I'd never been to Germany before December, so week in Düsseldorf over Christmas market season was the best way to spend it.
The Christmas markets hit you with the smell first churros, Glühwein, potato pancakes crispy on the outside and warm in the middle. We kept going back. No plans, just wandering the city centre with warm cups in cold hands.
The day before the match we took the train to Cologne. With double decker trains which I never seen before, such a small thing but it reminded me how much I don't know about how other places work. Cologne Cathedral was great with rich history behind it.
Then matchday. Newcastle versus Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League, watched from a pub in Düsseldorf. The 2-2 draw stung but watching Champions League football in a German pub in December was not going to complain.