Sports highlights: Euro 2016, NASCAR at Kentucky, IndyCar at Iowa, Home run derby

I think it's blessed to be a soccer fan these days, even if you live in USA. This year we witnessed the amazing rise of Leicester City, the Cinderella who went from surviving to contending and eventually winning the most competitive league in professional soccer: The English Premier league. They clinched the championship in May. Soon followed by the UEFA Champions League final, which was won by Real Madrid but Athletico Madrid fought hard too. Then we had Copa America started in USA (in fact, right here in Santa Clara) in early June. And 1 week later Euro 2016 started in France. To be honest I didn't quite follow the qualification that much and only found out (1) France was the host and (2) Holland was NOT in it. My prediction was France winning it all (well, they did make it to the final) I also knew Argentina won't have any trouble making it to the final of Copa. I had to miss quite a few games because of traveling. I did manage to watch the penalty shootout between Argentina and Chile via my Slingbox. I guess the curse of Maradona's hand ball is still in full force. Don't feel sorry for Messi though. He has his fair share of glorious moments. And my vacation ended before the semifinals and final of Euro 2016 so I was able to watch the full games. (Still wish I could witness the triumph of Iceland and Wales in the earlier stages. Both teams feature mythical character lookalikes: Thor and the Monkey king :P ) As a supporter of Germany since forever, it's sad to see them losing to France on self-inflicting wounds (Schweinsteiger's hand ball resulted in a penalty) There's even more drama at the final between France and Portugal. When Cristiano Ronaldo was hurt and got replaced at the 25 minute mark, I thought it's over: just like the Brazillian Ronaldo becoming a non-factor last time in France. Well, for some reason the French couldn't take advantage. And Portugal played like they'd rather keep the tie and wait for penalty shootout, and was successful at that. And just like Leicester City, it was the unlikely hero Eder who scored and won the game for Portugal (and Ronaldo "the acting coach") Eder received a ton of criticism during the tournament. He was an underachiever who started his career promisingly in the Portuguese league. He almost played for the Hot Spur but ended up with Swansea instead where he didn't get to play much and was moved to the French club Lille, where his hard work was appreciated by the coaches and was a good fit to their system. I guess his experience scoring against opponents in the French league helped! Overall speaking, it was an OK tournament, which would have been better if there was more offense. It would be another 4 years until the next time they play the highest level of soccer in the world. Well, it will be a short break until we have the Olympic soccer tournament. And the European leagues will resume too.

The one sport that get little coverage while I was in Asia was NASCAR (I did accidentally find out Tony Stewart won our "home" race at Sonoma) Glad to be back and the first Sprint Cup race I watch featured a nail-biting finish: the leaders were all in fuel saving mode and Brad K was able to last 'til the end to beat out Carl Edwards for another victory this season. There was no fuel saving at the IndyCar race in Iowa. Josef Newgarden's No.21 car was simply good. No one was able to catch him, not the current points leader Simon Pagenaud, multi-time champion Scott Dixon nor the recently-got-hot Will Power, who ended up finishing 2nd. Well, this result made the overall championship a bit more competitive and interesting.

It was also worthy to write about the MLB Home Run Derby: my favorite teams combined have one participant: the defending champ Todd Frazier, who did make it to the final but lost to Giancarlo Stanton, who was predicted to win by someone from my son's baseball camp. You would probably agree with him if you have witnessed his beautiful and consistent swing. Stanton hitting those 61 HRs in one night was special for us baseball fans.

港澳台遊記:寶島風情篇

網誌是不能不寫的！何出此言？雖然廿幾年前去過台灣多次，爸媽帶我到過多個名勝，但那時去完就算，現在已不記得幾多。今次台灣之旅，遊過許多名勝，必須立此存照！

抵台第二天我們的重點是遊九份和十分。司機先帶我們到基隆市台灣北岸，觀賞南雅奇岩，石上的紅色來自蘊含的鐵質，這些礦物質也是陰陽海奇景形成的元素。向山方向走，可見日治時期遺下的銅礦，附近就是黃金瀑布，我們略過黃金博物館直接前往九份老街，全街商店林立，我們買了高山茶及手製毛筆；小食多不勝數，我們幫襯了黑豬肉腸，芋圓及肉丸，當然少不了在極具代表性的悲情城市梯級拍照，我本來不明白這個山城緣何悲情，後來才知同名電影背景是本地人和外來統治強人衝突的228事件，今時今日的香港人相信很有共鳴。離開九份前往十分，中途停了一下以貓招徠旅客的貓村（又名猴硐），十分有兩樣最出名：在吊橋另一端的十分瀑布，以及放天燈的十分車站，都是港片拍台灣常出現的景點。

之後幾天繼續精彩：陽明山是我唯一記得小時去過的地方, 小油坑可觀看火山噴氣的景象，我卻全無印象！只是令我想起之前的夏威夷之旅。而淡水以羊駝（alpacas)為生招牌的草泥馬咖啡（草泥馬是網民為取代粗口而創作的代詞，說成羊駝）又令我想起以前在Pacifica常見到的駱馬（llamas ）店內那隻羊駝多次把我的衣服當作食物！附近的漁人碼頭倒不太像三藩市那個，這裡肯定沒有情人橋。淡水老街又是以小食為主，那酸梅湯甚有名氣。

除了以上提過的十分和猴硐車站，我們也到過充滿歷史意義的台中勝興車站：那是舊時台灣鐵路一個高點；如果說這車站顯示人們下決心的毅力，附近的龍騰斷橋可算相反：展現了大自然無情的破壞力！

講了這許多名勝,其實還未開始提到台北市內的呢!一個我以前肯定未去過的,是對上一次遊台之後才落成的台北最高地標101,地下數層是名店,那些國際品牌不算特別;不過89樓的瞭望台,和各地高樓的相比,算是玩得較為過癮,皆因該處相當寛敞開揚,那個天氣不錯的星期六遊客也不致多得你擠我擁而急於離開,觀賞台北市四方的景致,實在心曠神怡,我們打了兩轉,流連差不多兩小時呢.而離開時被迫觀看的珊瑚製品,其實也頗有欣賞價值.
而我小時肯定去過的,是中正紀念堂,不過內裡介紹蔣介石生平包括抗日及國共戰爭的展覽就無甚印象,作為一介武人,他的書法筆筆有力,頗有可觀之處.除了這些,還有其他藝術展覽,可能國民黨在野期間被淡化?這裡相信是以華盛頓的林肯紀念堂為藍本,而在同一地點的音樂廳及歌劇院,也像紐約的林肯中心!

另一個台北市名勝也和蔣介石有關,就是士林官邸,我們沒有買票入內參觀,欣賞其外圍的大花園已很滿足.

至於比這些歷史都要悠久的,是艋舺龍山寺.首次聽到艋舺這地方名,是數年前一套幾賣座的同名台灣電影(片中的黑幫來自該處),其實是台語,日治時期稱為萬華區,現今也沿用.該寺位於市區繁忙地段,香火鼎盛,供奉神袛數量極多,我為小朋友介紹了醫神華陀及愛情專家月老.