Paris on a quiet Sunday morning. I started to pack and figure out how I was going to carry everything to the airport. My ankle still hurt but I put some more Arnica cream on it and took homeopathic tablets to reduce the swelling (Arnica Montana). Just what the nurse ordered and it helped.
Today there was a big soccer game in France that would determine the winner of this year’s European Cup. Soccer (or “football”) is a very big deal here; it has been following me since Amsterdam. So it’s fitting that I find myself ending my sojourn in Paris with this huge game between Portugal and France that starts at 9:00 pm tonight. The weather today is hot and muggy, so it’s good that the game is late in the day. I personally have never watched a soccer game and was unclear about the rules, the how and why of the game. Yet, I was easily excited too. Since I was in the best of company it was fun to watch the energy and tension of all of this. Guess who I was rooting for?
In the afternoon we all walked back to the market to pick up fresh bread and get some fresh air. Dinner turned out to be another fresh French delight.
At 9:00 pm all eyes were on the game and it was intense. The energy and whirlwind of it all was amazing. (At one point I was texting Emerson in Oregon and he was watching it too!) I kept thinking about the fact that all eyes were on Paris, and here I was. Neat.
Portugal won the game. It was a hard battle fought. Paris was quiet. I retired.
Journey Janet au Jardin 