Brother from another mother

I never had a big brother. But if I did, I hope he would be like Matze.

Matze is technically Mareike’s brother, but we’re all family so what does it even matter. He lives and studies in Regensburg, aanother town in Bavaria, about an hour from Mareike’s joint, and every time I return to Germany, he’s there with open arms, a pot of tea and a couch for me to sleep on.

I look forward to visiting Matze, because it’s always a good time. He lives there with a mate, who I also know briefly from Ansbach. Because of the whole ‘Croatia incident’ I didn’t have as much time as I would have liked here, but we made the most of the time we had. I like hanging out with Matze because we get on decently well. We laugh a lot, share the same sense of humour, can make fun of each other and our misfortunes and can bag each other out. I was fairly chuffed with myself as I navigated my way to his apartment, only to knock on his door, before he opened it and I walked straight in like it was my own hosue, before ditching the backpack and giving him an enormous hug. I think the best thing about ‘family’ if you will, is that everytime you meet, it’s like no time has passed at all. I remember where he lives, I know the town, stepping off a train and wandering to his place feels natural, another sense of belonging.

My time in this beautiful city was fleeting, but I ran around the town during the day (Matze had to ‘study’…of which I could come home and find he’d been spending hours on the phone to Mareike, or reading up about JK Rowling’s latest statements about HP relationships, or whatever else) so I got a fair few snaps to show you. Wandering around was nostalgic…I remember the coffee shop where I used to go with a good book and have some Bavarian cake (repeat list – check), the shops where I bought Dice birthday gifts at 2 years ago (repeat list – check) the river, the alleyway, the church tower…all places I had known to grow and love. It was really nice.

Matze and I ate dinner at a great typically Bavarian beer hall, had a beer and shared stories about youth and recklessness…something I feel is a significant definer of our relationship. I teased him for not finishing his drinks fast enough, and he quizzed me about the boys in my life. I was on the floor in fits of giggles when he described his unfortunate all-for-nothing-can’t-complete-it-two-and-a-half-year university degree and he took us out for donuts. One night we hit the town, and he showed me some new Bavarian beers, we drank ouzo vodka, shared traveling stories and remembered our times in 2009 and 2012 together. It was familiar, it was comforting, it was nice.

At the beer hall we witnessed some new Bavarian dialect that even Matze couldn’t understand, and for a little while he was a foreigner too (Matze and Mareike are originally from Ansbach, with is further north, so although Bavarian, they are still in the dark with the south dialects), and we collapsed into giggles.

I had, as always, the most splendid time in Regensburg – again, it’s an awesome city, but it’s small –and it wasn’t my first time there. I had to laugh at the irony when a German dude asked me for directions to the train station and I told him I was a foreigner but I was pretty sure it was down the street and past the church. It was then he opened his arms widely, a huge grin took over his face and he exclaimed in utter glee; “Welcome to Germany!” I thanked him profusely but had to laugh. Not quite my first time, pal.  

The reason for my visit to Regensburg was Matze. And if he reads this, I hope he knows how much I appreciate him, and how much I look forward every time to knocking on his door and waltzing in. How much I value our time together in Regensburg. And if he were reading this, I’d tell him also – stop reading this and go and study, punk.