The Fourth of July means nothing in Italy. But the Second of July means everything in Siena: It's the day when town rivalry is at its peak, team colors are their brightest and competitive spirit overwhelms the medieval Piazza del Campo for Il Palio.
The treacherous horse race and festival is rooted 800 years of Sienese history and for each of the ten competing districts, losing is not an option. For the Oca Contrada, one of the city's winningest neighborhoods, female jockeys aren't an option either--and never have been.
This year some brave Oca women are challenging history and making a legal case for equality. They've made enough ruckus so far to cause the president of the district's electoral commission to resign, but with only 29 of the 424 commission votes in their favor, they're facing an uphill battle.
Female jockeys or not, the race is still on for tomorrow. If you can't make it, the next Palio is on August 16.
The streets of Southern Italy went eerily silent Sunday night when Spain's fourth penalty kick knocked the Azzurri out of the UEFA Euro 2008 soccer tournament. After a few solemn moments, hundreds of fireworks, presumably those purchased for a victory celebration, erupted in the sky like a blow from nearby Vesuvius. Even in defeat, the Italian spirit seemed as fiery as ever.
But now that Jaunted's favorites are out and Spain is embarking on a 24-years- in-the-making semifinal, we're setting our gaze on tomorrow, when the Germans meet the Turks.
The showdown happens St. Jakob-Park in Basel, Switzerland. If you're keen to watch closer to home, our friends at Gothamist put together a solid list of big screens in NYC as did the guys at NewYorkSoccerBars.com whose site we love in spite of the name. We know you're jocks but a little creativity never hurt!
They may be rowdy, drunk and disruptive, but football fans are generally welcomed with open arms for the sheer economic force they bring to host cities. But not everyone in Vienna is stoked about the UEFA Football Championship and its assorted mayhem: The Vienna State Opera has canceled a concert scheduled the night of the final, and attendance is down by nearly a third overall since the footballers came to town.
Given how much singing goes on at European football matches--albeit in profane ways too complex to explore here--one would think a love of opera and the Euro Cup need not be mutually exclusive. The European championship continues through June 29, and tickets can still be had through the national organizations in competition. (That includes for matches involving teams from Portugal, Germany, the Netherlands and Spain at this writing.)
If you'd rather go highbrow, you can buy tickets by phone to the Vienna State Opera's performances or try for €30 ($46) rush tickets to shows like Verdi's "La Forza Del Destino" and Tchaikovsky's "The Queen of Spades."
If you're anything like us, you usually forget Father's Day until the reminder call from Mom on Sunday morning. Since you surely didn't get around to planning that golf trip to St. Andrew's or the Alaska fishing expedition, here are some Father's Day trips you can actually pull off at the last minute.
For the Jazzhead: The JVC Jazz Festival kicks off in New York on Sunday. Please your dad by declaring a newfound appreciation for Herbie Hancock. (He doesn't have to know you're going for Mos Def.)
Major League Baseball announced plans yesterday for a huge parade to commemorate the last season at the original Yankee Stadium. Major League Baseball Executive VP Tim Brosnan says the event "should and will rival the great parades of New York City history."
The parade will be part of the celebrations for the 2008 All Star Game, which is taking place at the stadium on July 15. Unlike the ticker tape bashes held when the Yankees were actually winning games, this "red carpet parade" will be held in Midtown instead of in the Financial District's "Canyon of Heroes."
The parade will travel along 6th Avenue from 40th to 58th Street. Marchers will include the 2008 MLB All Stars along with legendary baseball Hall of Famers. As far as we're concerned, though, the only real baseball parades should involve a World Series win. These MLB execs can throw all the gala corporate-sponsored events they want and it won't make up for the fact that they're demolishing the House That Ruth Built.
Alaska, a Spanish pop singer from the 80s, is posing nude for a new ad campaign to protest bullfighting. The ads show the musical MILF naked with her back pierced by three spears along with the slogan "The Naked Truth." In retaliation, Spanish bullfighters will be hosting an exhibition at the EU Parliament in Brussels June 4 and 5 to showcase their sport for lawmakers.
Polls show that young people in Spain are losing interest in the violent sport. Alaska must be hoping that her nude pictures can persuade older Spaniards to join the cause.
Meanwhile, this weekend the Daily Mail released a series of awesome pictures showing matador Jose Tomas--the "David Beckham of Spanish bullfighting"--being gored by a bull. Even if you find bullfighting morally reprehensible, these pictures are worth a look. Animal activist types should even be able to enjoy them since they show the bullfighter getting hurt instead of the bull.
We love any activity that blurs the line between sport and a genuine freak show. Take a thousand people, most of them in costume, many covered in tattoos and maybe even some in diapers (it's a family event) then dump the whole beautiful mess in California wine country this Saturday, June 7, and you have the 6th Annual Roshambo Winery Rock, Paper, Scissors Championship.
With a $1,600 purse on the line this year, people come from all over the world to compete in Sonoma County's premier sporting event. While the idea of strategy may seem silly, die hard RPS enthusiasts swear by psyching out the competition whether that means trash talking before the first of three throws or wearing a distracting man-baby costume.
The event takes place outside of the new Roshambo Winery tasting room located at Cornerstone Place, a landscape architecture center just 45 minutes north of San Francisco. It costs $20 to compete and it's just $10 to hang out, booze it up with the cats from Roshambo and take pictures to bulk up the quirk-factor of your Facebook page.
Sure, nothing beats a relaxing vacation on a tropical island, but sometimes you really need to get out there and do something. How 'bout running one--or all--of these marathons?
Finish off your training soon (you've been training, right?) for the San Diego Rock 'n' Roll Marathon on June 1. You'll start with a tour through downtown and the historic Gaslamp Quarter, head around San Diego Bay, and even sneak by Sea World. You'll finish up at the airport but before you fly to your next marathon destination, stick around for a bit to enjoy the sounds of Pat Benatar. Guess that's the Rock 'n' Roll part.
Next, head out to the Big Island of Hawaii. Grab your race packet for the Kilauea Volcano Marathon on July 28. The course has changed a little bit this year thanks to Mother Nature, but it's still considered one of the world's most difficult races. If this sounds a little too intense, just sign up to be a volunteer and hand out water cups.
If you're still going strong after the first two races, catch a flight back to the mainland for The San Francisco Marathon on August 3. You'll start of at the Embarcadero at Mission Street, and run (or limp) along the waterfront, checking out Pier 39 and Fisherman's Wharf. The highlight of the race is crossing the Golden Gate Bridge while enjoying the beautiful San Francisco Bay. Best of all, this run can qualify you for the Boston Marathon in 2009, if you're still able to walk.
