Viewing the Cupe de le World
Italy vs. France
The victor wins the World Cup. The losing country’s male population will be crying into their capri pants for the next four years.
Seattlests’s favorite part of the World Cup is watching the games on the home turf of ex-patriots. Therefore, we spent yesterday at the French restaurant Maximilien In The Market, which is tucked behind the fish throwers and home to spectacular views of Elliot Bay.
Maximilien, which according to the experts is one of the best places to kiss in the Northwest, provided a special menu with jambon-beurre-brie, moules maximilien, croque monsieur, and their specialty, breaute fleaux de loi.
Although our English mother raised me well, we couldn't help but root for France. After all, Italy had received a bailout call against former colony Australia, flopped, pouted, elbowed, whined, and bored their way to the final. Our soccer-mad roommate pointed out that Italy's style is everything that people hate about soccer.
The biggest cheers from the standing room only crowd came for France's first penalty kick, a shot of Bill Clinton in the stands, France's lone goal in regulation, and Zinedine Zidane's exit following his red card--in that order.
The biggest moans were not when Italy clinched the cup, but when the televisions went out during the penalty kicks. The panicked and pained looks on the faces of the Frenchmen in attendance when the screens went blank must have resembled those on the Champs Elyses the day Germany reunified.
The blame lay not with Maximilien, who had rented two 50 inch screens for the event, rather with KOMO, who lost their HD feed. You're doing a heck of a job there Fishey.
Moments later the feed was restored, but the looks on the faces never improved as Italy won on kicks and took home the trophy. J'NE PAS!!!
The somber crowd exited into the market pushing past tourists as they made their way towards their Peugeots.
A big thumbs up to Maximilien for their excellent work yesterday, and to our World Cup home The Kiwi and Kangaroo. Time to take a break from soccer for a few years. See you again in South Africa.
