Another year and another pre season training camp.
I have to say I'm relieved we've come back to Uwe's homeland as opposed to his previously adopted home from home Norway.
The ravenous mossies we encountered in the summer of 2011 still give me nightmares!
Day One was a long day and started with a light training session at Jersey Road followed by lunch before boarding the coach to Stansted Airport with twenty one players together with the coaching and back room staff on board.
Three players have remained behind to continue their convalescence and rehab, namely Richard Lee, Scott Barron and Jonathan Douglas.
Stansted Airport was manic being a Saturday afternoon; a subtle difference to last year when we flew out on a Friday night, as we had three hours to kill as the M25 was surprisingly devoid of hold ups.
We were all kitted up in Adidas track suits and polos which had been sourced particularly for this week whilst we await delivery of the new training kit.
They were not badged up and wore black and white.
I'm sure everybody thought we were German players, particularly as we were flying in to Leipzig.
Not me obviously as at 66 years with a belly, my best playing days are now some 55 odd years away (yes, I was quite good when at primary school).
A one hour twenty minute flight and a one hour time difference saw us arrive in Leipzig at about 9.15 and having negotiated passport control we boarded the coach for our transfer to Bad Blankenburg at 10pm.
Kit Man Bob Oteng together with Head of Medical Neil Greig had themselves made an earlier start as they drove to Leipzig, a ten hour journey, via Eurotunnel.
They took all of the training and medical equipment required for the week together with all our own personal luggage which was an absolute Godsend as we didn't have to flock around the airport carousel watching everybody else's luggage but ours pass by (it also, more crucially, saved about £1500 in additional luggage costs).
We arrived at the Training headquarters at 11.30pm (it was like coming home, not that I normally get home at that time!).
After refreshments, it was time for bed in preparation for the training programme that lay in store on Sunday morning.
It promises to be an interesting day and I'll let you know all about it in Blog Day Two.
Peter Gilham, Brentford FC Player Liaison Manager