FIFA FEVER 2010!!!!

Even the furniture in our new apartment in Eixample was ready for the Finals. Rojo Pasion! We'd have preferred to go out to a great local place to see the biggest game ever but this neighborhood has fewer bars than our last digs in Barceloneta/Barri Gotic so we watched with the boys decked out in their new head bands and t-shirts and with the windows open to hear the roars of the large communal interior courtyard (all thanks to Ildefons Cerda, who masterminded the symmetrical moderniste architecture of our district).

Given the results of the game, I will refrain from commenting too much on the dirty play. But let's say that my confusion over the difference between a slide tackle and a penalty was exacerbated. And the kickboxing move on poor Alonso was horrific. Iniesta, who we call the Flopper for his perfection of the exaggerated fall, had the power move in the end and it was awesome to see. But it seemed the game really was won by Spain's goalie, Casillas, who beat off the Dutch again and again and again. Very exciting!

We took the kids to the street immediately after to watch the party play out on the street. A parade of honking cars and scooters and motorcycles touting huge flags roared to every stoplight. Fireworks going off on various rooftops. People singing and cheering and drinking (more). The party/din continued long after I went to bed at 2 a.m.

It's been an emotional few weeks for Spain. Now that we've learned a little bit more about the history of Spain's previous misses at getting into the World Cup, we knew the hopes for this team were high and the Swiss loss gave every game a bit of drama/anxiety. Plus, there are some serious issues in Spain right now: politically, financially, culturally. Two days ago, we saw the tail-end of the huge Catalan protest against the federal government as tired people returned to the hundreds of buses from outlying areas parked in our neighborhood. We think it was pretty peaceful but there were a lot of unhappy Catalans and some interesting graffiti. So it was terrific for Spain to get this win and we feel very lucky to have been here for this moment in their history. Viva Espana!