Mes que un club.

 

Futbol Club Barcelona. One of the world’s biggest sports clubs with millions of fans across the world. However it is more than a club, it is a powerful symbol of Catalan culture.

FC Barcelona has a rich tradition of attracting the best footballers in the world and playing in great matches. Cruyff, Maradona, Ronaldino and now Messi have thrilled and  entertained fans at Camp Nou. I had to visit.

Like many clubs around the world, some of  its early activists came from the UK. Brothers  Arthur and Earnest Witty played for the club  and later Arthur became its president. They had both been educated at Merchant Taylor’s School in Crosby and it is believed that the famous blaugrana (blue and red) shirts of FC Barcelona were chosen because that was the colours of rugby teams at Merchant Taylor’s School. The school and the football club are still linked and whilst I was there the current school football team played at the stadium.

However the club’s most important links are with its fans and the Catalan community. The club does not have shareholders like most of its rivals. Instead it has over 140 000 members who elect a president and  directors. The club attempts to reflect Catalan culture and the club crest includes the red and yellow stripes of the flag of Catalonia.

Thousands visit Camp Nou, not just to see a game but to visit the club’s museum and to explore the stadium on guided tours. The group I toured with included Rozella from Argentina as well as Sam, Colin, Mel and Graham from the UK.

 

A stadium tour is a great experience but to attend a game is even better.

I saw Barca host Getafe in a top La Liga clash played in front of over 80 000 fans. Sadly there was no Suarez or Dembele to entertain me but there was Pique, Jordi Alba, De Jong, Griezmann and of course Messi.

It was a great game. Strikes from Griezmann and Sergi Roberto helped Barca to a 2-1 victory.

Not surprisingly my focus was to watch Lionel Messi. What a wonderful player he is. In the following days press he was awarded 7/10 in the player ratings. However 7/10 for Messi is equivalent to 11/10 for any other player on the planet. He created the first goal with a sublime pass to Griezmann, had a rare header that was thwarted by an amazing save by Soria in Getafe’s goal and then almost scored with a beautifully arced free kick.

The ease by which he drifted around the pitch was remarkable. He always looked comfortable however and wherever he received the ball. Messi is not a big man, he is only about 170cm tall. His legs might not be long but his feet are fast. Watching Messi accelerate past a hapless defender is like watching Road Runner blistering by Wile E Coyote. Beep beep !

I saw Lionel Messi play for his club in front of his own fans and it was worth every euro.

 

 

Get along to the Saatchi Gallery on the King’s Road Chelsea for a spectacular exhibition of the young pharaoh’s treasures.

 

How can you?

Detroit. Home to motor cars, Motown, Joe Louis, the MC5, Alice Cooper and of course Aretha. You can’t ignore its contribution to modern culture

Located by the Detroit River and on the opposite bank to the Canadian town of Windsor, Detroit was a boom town in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The rapid growth of manufacturing industries attracted thousands to settle here. It became the biggest city in the state of Michigan and one of the most important in the USA.

It is definitely worth a visit. You can discover its museums and galleries, be entertained at some of its many theatres, watch top class sports or just enjoy a walk along the riverfront. It does not take long to find your way around downtown. Public transport is good and includes the Detroit People Mover which not only does what it says but also provides great views of the city.

If you want to travel in style I recommend Zoro Harper to provide you with safe and reliable conveyance. Like many residents of Detroit.  Zoro cares about the city and also the people who come to visit it. Thank you Zoro.

I stayed at the Hilton Garden Hotel where I received great hospitality and I was well fed. I even had Stevie Wonder as a neighbour.

Wasn’t that lovely?

 A visit to America’s northern soul.

 

Visit Hitsville USA. It has to be on the wish list for many fans of Marvin Gaye, The Supremes, The Temptations, Smokey Robinson, Martha Reeves, The Four Tops, The Isley Brothers and Stevie Wonder. Sorry if I forgot to mention your favourite artists.

A modest house situated in an unremarkable neighborhood  became a hub for creating music that would move people and change attitudes. Berry Gordy had a great gift for recruiting and nurturing  talented young artists into world stars.

