Sport Review world tour report
Sport Review #258
Sport Review was blessed to enjoy a long-planned Northern Hemisphere family holiday recently, taking in some tremendous sights and places (Disneyland Star Wars! Berlin WW2 history and festival of light! Harry Potter! Gaudi! RAF Museum Hendon!), feeding my face (see below) and spending some proper family time.
Part of the fun is travel logistics - I relished the long train journeys and time to look at the windfarms and little villages. We did not relish figuring out a new underground system ticketing set up every few days (Vienna is the best, Paris is the worst), and the Europeans’ elbows out approach to plane boarding that forced me to forget my values on occasion.
Anyway - we are back home with photos, memories and a new appreciation for Aotearoa New Zealand.
Here’s a quick run down - gluttons for punishment can see more holiday pix n vids here and here.
Thanks for reading this indulgence. Normal service resumes next week, I hear there’s some cricket and rugby on.
Tottenham Stadium
Not being onto it enough to nab a match ticket, me and the boy took the tour of table topping Tottenham stadium. Having demolished their spiritual home White Hart Lane a few years ago and replaced it with a state of the art football / NFL / Beyonce venue, I was keen to check it out.
The tours cycle through all day, there were people from Korea, Ireland and Germany on ours, as well as plenty of locals. The good old boy taking the tour was keen to share we were sitting in Europe’s largest club shop - there’s no doubt there’s a very slick commercial operation sat in behind Spurs to help them win the league do their best - it was really impressive stuff.
Tottenham trophy cabinet. Stop sniggering.
The bowl is amazing.
Sat in my main man’s spot.
The NFL teams have their own separate dressing rooms down the hall from the football ones.
A couple of days later I watched Tottenham’s last minute win over Liverpool to go top of the league in my old local and West Hampstead’s finest. What a time to be alive.
Rugby in Berlin
The other main sporting highlight was finding a place to watch the All Blacks play Ireland - this hostel / sports bar did nicely, and of course it was packed with ex-pat kiwis and some very emotional Irish fans.
World War History
We visited Passchendaele to pay respects to a relative in Tyne Cot cemetery and take in this beautiful spot’s history - then went on to visit the NZ Somme memorial, Normandy American Cemetery (the ‘Saving Private Ryan’ one) and Pointe Du Hoc. Highly recommended for bringing these stories to life and some sobering perspective.
Gluttony corner
Let’s face it, travel mostly revolves around food - waking up starving, seeking out lunch and a pint after big walks, and arriving at a new place late at night and needing dinner. Places stay open late in the big smokes, and bring your food out in a hurry. We were in heaven. In no order, here are some highlights.
Paella, Tossa De Mar. Honestly, one of the greatest things I’ve ever eaten. Come for the crays and prawns, stay for the rice with more flavour than I could possibly imagine.
Iberian ham and tomato bread, Barcelona. This blessed cured meat is available from just about every cafe, restaurant and news agent in Catalonia. Heavenly.
Coffee and pastries, Paris. I dreamed of being a debonair French person, assuredly ordering in a flawless accent (Spoiler alert - did not happen. The shorts were probably a giveaway) and washing down flaky Pain Au Chocolat with strong black coffee. OK, the last bit definitely happened.
MRT station Mee Goreng, Singapore. Perfect. Reached Mercury Plaza levels.
Bulgogi toast and corn chowder, Disneyland. Phenomenal.
Doner Kebab, Berlin. Did you know the Doner originated in this historic city? I didn’t, but am a believer after eating this.
Bonus gluttony / cricket content - really heartwarming to see this Basin Reserve salty potato snack mainstay on sale in Berlin.
This week's best NZ sport content
Brian Finn on working in All Black media management through a series of RWC losses [The Bounce]
Lovely ramble through press box lunch rooms with Andrew Alderson, with special mention for the GOAT David Leggat [NZ Herald]
A history of trophy abuse in New Zealand - the Crusaders feature [RNZ]
The legend Spiro Zavos dismantles the dastardly English team and all their bullshit [The Roar]
Video nasty
Bugger. This.
Long read
Big Martin Scorsese interview, with the great man reflecting on coming to the end of his career and what he has left to do [GQ]
Recommendation
The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder - rollicking book from David Grann, all about a shipwreck, mutiny and journey for survival. Highly recommended.