streets of madrid::thursday night::26 june 2008::11:17PM

Spain has just defeated Russia in the semi-finals of the EuroCopa, three to nil. The temperature outside is hot, about 90 degrees hot. The streets erupt. People fill the fountains in the plazas dancing in red and gold and in the flag of Spain. The sound of car horns fill the streets.
The streets are mobbed, and many young testosterone filled boys play toreador (bullfighter) with the cars passing by, using Spanish flags as the lure for the bull...or in this instance, the car.
Trash cans are tipped over, and beer bottles are being smashed. Not on purpose though......more by accident from passing cars. I think it's a crime in the European Union to waste beer.
And what am I doing during all this? Celebrating with a friend of mine, and singing 'Viva España' along with hundreds of others (for the most part, I'm lip syncing). We're also taking photos, although on her cell phone, they're not the highest quality. We're also just observing the crowd of testosterone filled youngsters. As their celebrations start getting a little more aggressive towards cars going by (rocking them back and forth, and playing drums on passing cars), and some kids start jumping on garbage trucks passing by, then in comes the riot police. It looks like the start of something, so my Spanish friend says we should go.......really? Go now, it's just getting interesting.......Police helicopters circle overhead, so we walk to a different celebration, a more mild mannered one.....even though I'm curious to see what's happening in the other scene, I guess I should always listen to my Spanish host in her home country.
antes de la policia....Ole!
The entire city is celebrating making it to the finals. What's it going to be like if they beat Germany in the final on Sunday? Unfortunately, I won't be in Madrid to find out, but at least I'll be in a small village in Spain to report it to you once the story breaks out.
Good night, and good luck.
I think he's in Germany, Dónde está Che Pelotas?