Her presence in Europe certainly is a contributing factor in my thinking a lot about Europe. But another reason that I am a bit more EuroAware than usual is the major sporting events taking place there this weekend.
Closed circuit to TT: Geez, that Nadal is good, isn't he? They may have to change the rules or something to outlaw that ad court serve high to the backhand of right handed players. That shot just isn't fair. Obviously his match record over the past four years at the French is 28-0 but almost as impressive, if the graphic I observed is correct, is his set record in those 28 matches, 84-7.
The world's second most important football tournament is underway in Suisse and Ostreich. Today Deutschland defeated Polska 2-0. This is an interesting result to me because Germany has 2 players who were born in Poland. They speak Polish as their first language, even apparently communicating with each other on the pitch in Polish. One of them, Poldoski (how's that for a good German name?), scored both goals, one of them set up by the other semi-Pole. Obviously they are both German citizens, each having a German and a Polish parent, so it is completely legitimate. And don't feel too bad for Poland, they have a Brazilian playing for them. In fact there are Brazilians all over the place. Germany also has one, Turkey has one, Portugal has two. The first round of games is half-completed, 2 of the 4 groups have played. Group C begins tomorrow and France plays Romania in Zurich. Allez les Bleus!
It rained overnight but around noon I perceived a window of opportunity and rode. It wasn't ever particularly sunny but it was still an OK day as it is a particularly fragrant season right now. It is almost impossible to not be downwind at every moment of some sort of flowering shrub. Lilacs seem to be everywhere.
But I did come upon additional evidence that Friday may have been too windy to ride.
It was long ride day but the uncertainty of the cloud cover kept me from trying the really long ride. I settled for longer than usual but shorter than last week.As I approached home I could hear the band concert at the Como Park pavilion from across the lake. The band was playing, the nearby lilacs contributed their lovely aroma, it was just plain nice.
What is so rare as a day in June?Then, if ever, come perfect days;
Then Heaven tries earth if it be in tune,
And over it softly her warm ear lays.
-James Russell Lowell
2 comments:
More wind toppled trees. What's next? A flood? Oh -- that's here.
That Nadal is amazing. I didn't think that it was possible to beat Federer that bad on ant surface. Nadal handed him a bagel in the third set. Youth must be served. TT
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