I am glad i spend some time in your country Pedro, which is indeed very beautiful, the sea coasts, the forests and fields, the cities, the villages (the train journey from Mealhada to Porto, with the alpha pendular, with stops for lunch and coffee left a very pleasant aftertaste to me). Porto was wonderfull, such a beatiful harbour (and i loved your cuisine too, with the fish, olive oil and lots of garlic, the fish plates prepared in the copper double pans where delicious), and Lisbon, baixa where i stayed with the arch and the squares where we celebrated, was a metropolis well worth a visit. I didn't go all the way south to Faro, but i am sure i ll travel there sooner or later and spend some time in the shores. As i mentioned before, the portuguese where very hospitable and this surely is one of the most succesfull euros, an unparralled football feast, i should have spent more time there, five days where far from enough.
I can appreciate the sadness and the let down of portuguese fans, most greeks can and did amidst their triumph and glory. Upon leaving da Luz and walking to the metro station the portuguese where clapping their hands and cheering at us and we clapped back at them (almost all of us, except a few boneheads with their lewd singing) in appreciation of what great hosts they were, and knowing that, as we here in greece say, the merit of the one who loses gives value to the one winning. A few hours ago i was watching greek player Stelios Gianakopoulos on tv who, amongst others, mentioned that he too was saddened to see the portuguse players in tears and shock, and he d prefer to have won any other team but portugal, but he also rightly said that portugal is, and has always been, amongst the foremost footballing nations on the globe, with huge talent, and huge talent of younger players coming up, and that they'll sooner or later have their moments of glory too.
As for the english, i couldn't agree more with you on them, all they know is how to get pissed drunk and wreck the place and everyone's good time. They are used to pubs closing late in their home country, and law enforcement suppressing them, and as soon as they are let loose they get out of control and behave in a manner associated with the worst kind of trash. A friend of mine was telling me that whenever english teams play in italy the bars close much earlier than usual and every advertisement on drink in tv, radio, or bilboards is strictly prohibited, well, that says a lot. But, as much as they managed to do some damage they failed to spoil a great party for all europeans, and the rest of the world.
p.s. just before leaving i posted: "i ll only have one more portugal pk bet for the semi, and i was considering some props for the greece game, namely cards over and corners 10-12, but i wont be betting these, i prefer to watch the game than have to card and corner count." I obviously bet the portugal game, and a very convincing victory and performance of the portuguese over the dutch that was, and i couldnt resist the tempation of betting the props for the greece - czechs game, which i d completely forgotten until coming back home and logging into my betfair acount. I was very content to see that with 6 yellow cards and 11 corners and both prop bets were winners adding up to a good final bank in an alltogether, and in every aspect, succesful tournament.
