Summer in Italy https://journals.worldnomads.com/suze/ Sat, 4 Apr 2026 00:25:41 GMT World Nomads Adventures Last night I went to see Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals play in Verona Arena. The show was absolutely amazing! The setting itself was spectacular, an old colosseum... I would love to see the look on the man's face who designed and built it to see what it is used for today. Ben came onstage at about 9:30 and opened with 'Steal my Kisses' always an old favorite, although I couldnt help but wonder if he ever gets sick of playing it. The band left the stage three times, only to be lured back on by the crowd, who ironically were chanting 'seven nation army' by the white stripes (we can thank Totti for that one) - the crowd was clearly still pumped from their World Cup win. Unfortunately for me, when Ben came onstage alone to do some solo acoustic songs, the guy next to me decided that the silence was a perfect time to make a phone call. Damn mobile phones, some people simply have no manners. When he didnt respond to several shushes and prods, we had to resort to throwing bottles and punching this guy to get him to shut up. One too many beers for him me thinks. Other than that, the atmosphere was buzzing, especially during 'With my two hands' when the crowd chanted 'with my own two hands' whilst waving their hands in the air for about 25 repititions - it almost felt like we were a pack of revolutionaries at a rally, refusing to beleive that what we have now is all humankind have to offer each other. This feeling continued through songs such as 'better way', 'black rain' and 'there will be a light'. When it came time for Ben and his boys to go, they emerged with an Italian flag, and a Totti shirt, causing the Italians to go crazy with applause and do a mexican wave, that did maybe ten laps of the arena, getting faster and faster each time, until Ben decided to climb the scaffolding! The gig was awesome, the energy was amazing, and I would like to give a big THANKYOU to Ben for giving the world such warm, honest and beautiful music, THANKS BEN!!! https://journals.worldnomads.com/suze/story/1277/Italy/Ben-Harper Travel Italy suze https://journals.worldnomads.com/suze/story/1277/Italy/Ben-Harper#comments https://journals.worldnomads.com/suze/story/1277/Italy/Ben-Harper Tue, 18 Jul 2006 20:34:00 GMT 1 What a game. It had it all ... controversial decisions, outbursts, upsets ... sadly it was decided by penalties, but Zidane, Zidane, Zidane, why couldnt you control your temper for another ten minutes? The last ten minutes of your international career as one of football's greats?? The match was close, with only millimetres separating the two sides, Trezeguet unfortunately miscalculating his penalty kick by mere fractions of a degree ... but it was enough for the Italians. Here in Treviso the town population seemed to quadruple as they gathered to watch the big game in the town square - piazza dei signori - on the big screen. Every Italian possession was great with excited cheers, and every French steal with tumultuous booing as the game progressed to extra time. Looks of fear grew as the game drew on and France gained control of the match during the second half, but the biggest raucous arose when tempers blew out between the two goal scorers of the match - Zidane and Materazzi. (for a laugh, check out http://tonaz.altervista.org/zidane.html) ultimately resulting in Zidane ending his career with a red card in a world cup final - what a way to go out!! It is a shame that the most anticipated game of the last four years is decided by a penalty kick out. In a game where it is near impossible to score a goal in 90 minutes (only one legitimate field goal was scored in this one) it seems rediculous to decide the match by reversing the situation, and putting the goalie in a position where it is near impossible to make a save. Most PSO goals are either saved through pure luck - the goalie taking an educated guess at the direction the kicker might choose, or through inaccuracy - as Trezeguet demonstrated. Shouldnt football finals ask that the winning team kick a winning field goal, no matter how long it takes? Surely this would promote risk-taking and benefit the viewers of the game, rather than encouraging teams like Italy to play defensively and hold off for the PSO... Bring back the golden goal I say. Make those million dollar players earn their keep. But regardless of the method of determining the outcome; headbutts, nipple tweaks and terrorist taunts aside, the game was a delight to watch, and the Italians celebrated accordingly. When the winning penalty was kicked, Italy went bananas, bursting into chants, song and conga lines, climbing anything that could be climbed, setting off firecrackers and flares, getting naked and dancing in the streets and flags waving patriotically high. Good sportsmanship was thrown aside as France, Zidane and Trezeguet were thanked for their contribution to making Italy the champions of the world - a title I am sure every Italian person will claim with pride for at least the next four years. It would have been nice for France to win, at least as a consolation prize for Italy taking out my Aussie mates. But, this game is a clear demonstration that the world doesn't follow the rules of a fairy tale, heroes aren't heroes every day, and the winner of a football match comes down to who gets it right on the night. Congratulations Italy, and thanks for the amazing party! https://journals.worldnomads.com/suze/story/1246/Italy/Goodbye-Zizou Travel Italy suze https://journals.worldnomads.com/suze/story/1246/Italy/Goodbye-Zizou#comments https://journals.worldnomads.com/suze/story/1246/Italy/Goodbye-Zizou Tue, 11 Jul 2006 10:18:00 GMT 0 Should anyone stumbling across this blog ever meander over to Treviso, there is the most beautiful bike ride along the river that you simply have to do. It starts at a boat restaurant just outside the town walls and continues along the river for a few hours, leading to some other nearby towns. It is a gorgeous way to get some peace, reflect on your travels, and really take in the simplicity of Italy. It literally follows the banks of the river, where swans and ducks sunbathe, and the locals farm their crops. There is a boardwark and a boat cemetary, joggers and other cyclists ... simply magic! My mind hasnt been so clear in years. https://journals.worldnomads.com/suze/story/1201/Italy/Bicycle-rides Travel Italy suze https://journals.worldnomads.com/suze/story/1201/Italy/Bicycle-rides#comments https://journals.worldnomads.com/suze/story/1201/Italy/Bicycle-rides Wed, 5 Jul 2006 18:13:00 GMT 0 Well, it only took me 40 hours, but I am finally here. One leg of my flight was almost 22 hours, with only a 30 minute break in between!!! My legs were so swollen when I arrived, despite numerous efforts to minimise the damage, walking up and down the plane... doing the funny QANTAS exercises... putting my legs up while getting some 'private time' in the airplane toilets... But the weather here is amazing. After four winters in a row, the sunshine feels better than ever! Speaking of which, I am going to go out for a walk around Treviso now, to catch some rays, and maybe take a gelati! ciao https://journals.worldnomads.com/suze/story/1192/Italy/Flying-from-Australia-sucks Travel Italy suze https://journals.worldnomads.com/suze/story/1192/Italy/Flying-from-Australia-sucks#comments https://journals.worldnomads.com/suze/story/1192/Italy/Flying-from-Australia-sucks Mon, 3 Jul 2006 20:36:00 GMT 1