting point for many reasons.

Money: Use credit cards for purchases as their transaction rate is generally less than the money changer’s rate. Use ATM cash withdrawals sparingly as they have a flat fee and low limits. It is possible to get a zero cost credit card that only charges for cash withdrawals (an exception). The Euro is a blessing and you need only to carry modest amounts of cash.

Food: Self cater as much as possible. There are bakeries everywhere, various size supermarkets, farmers’ markets and roadside stalls. The Euro roadside restaurant is generally very affordable.  Wine or beer is usually cheaper than Coke, depending on where you are.

Accommodation: Van/campinground or car/hotel/pension/B&B are good options. Do your research. A “camping card’ will get you better and cheaper camping.  Using modest hotels requires a bit more organization. If you prefer self-contained mobile homes there are good modest styles that are economical and allow you to stay in “Aires” (free or low cost/ low facility sites)

Travel: Tollways, Tunnel charges, country transit charges, ferry charges and parking costs are a factor.  Taking a lesser road is far more scenic and more relaxing allowing you to interact with local life but you will have to focus on navigating. In big cities stay on the outskirts and train in. Most places offer an economical day ticket. Siesta time is common throughout Europe so most shops are closed but parking is free for those hours (usually 1200 ~1400 hours).

Sightseeing: See the “must see” but don’t be over ambitious.  You’ll see plenty just getting from A to B. Almost every town has some sort of feature.  Stop at Tourist Information for information on historical sites, geological sites, tourist sites, agricultural regions etc.  An easy method is to include UNESCO sites, physical features such as rivers or follow designated routes, e.g. “The wine route” , “Romantic Highway”  or  “Pilgrim’s route”. Charges for tourist entry vary with popularity but usually are quite reasonable. Climbing a church bell tower is a cheap way to get a magnificent view.

Social: Any language learning will be repaid in many ways. People are at their best away from high pressure environments. The highlight of any tour is usually the people you meet and usually in the most unexpected of situations. The football fraternity is a great ice-breaker. Just visibly being there is a sign of support and anyone can offer to be a goal umpire or help in some way.

What to take: As little as possible – it’s all weight that you have to carry at some point. For clothing, use the layered approach- it can get quite cold. Comfortable (waterproof) walking shoes are a must – you’ll be surprised just how much walking you’ll do. Take a camera that’s easy to use - so other people can use it. A toaster and electric jug allows you to have quick and easy breaks. For us, a laptop was essential - a GPS, jukebox, movie player, photo storage/viewer/editor and internet device. My wife took an eReader as it is light and compact. I took an ipod so I’m independent of in flight entertainment.

Breaking for a game of Eisestock

Downunder Dogs preseason

Bad Radkersburg great setup

View from Chateau De Queribus