Thursday, June 08, 2006

Why I'm Going

Written Sunday Afternoon, 28 May 2006

I'm sitting here, having bowed out of any plans, watching the highlights of the 98 World Cup final, between France and Brazil. I have more than a pang of wishing I was there, who doesn't really. My crush Djorkaeff...Barthez...Aimee Jacquet (why did you leave...)...the balding Zizou...Karembeu, the link to my second home at the time...Roberto Carlos...the dramas with Ronaldo leading up to it...oh, what a time, what a tournament. What a final.

In New Caledonia that summer the streets with 30km speed limits had a dash added between the 3 and 0, France over the 3, Brazil over the 0, and it was gold.

I cried every night for three nights after it ended, withdrawl symptoms of a month of very early rises, sitting in the cold gym watching as many games as we could, falling deeper in love with a game I instinctively loved, and for a tournament that I vowed one day I would attend.

What I'm Doing

June 11: Leave Sydney
June 12: Stop in London for a few hours; have lunch with gorgeous R; stock up at Boots; fly on to Stuttgart
June 13: France v Switzerland (!!!)
June 14: Fly to Sicily. Spend a week in Siracusa, Taormina, Palermo
June 21: Milan, Lake Como - spend a few days with dear friend R
June 24: Bologna
June 26: The Mall, nuff said; overnight train to Paris
June 27: Straight to north Brittany
June 30-July 5: Paris
July 6: 13 daylight hours in Tokyo; arrive in Sydney July 7

If you'd like to catch up, buzz me at relookage@gmail.com.