By Daisy Jones


With the sun shining and temperatures soaring (admittedly, it only clears 60 degrees two or three times a week), it is high time to be thinking about vacation. It must be warm and sunny seven days a week somewhere.

Vacation. What a magical word. It conjures up a different vision for everybody. Except for in London, the word for vacation is “holiday,” but anyway, the visions are similar. Some people think of a vacation as anything that gets them away from work or their daily routine. Some vacations are turbo-charged adventures involving frenetic sightseeing and strenuous exercise. Other vacations involve nothing more than a beautiful beach, cherished companions, a cocktail or two and a blank itinerary. Alternatively, some people grimace when they hear the word vacation (“Dear, is it really necessary for us to go and visit your parents again?”) Those who grimace are the exception.

For Europeans, the recent expansion of the European Union (E.U.) is the perfect excuse to explore the ten “new” countries. The motivation for these vacations is “education.” Who knows how these countries might change now that they are part of the E.U.? We should try to get there before every block has a McDonald’s, Starbucks or Gap. Of course, should you work for any of these establishments, tell your boss that a trip to these E.U. countries is market research and let the company pick up the tab. Still not convinced? I assure you, the US Dollar goes a long way compared to the Polish Zloty or the Hungarian Forint. The price of the flight may be high, but everything else will be relatively inexpensive. And with the summer solstice just past, daylight hours are plentiful, so make your plans!

And you know that phrase, “absence makes the heart grow fonder”? It applies to the relationship the English have with the sun. They miss the sun and so they seek it. Therefore, the English have attempted to colonize whole sections of the coastline in Spain and Portugal for their vacations. These areas are littered with pubs showing football (soccer) matches and touting fish, chips (fries) and mushy peas (mint-flavored mashed peas – very popular, go figure). And the lucky English do not even have to watch their beloved footie matches on TV this year in Portugal, because Portugal is hosting the Euro Cup. This soccer tournament, held every two years for European nations, has been at the heart of the vacation plans of many English fans. Supporting your team on foreign soil is another great reason to travel – watching sports on TV is great too, but the atmosphere is never the same as at the event itself.

The atmosphere at this Euro Cup has been full of drama. England lost its 1-0 lead when the French scored two goals in injury time, and Italy is complaining that Denmark and Sweden conspired to tie so that both teams would advance to the quarterfinals and send Italy back home. The biggest story for England is the emergence of the talented Wayne Rooney, an 18-year old that scored a number of goals before having a bone broken in his foot during England’s quarterfinal defeat against Portugal (rough sport!). The defeat was followed by massive amounts of whinging – the British word for whining -- about England’s bad luck in being eliminated. Unfortunately, the misguided enthusiasm and destructive tendencies of some of the English football fans has led to their arrests by the dozens.

Another hot spot for combining vacation and sporting event pleasures this year is Greece, for the Olympics and the Paralympics. Fantastic! Surely the competitive action will be interspersed with beautiful views of the Acropolis, and other famous sights, not to mention some breathtaking Mediterranean scenery. And of course, we will expect the Americans to bring home lots of medals (no pressure though!).

Closer to home for those not wishing to spend whole weeks of vacation on sports, but who may want a good day out, is Wimbledon. British tennis fans look forward to this tournament, which is notorious for matches that can last days due to rain delays on the sensitive grass courts. Whether or not fans actually get to see an entire match is just part of the adventure. England is riotous with Henmania, the effort to supplement Tim Henman’s lack of ability to clinch the Wimbledon crown with large amounts of cheering. He is the most promising male British tennis player on the world tennis circuit, and the fans smell victory. Or is that strawberries and cream? Either way, tennis fans all over the world love this tournament.

Whether your vacation is a simple break from work, a grand adventure to some of the best sporting events on offer, or a simple day trip to get out of the house, make the most of it and enjoy yourself. Surely you deserve it, and that is motivation enough.