The house is packed with memorabilia, photographs and items of interest. Visitors travel from all over the world to feel the vibes and see where the sounds were made. The guide who showed my party around was friendly and informative, and of course, we had to sing. However the highlight was being invited into the recording studio which is incredibly tiny.

It is hard to believe that such a small room produced so many big hits.

Unmissable

A factory that changed the world.

Detroit gave us mass produced motor cars. Millions and millions of them The Ford Piquette Avenue Plant in the Milwaukee Junction area of the city is where the historic Model T was created and first produced.

Henry Ford led the way in making motoring accessible to working people. He led a team of innovative designers and engineers who challenged and developed the technology of the time.

My guided tour around the plant was absolutely fascinating. I discovered so much about the growth of the motor industry and how it changed the world so quickly.

 

I found it riveting.

 

A peak into some hidden gems.

How lucky was I?

My first weekend back in Chicago and the city opened its doors for visitors to see some of its most beautiful and historical sites.

I spent time in the financial district and visited the massive Chicago Post Office, the Board of Trade Building where I looked at a million dollars and Wintrust Bank where I examined the vaults.

A great way to start my stay.

Also look out for a movie about the  trial of the Chicago 7, due out next year. It will star Sacha Baron Cohen and Eddie Redmayne. Sadly, I did not pass the audition.

…………………………………and action replays.

The ups and downs of being a fan.

Observant readers will have noticed that  I enjoy American sport. Well, when you are over there you can’t ignore it. It’s everywhere. On TV, in the newspapers and on big screens in the bars. Everybody seems to have opinions about their team whether they follow NBA, NHL, MLB or NFL.

I have become a fan of the National Hockey League, i.e. ice hockey. It is a very fast moving sport with lots of skills and plenty of collisions. It attracts families who are keen to spend an evening out together.

During my trip I enjoyed 2 contests. At the Little Caesars Arena I saw Detroit Redwings host Vancouver Canucks. The Redwings held a 2-0 advantage going into the third and final period but their Canadian foes were not finished and hit the net 5 times without reply. Quite remarkable!

Back in Chicago I saw the Blackhawks thrash the LA Kings by 5 goals to 1.

Meanwhile my favourite NFL team the Chicago Bears have gone into hibernation for the winter. They were demolished by the New Orleans Saints. A score of Bears 25 Saints 36 did not reflect how easily the Saints won. A week later it was Bears 16 LA Chargers 17. The Bears missed a field goal with only 3 seconds left on the clock.

Drat and double drat!

Attending games in America is expensive. Sometimes very expensive. Tickets may cost several hundred dollars and it is difficult for families to see games together. Unlike the UK most fans do not attend every game. Many fans just see a couple of games each season so when they do go to a game they make the most of their day out

At the Bears v Saints game I enjoyed the company of Dave and Shelly. Dave gave me lots of advice and encouragement about when”to make some noise”. Thank you both.

In Chicago I  met Elliot. He attended the Bears v Chargers game. Elliot lives in De Pere, a small town in Wisconsin. To see the game Elliot drove around 100 miles  from his home to the Amtrack station in Milwaukee where he parked his pick up truck. From there he took the train to Chicago and stayed overnight. When you make such an effort and your team loses on the last play of the game it is a very frustrating, especially when you are a Bears fan living close to Green Bay, home of the Packers. I hope that you arrived home safely Elliot.

I also hope that Jake sees this blog. I met him on the brown line train to Irving Park. We had a good natter about all sorts of sports, including college football, a great passion of Jake’s.

American sports fans are great company. It does not matter which team you support you are made to feel very welcome and to enjoy the sport whatever the result.

Fuel up at Yolk and your day will be off to a great start.

Author and nutritionist Adelle Davis suggested that we should “Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a pauper”. Lots of people agree that breakfast is the most important meal of all.  Having a tasty and healthy breakfast can give you the energy and well being to cope with your day.

Whilst I was in Chicago I had some cracking breakfasts at Yolk on South Michigan Avenue. The atmosphere was friendly, the service was fast and there were many delicious choices on the menu. Eating here was a great way to start my day.

I had a different meal every time I called. Here are some of them.

Yolk has outlets in several cities in the USA.

At Michigan Avenue, Cynthia and Shar will welcome you with great food and big smiles.