Travel Review 4

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Travel Review 4

Bases Loaded

by Jeremy Ruane

The current world number one team against the reigning Olympic champions. Matches at this FIFA Women's World Cup don't get much bigger, and Germany and the USA served up a storm under the roof of Montreal's Olympic Stadium, to the deafening roars of the latter's fans from south of the border.

The Hotel Universel Montreal, where I was staying, was heaving with American fans. They were in the foyer, in the restaurant, in the lifts, on every floor … it was wall-to-wall "USA! USA! USA!" wherever you looked. Say what you like about them, but you cannot fault their patriotism, that's for sure.

And they roared all the louder when Germany missed a penalty, Hope Solo's display of gamesmanship having the desired effect on taker Celia Sasic. Ten minutes later, another penalty, and when Carli Lloyd sent Nadine Angerer the wrong way from the spot, the roof threatened to come off.

USA's "Captain Fantastic" - whose ear-to-ear grin when this writer labelled her "the Steven Gerrard of world women's football" in the post-match media conference spoke volumes - set up the late clincher for Kelley O'Hara to lead her country to their second successive final, where they would the winner of tomorrow's semi-final, between England and Japan in Edmonton.

Which meant a fond farewell to this wonderful old city, which was founded in May 1642, although there is evidence of life on the island on which Montreal is located having been occupied as long as 4,000 years ago!

Not only was Edmonton hosting the second semi-final, but the third place play-off as well. However, I had no intention of staying in between those matches in the city where one of my Kiwi sporting idols, swimmer Rebecca Perrott, scored a gold, silver and two bronze medals in the pool during the 1978 Commonwealth Games.

I had far bigger fish to fry, over the border! Duty first, however, although I wasn't the only Kiwi at work on this occasion. While I was up in the media area, down below me at pitch level were match referee Anna-Marie Keighley and her assistant, Sarah Walker - huge appointments for both, and due recognition for how well they had performed throughout the Finals.

There had been officiating errors aplenty throughout this tournament, it must be said - you only need to look back on the Football Ferns' games as evidence of this! Sadly, the best referee in the women's game, Germany's Bibi Steinhaus, who took charge of the 2011 Final, was one of those who went home early, a consequence of her countrywomen reaching the semi-finals.

Up to this point, Anna-Marie and her team had avoided the banana skins upon which a number of her fellows had foundered. But in the middle of a FIFA Women's World Cup semi-final, I was left rubbing my eyes in disbelief!

As we know, AMK virtually never gives penalties - I think you can count the number of occasions she's pointed to the spot in Northern Premier Women's League matches over the course of the last five years on the fingers of one hand!

So to see her award two in seven minutes, both of which were decidedly doubtful in nature based on the evidence from numerous camera angles … both Japan and England scored from their unexpected gifts, and a battle royal ensued, with "The Lionesses" taking it to "Nadeshiko" in a gripping contest.

Extra time was looming large when the deadlock was broken by a most unlikely source, England's Laura Bassett slamming home the winner into the top corner, only to slump to the ground in despair, her attempted clearance settling the semi in Japan's favour, and rendering the defender nigh on inconsolable - you wouldn't wish this fate on your worst enemy.

I left the ground as soon as possible after the final whistle because I wasn't staying the night in Edmonton. Instead, I was booked on the "red-eye", the overnight flight to Montreal, to connect with a flight to Newark, New Jersey, where relatives I'd never met were eagerly awaiting my arrival.

My visit there was of the flying variety - and much to my amazement, that included through Customs! I only had carry-on luggage with me, as all else was back in my hotel room in Edmonton. My flight landed about 10.20am, and I was outside the terminal waiting for my cousin to pick me up within thirty minutes! Unbelievable!

Between my arrival and my return flight back to Edmonton, I had just thirty hours to meet the rellies, and they had a few surprises in store for me, the first of which was an afternoon up the road in the "Big Apple".

