Ciao, amici!

This time I write from Milano, where we’re staying in the very comfortable apartment of two good friends. I hoped I was going to have some pictures to show you – clutching my purchases outside la Droguerie, knitting on the TGV, and most importantly, Knitting at the Olympic Games. Sadly, our Mac-calibrated iPod won’t interface with our friends’ PC, so no photos until we return to the US. But about that knitting at the Games…

Last night we went to our first event, the men’s hockey game between Canada and Germany, in the newly built and very beautiful Palasport stadium in Torino. The torch burns above the small stadium (Mr. Garter got some incredible pictures with the long lens), and the stadium itself is faced in ovoid-stamped metal pierced with scores of thin horizontal windows. Inside, it’s all clean light – huge mirrors reflect the milling spectators in the broad corridors outside the seating areas, clear plastic bucket seats line the fairly intimate stands, and giant glass doors would bring in natural light during the day. It’s as pretty a sports venue as I’ve ever seen. And we had an excellent position high above the goal that Canada first defended. There were 8500 people attending, and by the second period the stands seemed pretty full. Most seemed to be supporting Canada: red and white clothing everywhere, flags by the hundred, painted faces and torsos, etc. But the Germans had a strong showing, too, including some boisterous fellows dressed as farm animals and, apparently, Little Bo Peep in a pink dress and bonnet. It was a great crowd – The Wave made about seven consecutive laps around the whole stadium at one point – and we had a terrific time. Of course it helped that it was clearly Canada’s night, and a goal just before the buzzer made the score 5-1 despite a powerful German defense. We were worried about making the last train back to Milan, so we left our seats two minutes before the end, watching the final play from the balcony below, and then sprinted screaming and celebrating with six or eight other Canada fans out the doors and through the security checks (they didn’t try to stop us) back to the main street, to be first onto the shuttle bus. The less athletic among us nearly killed ourselves in the effort, but it was well worth it as we made the train with time to spare.

And of course you know I made the night even better by whipping out my Olympic knitting between periods. Mr. Garter got a nice picture for the blog, although he declared me the biggest dork on the planet. But how can you call yourself a true Olympic Knitter if you don’t take the opportunity to knit at an actual Olympic event? Anyway, it was a great night, and even worth the cold I seem to have caught. Tomorrow it’s up to the mountains for the men’s Super G, and possible the short track speed skating in the evening. But first, I’m off to scout the local knitting territory. Our friend here crochets and she’s given me a tip on a great yarn store called Lanar in downtown Milan. Tally ho!

Arrivederci!