Shortly after the game ended, Senhor Ice was bestowed Paulo’s scarf from 2004, that fateful year which everyone in Portugal couldn’t wait to bury under the jubilation of finally winning a Euro Cup for the first time. This is a rare post for me because I don’t follow football or any sports at all anymore except a passing interest in major international events. My primary interest in watching this tournament is how it affects the national morale. Needless to say, Portugal’s win has given the country a major, unmatched boost.
I’m also grateful for this tournament because PayPal Europe ran a UEFA-themed contest a few months ago to win a trip to France and I was notified in the middle of our trip last month that I won! There were multiple choice questions about UEFA league history, and, unsurprisingly, I had to look up most of the answers. I also had to answer an open-ended question about why I wanted to go. The prize is a pair of flights from any airport in Portugal to any airport in France, and it expires at the end of this year. I’m not entirely sure where we’ll go or when, but just like my former colleague used to say, “Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth!” This unexpected windfall might just make up for that trip to Denmark I missed in May (can you tell I’m still irked at myself for that?).
Ice went out for a walk with his scarf and got approving honks from bus drivers, I’m told. Maybe he’ll be our good luck charm for the next tournament.
Lindo menino!
July 10, 2016
Album: Portugal [Summer 2016]
