Today was phenomenal. I went out with a friend, Rob, to see the Florence soccer team (Fiorentina) play Bayern Munich here in Florence. My ticket was only 22euro (about $28) and it was a great seat! We sat in a section behind the goal and were able to make out the Fiorentina chants because we had singers on either side of us. Forze Viola! Forze Viola! (Purple Force! Purple Force!) was the main chant, repeated to a melody. Fiorentina colors are purple and white. I bought a Fiorentina shirt today representing player Mutu (10) and wore a scarf that was also Fiorentina. Decked out!
The crowd was immense and the stadium was packed.
the crowd behind us and the scoreboard
The game was exciting with Bayern Munich dominating the second half. They played beautifully, despite them being the "enemy". They used the width of the field to make long crosses to line players. Fiorentina seemed to piddle in the middle most often. We were a bit late to the game so we missed the first goal (Fiorentina) but the next goal, by Bayern Munich, was definitely well deserved. Bayern had shot after shot on goal, and Fiorentina wasn't able to regain definite possession of the ball and work it back up the field. The Bayern crowd was insanely devout to their team. Even though they only took up two sections, they didn't stop cheering and chanting the entire game. A short video of their section:
click for video -> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQYsu-QYrac
And if you notice, there are tall metal fences around that section. Those are to protect the away team from fighting with the Fiorentina fans and vice versa. Oie vay!
After the game, which was tied 1-1, Rob and I met up with a few of his friends and we all went to a live music bar called Be Bop. The band was called the Taxi Drivers and they were playing songs by the Red Hot Chili Peppers and other popular American bands. The great thing is Italians were really enjoying it in the club! Yay no anti-American music sentiment! Shots from Be Bop:
I talked with the band members after the show and they invited me to come to their next show tomorrow night at another nearby pub. I'm so there!
And also, my final photos from the last blog entry. Mom and I had taken a bus up to Fiesole on November, 1, and spent a good while at JJ Hill Pub, named so because it's on hill (creative I know) and James Joyce use to spend time there. We made great friends with the bartenders Francesco and Georgia. Francesco still had bits of his Halloween costume on:
Mom, Francesco and me But honestly, contrary to the frightening first appearance via the photo, Francesco was a sweetheart. He even invited me to carve my own pumpkin, and I did!
it's a slightly evil anime pumpkin! woot!That's all for now, and I believe I'm up to date. I look forward to your comments!! :D
No comments:
Post a Comment