Viva Italia...

[fajrdrako]

Italy won. Italy won! I am so thrilled.

What a game. I'm so glad I watched. What a great introduction to World Cup football.

Italy! Buffon is my hero. All of them. Wow.

And what a great day it has been. First a magnificently better-than-expected season-ender for Doctor Who. Then a better-than-expected World Cup game. Woo. Happiness.

I wonder why Zidane did what he did - arguably France might have won if he hadn't been kicked out of the game, which makes his attack on Materazzi seem all the more inexplicable.

Comments

[silverwhistle.livejournal.com]

Yes! I am happy for them, though I can't say I get very excited about football at all! (Just a couple of dozen blokes kicking a ball on a field... Big deal.) On the other hand, His Gorgeousness is thrilled, but as you can see in the icon, he's either pretending to be cool and pensive as usual, or is wondering if Cousin Phil will talk to him this week...
However, I didn't mind who won, as I have had very happy times in both countries.

But, oh, Zidane... silly, silly boy...!

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

I've never got excited about any sport before. This is a new thing for me.

His Gorgeousness ought to be thrilled!

I too have had very happy times in both countries; I adore France, and my Lusignans came from there... but Italy is incomparable.

As for Zidane: WTF? and: why?

[silverwhistle.livejournal.com]

His Gorgeousness ought to be thrilled!

Naturally, being Piemontese, he's a Juventus fan. Mind, it's going to be sensitive for the poor lad, as I said, re: Cousin Louis and Cousin Phil... (He doesn't talk to young Henri any more anyway, given certain events...) And of course, the host-nation was Cousin Fritz's!

I too have had very happy times in both countries; I adore France, and my Lusignans came from there...

Mind, bar passing through Charles de Gaulle airport, the only bit I've been to was Holy Roman Empire in our time-period - Strasbourg/Straßburg. Cousin Fritz held court there sometimes, and it still looks very German. A mediaeval and Art Nouveau/Jugendstil paradise, with wonderful Germanic food!

but Italy is incomparable.

As are certain Italians...

As for Zidane: WTF? and: why?

I know - how could he do that, in his last major match?!!!

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Conrad was related to everyone worth knowing, wasn't he? (As were his cousins - !)

Now, the part of France I haven't been to is the Holy Roman Empire part.... except for Grenoble and environs. Mostly I've been to Paris and Normandy, with a quick-passing-through of places like Toulouse and Lyons - the last being maybe the most beautiful city I've ever seen. (Pause to think if I can remember a city more beautiful. Florence comes close. So, suprrising, does Durham, at least in its nicer bits.)

In case you hadn't notice, I quite adore Italians. I think I learned the bias from Shelley and Byron at a young, impressionable age.

And Zidane... Just when you think life is strange, it gets stranger.

[monsieureden.livejournal.com]

Have you been to Dijon? My friend is currently teaching there in her doctrine program and her emails make me want to see it.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

No. I'd love to see Dijon, but I haven't ever been there. Yet.

[silverwhistle.livejournal.com]

Conrad was related to everyone worth knowing, wasn't he? (As were his cousins - !)

Yes! Very well-connected, as well as intelligent, courageous, cultured and physically beautiful. What's not to love?! (And how can so many people ignore or be nasty to him?!!!)

I've not travelled as much in Western Europe as I would have liked: this is one of the problems of a life dominated by long-term unemployment. I've only been to Russia so often as a result of the work I did with tour groups. I went to Strasbourg twice for conferences re: work, and I've been to Montferrat once, and that's it as far as Western Europe goes. Mind, I've hardly ever been to the South of England, either. Bar passing through to get to Heathrow, I've only had a few day-trips to London; have never been to the British Museum, and the only one of the big galleries I've been in was the National Portrait Gallery (I had to see dear Aubrey!).

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

What's not to love?!

I am hardly in a position to answer any question about not loving Conrad. Not to mention the whole damn marquessate of Montferrato.

this is one of the problems of a life dominated by long-term unemployment

I have the same problem, though in my case it's long-term employment in amateur community theatre. The pay's just not good enough to travel as I would wish. I've never been to Russia; I lived in England for a year; I've been to Scotland 12 times (or therabouts), saw a smattering of European countries on a trip in my teens, studied Italian in Italy for six weeks; I want more, more, more! My heart is in Europe.

When I was a student in London I spent as much time as I could in the British Museum, back when the library was there. It was paradise.

[silverwhistle.livejournal.com]

I am hardly in a position to answer any question about not loving Conrad.

We're a small minority. Somehow he doesn't get the love that one would expect being a heroic-but-doomed chivalric beauty would attract, poor darling... (Hence I am inclined to spoil him.)

I have the same problem, though in my case it's long-term employment in amateur community theatre. The pay's just not good enough to travel as I would wish.

Yes. When I was in work, I was employed by a charity, so on below the average graduate salary. Welcome to the shabby-genteel club!

want more, more, more! My heart is in Europe.

I feel far more comfortable and at home in Strasbourg and Asti than I do in the UK, apart from in St Andrews and a few cafés in Glasgow and Edinburgh...

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

We're a small minority.

Only because the rest of the world doesn't know him as we do.

Welcome to the shabby-genteel club!

Yup, that's it. Also know as "poor but honest". Also known as "just getting by".

I feel far more comfortable and at home in Strasbourg and Asti than I do in the UK

Interesting... I felt 'at home' in the UK but I think I feel that anywhere - maybe not so much in the U.S. Haven't been to Strasbourg but I certainly likes Stuttgart, the only city in Germany I've ever been to, where they treated me magnificently. And Italy may be the home of my heart.

[silverwhistle.livejournal.com]

Interesting... I felt 'at home' in the UK but I think I feel that anywhere - maybe not so much in the U.S. Haven't been to Strasbourg but I certainly likes Stuttgart, the only city in Germany I've ever been to, where they treated me magnificently. And Italy may be the home of my heart.

The US felt like another planet!
I'm definitely a European.
The UK... No civic pride, binge-drinking, anti-intellectualism, fixation with stupid reality-TV shows and z-list celebrities... It's become too much like a bargain-basement version of the US, including its tolerance of ever-widening gaps between rich and poor, and its pandering to the vociferously religious.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

The US felt like another planet!

Good description. Yes, definitely different.

The UK... It's become too much like a bargain-basement version of the US

I'm sorry to hear that.

including its... pandering to the vociferously religious.

Scary.

[goss.livejournal.com]

YAY!! GO ITALY!! I'm so happy for them, it was a great game. :D

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

It sure was. Breathtaking!

[monsieureden.livejournal.com]

Lol. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j1i_l0OeeMc)

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Oooh - thanks for the link!

[monsieureden.livejournal.com]

You're welcome!

PS get the Veronica Mars cd yet?

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

get the Veronica Mars cd yet?

Yes! It just arrived! Thank you, thank you! I love it.

[monsieureden.livejournal.com]

:D