"If I can recommend you someone: my best friend Eric got in touch with you today. He's a very open-minded, fascinating, extraordinary and inspiring person. I wouldn't miss out on that one if I were you - I promise you won't regret it!"

Groggy from a few beers and a late night photographing Yavar's 30th, Eric woke me up on the Saturday morning to head out and watch some of the youth footballers he coached play. On our way back from the match he detoured to show me one his favourite spots on top of a hill overlooking Nuremberg. I had met Anna-Maria during my time in Hanover and, during our conversation sitting looking out over city, her words rang true.

Eric had brought me back to Nuremberg for Yavar's party and with the added warmth of Yavar and Dieke's (Eric's girlfriend) company added to the mix as well the German breakfast/lunch spreads, that made for a trade of even more good food and conversation. Not to mention portraits of Eric leaping about, giggling away binge watching Modern Family and Yavar bringing me to a couple of sessions at Crossfit Nuremberg to work off all the German beer, meats and cheeses that I am still aching from writing this.