alonso14
Established Member
and so it came to pass......another season starts, another qualifier in the Champions League....Some of our fans (and I am sure Gooners too) yearn for automatic qualification for the competition by finishing second, or even better as Champions
Well of course I want us to finish as high as possible, Champions would be a dream...however, I quite like our trips at the start of the season.....
They are usualy to unobvious footballing destinations, we have been to Graz, Kaunas, Wrexham (!) and now Toulouse
I have visited the city of Toulouse a couple of times because as a family we used to holiday in the south west of France regularly....So I was delighted when we were drawn with the French side.
I flew into Perpignan on Tuesday evening, staying the night with family who are currently holidaying in near by Canet...travelling to Toulouse early Wednesday morning.......
I arrived on a hot sultry day and it was very easy to find my fellow Liverpool supporters.....look for a square...look for Red Banners....Look for Beer......Listen for singing!
Sure enough, I turn three corners and I can hear them already......some of whom had not made it to bed after sampling some of the riskier delights of the area...ie a brothel!
I cannot tell you how nice the first, cold beer of the day was.....sweeter than a Gerrard free kick.......
anyway, stories were swapped, tales told, meeting the locals and being told in no uncertain terms that John Arne Riise may actually die of heat stroke if he played that afternoon! The temrature was supposed to reach 40 degrees! **** Ginger, what about me???
Then suddenly the conversation stopped, as into the square came......the entire Liverpool squad........going for a morning stroll around town after breakfast............Regular Liverpool travellers to Euro aways will know that they always do this, so you often need to keep your eyes peeled on the morning of games as you get a nice surprise if you are lucky!
a little sing song to greet the players followed and over they came......the new boys didnt really know what to think.....Voronin and Babel looked bemused at the site of over weight, middle aged scallies from Liverpool greeting the likes of Carragher and Finnan as if they were long lost mates!! With the exception of one newbie.....Senor Torres.......as the rest of the squad said there au revoir's after the brief chat and a few photo's....he came over to say Ola.....
He stayed for about 20 minutes..signed every autograph and posed for every photo, including for the bar owner so he could put it up on his wall! He chatted about our trip, and how he was settling in at Liverpool ....he spoke broken English...He claims he didnt speak a word before his transfer, well if he couldnt he has done very well..he understood what we were asking and answered as best he could....He even told us the team!! I hope Rafa didnt find out....! We saw Chris Bascombe from the Liverpool Echo an hour later and teased him as we had information he didnt...we tried to bribe him but it didnt work!!!
Anyway eventually he said his good byes and he went on his way.........What a nice guy...very genuine and down to earth....
Anyway.......lunch was had.....I had this stew type thing (!!) not sure what the name was, but it contained lamb and pulses....and something to this day I dont know what it is...The owner tried to explain by using his hand....as I had already eaten it I asked him not to go any further...it didnt look too promising!!!
The match was easy really...very very hot.......the players of both sides were struggling towards the end..........I was surprised when they came out after the game to do a warm down...very unapt!! Although the site of Voronin trying to pull Babel shorts down was amusing.......
Back into town we went........and ended up in a restaurant for dinner.....and stayed until 4am....supping red wine with the owner, singing Liverpool songs and Toulouse songs (badly).........i had to catch my flight so off I trotted...
Great trip, good memories and smashing red wine
Salut!
Well of course I want us to finish as high as possible, Champions would be a dream...however, I quite like our trips at the start of the season.....
They are usualy to unobvious footballing destinations, we have been to Graz, Kaunas, Wrexham (!) and now Toulouse
I have visited the city of Toulouse a couple of times because as a family we used to holiday in the south west of France regularly....So I was delighted when we were drawn with the French side.
I flew into Perpignan on Tuesday evening, staying the night with family who are currently holidaying in near by Canet...travelling to Toulouse early Wednesday morning.......
I arrived on a hot sultry day and it was very easy to find my fellow Liverpool supporters.....look for a square...look for Red Banners....Look for Beer......Listen for singing!
Sure enough, I turn three corners and I can hear them already......some of whom had not made it to bed after sampling some of the riskier delights of the area...ie a brothel!
I cannot tell you how nice the first, cold beer of the day was.....sweeter than a Gerrard free kick.......
anyway, stories were swapped, tales told, meeting the locals and being told in no uncertain terms that John Arne Riise may actually die of heat stroke if he played that afternoon! The temrature was supposed to reach 40 degrees! **** Ginger, what about me???
Then suddenly the conversation stopped, as into the square came......the entire Liverpool squad........going for a morning stroll around town after breakfast............Regular Liverpool travellers to Euro aways will know that they always do this, so you often need to keep your eyes peeled on the morning of games as you get a nice surprise if you are lucky!
a little sing song to greet the players followed and over they came......the new boys didnt really know what to think.....Voronin and Babel looked bemused at the site of over weight, middle aged scallies from Liverpool greeting the likes of Carragher and Finnan as if they were long lost mates!! With the exception of one newbie.....Senor Torres.......as the rest of the squad said there au revoir's after the brief chat and a few photo's....he came over to say Ola.....
He stayed for about 20 minutes..signed every autograph and posed for every photo, including for the bar owner so he could put it up on his wall! He chatted about our trip, and how he was settling in at Liverpool ....he spoke broken English...He claims he didnt speak a word before his transfer, well if he couldnt he has done very well..he understood what we were asking and answered as best he could....He even told us the team!! I hope Rafa didnt find out....! We saw Chris Bascombe from the Liverpool Echo an hour later and teased him as we had information he didnt...we tried to bribe him but it didnt work!!!
Anyway eventually he said his good byes and he went on his way.........What a nice guy...very genuine and down to earth....
Anyway.......lunch was had.....I had this stew type thing (!!) not sure what the name was, but it contained lamb and pulses....and something to this day I dont know what it is...The owner tried to explain by using his hand....as I had already eaten it I asked him not to go any further...it didnt look too promising!!!
The match was easy really...very very hot.......the players of both sides were struggling towards the end..........I was surprised when they came out after the game to do a warm down...very unapt!! Although the site of Voronin trying to pull Babel shorts down was amusing.......
Back into town we went........and ended up in a restaurant for dinner.....and stayed until 4am....supping red wine with the owner, singing Liverpool songs and Toulouse songs (badly).........i had to catch my flight so off I trotted...
Great trip, good memories and smashing red wine
Salut!
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