Regional TV

The Germans love initials to shorten words of their other love, creating the longest words possible. I don't think they have managed to beat Wales just yet.

Lets try the test here and now.:
Wales:
Llanfairpwll­gwyngyllgogery­chwyrndrobwll­llantysilio­gogogoch
Bavaria:
Donaudampfschiffahrtsgesellschaftskapitän

Clear winner.

TV Erkheim has nothing to do with television but means Turnverein or Tennisverein or could even be Tambourenverein (gymnastics, tennis or tambour/reel club)

In fact, it offers a whole host of sports: Football, Basketball, Tennis, Badmington, Gymnastics, Table Tennis, Volleyball, Skiing, Ice sports & Athletics.

Germany has a long and very widespread network of sports clubs and there are about as many forms of initials to describe them. Here a list in German of possible initials.

The role of voluntary or semi-voluntary helpers, coaches etc is very highly respected and rewarded in certain ways with state money and special allowances. While we don't have a national lottery to fund sport, the government does and also through its role as an employer, is very willing to give those sportspersons who are heading towards the very top, jobs in the civil service as police or customs officers, a career in the armed forces or even in the various civil servant administration departments where they are free-er to get time off for training and competitions while getting a basic salary. The same opportunities apply to the disabled sportsmen and women who have enthralled many these last two weeks,

I for one and I suspect many Brits get very confused by some of the names of the better known German top Football clubs. FC Bayern Munich is easy perhaps but is made up of a club with loads of sport and games departments. The #2 Munich club (sadly not in the top league at the moment) is called TSV 1860 Munich. It means Gymnastics and Sports Club founded in 1860.

And then the confusion with the football club "Bayer Leverkusen" which has nothing to do with Bavaria but is a top sports club particularly in athletics and sponsored since "anno dazumal" (forever) by the chemicals giant Bayer. And not far from them the football club "Mönchengladbach"  whose official name is "Borussia Club for Physical Exercise 1900" which has nothing to do with München nor with "Dortmund" whose official name is "Ballspielverein Borussia 09 Dortmund" a 1909 founded ball game club. Borussia isn't a place, it's an old word for "Prussia".

The Bavarians and the Prussians are no longer officially at war with one another, except in football matters!

Went to GP, my tick scare was nothing and I picked up a "referral form" for my quarterly checkup with internal parts specialist later this week. Don't officially need one but by handing it in, the specialist is obliged to write a note to my GP and keep him informed if anything needs to be done. Saves time and effort if I need future prescriptions.

As I was in Erkheim at about the time the "carrot man" delivers sacks of 2nd rate (broken/misformed) goods to the "Riding and Carriage Driving Club", I waited till he turned up and got our weekly 25kg for €6. I have to admit, I often steal the odd carrot for myself. I felt awful this afternoon but hadn't touched a carrot. Think a few kidney stones were jolted out by the tractor driving yesterday. They hopefully will be ejected tomorrow.