5, 4, 3, 2, 1. Chalo chale.

So its over. My little Euro jaunt, more fondly referred by me as EURO 2010. I am very much back in the city of Bombay, and have already inhaled about a kiloton of dangerous noxious fumes, almost been run over by a car, cheated by a rickshaw driver, fallen victim to a cold and flu rolled into one and almost strangled 2 shopkeepers. Sigh. But definitely feels good to finally be able to carry on a conversation without having to reply to one's own questions.

I got around to thinking when asked by a friend, as to what I'm going to miss about Europe. Its kind of a stupid question - there's tons of things, but felt a better adaptation of the question would be my top 5 moments of my EURO 2010.

So, in no random order:

1) The World Cup 2010
If you plan to watch football and you're not landing up at the venue, I can confidently say that the next best place is Europe. Anywhere. You can go to an open town square, a discotheque with teeny boppers, an oldies bar where they still play a gramaphone or just your nearest electronic store. The fever, the excitement and the tension is still the same - football madness transcends its surroundings. Add to that mixture a healthy infusion of beer / alcohol and good-natured intra-European ribbing ... and there's a recipe for a perfect sporting event.

2) Van Gogh at Amsterdam
There's something else about seeing his paintings in every conceivable bastardized form in the planet, and then SEEING the actual thing ... and then buying different bastardized forms of all the paintings at the official gift shop :-) I remember humming Starry Starry Night as I saw all those paintings - recognizing some, not the others - and marveling at the sheer joy they evoke. There definitely is something about art.

3) Tin Tin Museum
I'm not a supreme Tin Tin fan. I adore Asterix way more. But something has to be said for a museum that almost makes you 'rediscover' something ... and look at something anew. I went back and wikipedia-ed the Belgian reporter and mentally noted some trivia to keep for future reference. And of course - much before I ever went to Europe or wherever, there was a certain Mr Herge who helped me travel all over the world - without leaving my home.

4) Swiss Cheese Fondue at Restaurant Swiss Chuchi
I think I'm a foodie. I know most people who know me are probably pursing up their noses in distaste - wondering how someone who is a vegetarian can even remotely CLAIM to be one - but I do genuinely enjoy a good meal, and I most definitely feel vaguely disturbed and well ... incomplete if I've not had a good meal when I'm out at a restaurant. So in that vein, after several unappetizing meals in Germany, it was great to actually savor and relish this leisurely lunch in Zurich.

5) Aachen Rathaus & Dom
Nope - I'm not compelled since I lived there, but truly speaking, I came across little in the Church-walla artwork zone that even remotely matched up to our Dom / Cathedral in Aachen. Intricate, rich, serene, beautiful and totally grand ... Aachen is totally worth a visit - just to see the local architecture.

An eclectic combination of work, chest congestion, social appointing and lack of time have totally prevented me from blogging since I left Europe - but hopefully I should try and keep up the writing. It was fun, and I totally enjoyed it. Bombay is no less an adventure-filled venue, and AARGHHH. Life always goes on.

Cheerio.

Sushma