This year's Treffen was certainly more organized than last year's. That helped some things go much more smoothly - like transportation - but it also made things feel a little too "pre-planned". Maybe that's just because last year, we really didn't know what to expect, so everything was an adventure.

Better things this year: transportation, food options, vendors. Worse: obnoxious security policies, scheduling (it seemed that there were more overlaps of bands we wanted to see), capacity for crowds at venues.

Weather was a big issue again this year. While last year we had to contend with blistering heat (over 30C - or 86F) and thunderstorms that dropped hail and flooded campgrounds and vendor areas, this year was cool and damp. No, make that cold and wet. It didn't rain constantly, but it was constantly threatening, and it rained for at least part of every day. Temperatures hung around 15C (60F) - so forget the skimpy outfits that worked great last year. The people that we felt sorriest for were the people camping - mud everywhere.

Whereas last year, we really didn't meet that many people...this year we did. Under what were often the strangest of circumstances, we met up with everybody that we met last year, and made many, many new friends this year, from all over Europe, and the US.

Now move along...