10 years today. Scary how time flies.
I can't really add much more to that. Other than a recent funny story about Andy Burner, one of my travelling companions that I mentioned above. It has nothing to do with Istanbul, or even football, but it gives you a great insight into the workings of his mind. It would work so much better if you knew him, but then again I suppose everyone has a friend that fits his profile - good heart, loyal, but a bit limited in mental capacity and uncomfortable outside his comfort zone. For you, picture that person...
...to celebrate one of us getting a new job, we go out to a posh French restaurant. For his starter, Burner chooses the lobster bisque. The rest of us look at each other - unspoken, but we know we're all quite impressed that he would even know what that was.
The starters come, and he looks down at his, confused. "What the fuck's this?" he says.
"Lobster bisque mate. What you ordered".
"It's not. This is fucking soup!".
"Yes mate, that's what lobster bisque is".
He starts muttering to himself. He's very much a 'meat and two veg' kind of guy.
"What did you think it was then?".
"Well..." he starts, looking slightly bashful, "I thought bisque was French for biscuits!".
Of course we all start pissing ourselves laughing. Then, what he might think is a French lawnmower (the coup de grace)...
"Hang on" says I. "If you thought bisque was French for biscuits, then why the hell were you ordering lobster biscuits?!"
"I kind of thought"...he starts, before pausing and considering whether to carry on, and then pressing ahead, "that they might be a French version of prawn crackers!".
Brilliant. Every group of mates needs a person like that. The European Cup final was the main course, but the trip became what it was because of the people I was with when I was there. Regular Euro away travellers will know exactly what I mean.
