Last Night and Last Weekend

If you know me only a little bit through my blog, you know at least one thing: I am not a big follower of sports events. In fact, I hardly ever watch any sports on TV - with one exception: A match here and there during football world championships such as the one currently underway. The only matches I watch (and definitely not each and every one of them) are when Germany or England play. Since Germany are out (and fully deserved it, too), I am cheering for England. Last Wednesday, watching the match was disappointing and boring. Last night, it was a different story - anything but boring! I watched together with my sister at her place:

Early on in the match, we became fed up with the goings-on: fouls left, right and center, each followed by endless "discussions" between players and the referree. Speaking of the latter, he seemed unable to establish the authority his role commands; the "boys" seemed to be doing as they pleased, like a very rumbunctious crowd of rowdy school boys at play time when they know exactly that the only teacher watching them is the one who never really carries out any punishment.

Anyway, the match went on, and finally, we had a goal. Then the other team scored, and with no more goals during the 2 x 15 minutes (I was so ready to go home and to bed, it was well past 10:00 pm by then), what we dreaded happened: Penalty shootout! Oh our nerves... I am not kidding you when I tell you that my sister had to leave the room when it was England's turn to make the decisive strike. Well, we all know how it ended, and I was finally on my way home and in bed about half an hour later.

Phew!

Now for the weekend, which was one of the most beautiful summer weekends we have had so far this year: Really warm (around 30 Celsius), but not muggy or humid, just clear blue skies. I was at O.K.'s and we had a family BBQ on his parents' allotment, with all delicious food and drink, and of course each other's company, to enjoy.

The evening light was beautiful, and shortly before 8:00 pm, I went for a little walk "around the block" (actually, around the patch of woods near the allotment, and back through vineyards and orchards). It is the same route O.K. and I often use for our Sunday morning runs, but this time, I was not running. Instead, I was taking photos:

Back at the allotment, we were sitting there for another half hour or so, watching the sunset. At some point, those of us with mobile phones got up to take pictures of the sunset. Mine are like a time line, taken within minutes of each other until it became too dark:

We packed up and went home, sated with good food and beautiful views. 

As we were standing there, admiring the sunset, it occurred to me how nice it is to know that nearly everyone appreciates those colours and the special light of a sunset; no matter how many we have seen in our lives, we can not seem to get enough of them. This is something we as humans have all in common. A comforting thought to return to when I despair of my fellow humans and their inexplicably mean actions.