It's easy to understand why so many people love New York - add me to the list! It really is an incredible city, with so much going on wherever you look, so much to do, and so many sights to see. Never has a nickname been more appropriate - it truly is "The City

Looking up at the Empire State Building

St Patrick's Cathedral

Yellow cab, Radio City Music Hall ... I'm in NYC

USS Intrepid and Concorde

A couple of New York's finest on horseback

St. Paul's Church

The Statue of Liberty with a passenger liner providing a fine back-drop

A glimpse of the amazing New York skyline

Central Park

That Never Sleeps".

Not that I saw it at night, of course. The sum total of my time in NYC with one of my cousins was circa five hours, in which time we looked out over many of the city's sights from atop the Rockefeller Center, including Central Park, New York Harbour and some of the most iconic skyscrapers ever built. Truly fantastic views.

We visited St Patrick's Cathedral, a couple of souvenir shops, walked past Madison Square Gardens - where the brilliant Billy Joel had performed the previous evening - and Radio City Music Hall, and walked through Times Square, where I was confronted by the Penguin character from the Batman film, the one played by Danny DeVito.

He and his mate were quite keen to have their photo taken with this LFC fan, until mention of money brought out the Scouser in me, much to the amazement of my cousin as well as Penguin and his fellow conman.

"'Ey lads, yer know wha'? I've just arrived in your country today, I'm flying out again tomorrow, and I don't even have a dime on me, never mind $20. So yer'll 'ave ter find someone else ter 'ave yer photo taken with. Sorry 'bout da'!"

And promptly walked off, my stunned cousin hard on my heels, while my cinematic friend … I had a quick look back, and the sight of a penguin with its jaw dropping in astonishment is hilarious, believe me! The conmen conned! And they weren't the only ones to try it on, either.

The crazy thing is, what I said was true. I'd flown from Canada to the USA without even thinking about getting any US cash - understandable when you consider how brief a time I'd be staying there, but even so. Anything I acquired on this entire trip was via my trusty old Visa card - I literally didn't have so much as a dime on me!

The evening was spent at the home of another of my cousins, who is an NJPD State Trooper. He had some involvement in the hunt for a couple of prisoners who escaped from a New York prison and were on the run for three weeks before one was killed and the other captured within thirty miles of the Canadian border. It was a huge news story throughout much of my time at the FIFA Women's World Cup Finals.

The next morning, I met more of my rellies over breakfast, not something I usually eat. I ordered three pancakes, thinking they'd be the size you are usually served at home. BIIIIIG mistake, literally.

Each of these creations would have been the circumference of a size five football - they were monstrous! I had to call it a day after two of them, and swiftly gained an understanding why obesity is such an issue in the USA from this meal alone.

From there, it was off for a wander around the Princeton University grounds, where I met another of my cousins - she's studying there, and saw some amazing stone buildings which have been standing for over two hundred years.

Then it was off to St. Paul's Church, from where my cousins' mother - my aunty, whom I never met, unfortunately - was buried six years ago. Visiting the grave in which she and my uncle are buried was a poignant way to conclude my flying visit to meet me rellies, make no mistake.

Off to the airport, for my flight back to Edmonton, this time via Toronto. Only, there was a wee problem - no plane! A strike in Toronto by the majority of those who refuel the aircraft meant that dozens of flights across Canada had to be cancelled, and mine ended up being one of them.

I struggle to understand why people get so uptight when their schedule gets thrown out of kilter by things which are beyond their control. There's nothing you can do about it, so throwing a tantrum and taking it out on the very people who are trying to help you resolve your dilemma, in this case airline booking staff, achieves zilch, and is no way for people to behave.

It was quite embarrassing to see the way some folk reacted in the circumstances which faced many more passengers besides themselves. Fortunately I'm philosophical about matters like this when they affect me. If what's happening is something which I can't influence, move on, and focus on those things which I can.

Because I was in transit, I couldn't stay an extra night with the cuzzies. Instead, I spent the bulk of the night wide awake at Newark International, awaiting my revised flight which was leaving first thing for Toronto, where I'd get a connecting flight to Edmonton.

Then it was back to the hotel and, after a quick shower and change, straight off to the ground for the third place play-off between England and Germany, the first of the medal matches, and which will kick off the final part of my travel review of Canada 2015.

2015