Portugal Wins

The European Championships in Football were played the other day. Football is know as soccer in North America, and most Europeans are nuts about the sport.  It just happened that Portugal made the final against France in the Champinship. Everything I had read on the internet predicted that France would win. We decided to join in and went to the bar at the end of the pier to watch. My gosh, what a ruckus was going on.  It was crowded with crazed Portugese fans.  They were wearing the red and green, the team colours, they had noise makers, their cheeks were decorated, it was all out.  

It was a very good game at the end of regulation time it was still 0 - 0.  There had been a number of good chances for the French, one hitting the inside of the goal post, but it popped out.  There were two fifteen minutes overtime periods.  With  just over five minutes left Portugal scored, it was a beautiful goal curving just away from the goalie's hand to catch the corner of the goal.  The place went nuts, screaming, yelling and chanting went on for the rest of regulation time.  When the super fan starts pounding on a metal serving tray with her spoon I had to cover my ears occaisionally to stop the ringing in them.  France was unable to score and for the first time ever, Portugal won the European Cup.  

The people of Horta celebrated late into the night.  There means of showing their joy was to drive around the road along the harbour honking their horns.  We went up and stolled along he sidewalk shouting along with the revellers in their cars.  I am sure the same cars just going around again and again, it was a grid lock on the roads but they were all having the best time. It was great that we could be in the Azores, which belongs to Portugal when this happened, FUN!!