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Football Ferns striker Sarah Gregorius writes about the team’s last days in Switzerland and arrival in Germany.

After our final warm-up game against Denmark, the team enjoyed some time off where we were encouraged to kick back and relax before we headed to Germany for the main event. With this is mind, a lot of sleep was caught up on and the sights and sounds of the local neighbourhood explored.

On the second of these days, and our last full day in Switzerland, we headed to the city of Sion, about half an hours drive from our hotel in the Alps. While wondering where to begin our tour, Rosie White spotted some bikes for hire in the far corner of the main square. Discovering the hiring of the bikes to also be free, it was decided that we would explore the town this way!

It was a great idea, as we whizzed through the pedestrian traffic, yelling “bonjour!” to the amused locals. I suppose a large group of girls on bikes wearing matching clothing, laughing and yelling in funny accents proved just as much of a spectacle to them as the cobblestone streets, towers and cathedrals of the city’s “old quarter” were to us! On our bikes, we were able to make good use of our time, which included cycling up a steep hill to view the two castles that sat overlooking the city. With history dating back to the 11^th century in some parts, it was pretty awesome and crazy to be amongst.

A feature of our last days in Switzerland was also the chance to try some of the local cuisine, as we raided a local bakery and café for some goodies, and the restaurant staff at the hotel provided us with a tasty appetizer before our last dinner: a sample of tasty cheese from the region, cooked fondue style and served with potato.

All in all, we had an awesome time in Switzerland, but there was a massive buzz in the air as we readied ourselves to finally head into Germany. Even with a 4:00am start and a two-hour bus ride to catch our 8:00am flight, you could sense the excitement in the group. We touched down in Dusseldorf to be greeted by Bianca, our Tournament Liason Officer, who lead us through all the official FIFA signage, past all our security and out to our massive personalised New Zealand team bus with police escorts. So good to finally be here!

Our hotel is literally a stone’s throw from our stadium for the first game, with the training venue also a very short walk away. With pitches like carpet, security officers and international media present at our first trainings, you can’t help but get caught up in the excitement of it all! Bring it on!