2012 was probably one of the best years to be living in Ukraine. Why? Because of Ukraine's joint hosting with Poland of the Euro 2012, which is the World Cup of European football (soccer) championships! The hosting came with its share of problems this year in Ukraine, especially with the corruption and questions of if they would even be ready in time to host. But, in the end, the energy and the event were so awesome, and I totally got a hearty dose of football fever myself.
One of the best places to catch all of the Euro 2012 action was, of course, in the capital of Kiev! I was there on an off-game day, but was still happy to wander downtown through its massive fan zone (which was converted on the large main road that runs right through downtown):
One of the six massive big-screens set up out on the road:
The entire sides of the street were lined with bars and shops, with plenty of football fan frenzy fun to be had:
Of course, on game nights, the place looked something more like this:
Spending my last month in Ukraine down on the Black Sea in Crimea didn't mean I was any further from all of the Euro 2012 action!
Just a short walk from the hotel we were staying at for our Summer Teacher Training Institute in Sevastopol was a fantastic Euro 2012 Fan Zone set up. I was there every night for a week and even used my "Female Foreigner" powers to sit in the front VIP sections for free each night!
By the end of the week, we had established quite the "regular" status with the workers and some of the Ukrainian fans! Perhaps one of the best parts about taking in Euro 2012 in its host country was being a part of this kind of community! I love football fans!
I'll be heading on a roadtrip to the Balkans with my Scottish friend, Rachel, this week and will be watching the final in Croatia! As far as the bulk of the tournament goes, there's no place I would have rather taken it all in then right here in Ukraine!
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