Italy won Football World Cup

And I am happy. Because Italy won. And because France lost. Euro 2000's final needed a revenge.

Yet, I think that no World Cup final should end with a shoot-out. In 1982 there was a rule: if the match was a draw after extra time, it should have been replayed. The rule was abolished in 1986. It should be restored.

And, in 1982 (yes, I am so old I remember 1982 World Cup final as it was yesterday) I was far, far, far more happy. Maybe I'm getting old.

Holidays are over

Very short holidays. The nice times of when I was a child and summer holidays lasted three months are over (well, actually I don't think that the times of when I was a child were nice, but there were nice aspects).

First, back to Pisa. Just off the plane, I remember how hot Italy is on summer. I like hot weather, but that humid hot weather was unbearable. Voted for the referendum (luckily, "No" won quite largely, so our great Constitution was not changed for the worse). Then I borrowed my father's motor scooter and I and Elisa went to Sardinia. Even though I am Sardinian, I don't know large parts of it. It was nice, a motor scooter really gives freedom of movement and you can feel the warm weather on your skin.And the natural beauty of some spots was stunning. The island is very little populated (except that the coasts get overcrowded on summer), so there are large stretches of land in which you can walk for tens of kilometers and not see a house.

We arrived to Olbia in the morning, visited the city, then went to some archaeological areas around Arzachena, then to Palau, where we boarded the ferry to la Maddalena. We went around the town and the island, and to Caprera, where we visited Garibaldi's house. It was closed. maybe Mr. Garibaldi was not at home at that time. Jokes apart, it is so stupid to find a monument closed one day a week during the peak season for tourism. Apparently, since museums and monuments are open on Sundays, they are closed on Mondays. Don't those people think that monuments should be open 7 days a week?!? Especially in an island which thrives on tourism!!! After that we visited Luogosanto and Tempio, stopped in a bar in Tempio to see Italy's match, then we hit the road again to visit some churches, and to Sassari. That was our first day. Our holiday was more stressful than our jobs.

We visited Sassari and Alghero (great town, the most beautiful of Sardinia).

Alghero

Then went along the coast to Bosa (almost completely unspoilt coast, great landscape).

Coast between Alghero and Bosa

We shortly visited Bosa, then went further south through nice villages and unbearably hot weather, we reached the archaeological site of Tharros. We spent the second night in an agriturismo with nice Tuscan people.

Tharros

This is not Far West, but the village of San Salvatore near Tharros

The third day we went to Cabras, Oristano, Sanluri, Cagliari and then the final destination by the south coast. And the real holiday started, and lasted a few days.

The return trip was all in one day, along the east coast. There are incredible landscapes. At one point, the road which runs closest to the coast reaches an altitude of over 1000 meters.

Su Gorruppu gorge seen from the road between Baunei and Dorgali

On the ferry back to continental Italy, we watched the semifinal Italy-Germany. At the end people were about as happy for Italy's victory and for Germany's defeat. Apparently not many people in the world love Germans.

Then, I am back to Amsterdam. I shaved for the first time in about 10 days. The weather is much sunnier and warmer than when I left. It was so nice that, last Thursday, I and the downstairs neighbour had dinner in a park, on the grass. Geweldig (as they say here).