As the last days of student life drift lazily away, and the wide world opens out, thoughts tentatively turn to life after university.  The prospect of planning the rest of my life is a little daunting; despite five years at university, I don’t feel ready or knowledgeable enough to answer that old chestnut of a question, “what are you going to do next?”.  For me, there’s going to be a lot of new experiences; a new job, a new routine, and new people in my life.  But before all that, some long-awaited post-uni travelling is definitely in order.

Ever since my fresher year at Exeter, I have always dreamed of going out and seeing some of the world.  Inspired by Michael Palin, David Attenborough, Bob Geldof and the like, I have always had a sense that there is far more to the world; different ways of life, alternative experiences, and new and exciting means of living.  Now, having come to the end of twenty years of continuous education, it is time for me to take the plunge and find these things for myself, to fill my senses up with these new experiences, and to dip into the cultural pool of planet Earth.

So I’m going to begin by taking a few weeks out to travel to some of those European places that have for so long excited me.  Grabbing my backpack and my rail tickets, I intend to stop first in Amsterdam, to wander the canals and visit the art galleries.  I will then move on to Berlin, to Europe’s forward looking capital, before taking the long journey south to the archaeology museum that is Rome, via Munich.  It’s then a short journey the fashion capital of Milan, and then on to Nice, in the south of France that was brought to life so beautifully by F. Scott Fitzgerald in Tender is the Night.  After this, and via Montpellier, Barcelona beckons, as does Madrid, these two cities being the homes of two of Europe’s most exciting football clubs.  From there it’s a short journey to Santander, from where a ferry will deliver me to Plymouth, and back home.

And what will I do after that?  I guess I’ll just have to let you know when the times comes…

The Phantom of the Opera

by Gaston Leroux

When the Paris Opera is taken over by two new managers, it sparks off a series of horrible events instigated by an opera ghost, a phantom who has for years lived peacefully in the opera house.  Tortured by love for Christine Daae, a young singer who he has brilliantly tutored, the phantom becomes increasingly jealous at her romantic affair with Raoul, Vicomte de Chagny, and sets about making Christine his own, by whatever means possible.  The phantom is indeed no ghost, but a hideously disfigured man called Erik.  A musical and theatrical genius, Erik is psychologically scarred by his childhood and, finding more comfort by living under the opera house, he creates a sanctuary for himself and his music.  Christine, on her part, thinks of Erik as the ‘angel of music’, promised to her by her father before he died.  She loves Raoul, but is drawn to the phantom through her loyalty to him and her father.  The resulting plot is a story of love, jealousy, and bitterness, brought together with a colourful cast of characters, not least the Persian and Mame Giry, who know Erik personally, whilst the bumbling behaviour of new managers Armand Moncharmin and Firmin Richard add a level of comedy to the novel.

Gaston Leroux does an excellent job exploring some difficult and complex issues, whilst maintaining the book as both readable and enjoyable.  His description of the phantom’s house, under the opera, is especially good, and his atmospheric style of writing really gives you a taste of wealthy Parisian life in the nineteenth century.  The novel tackles the themes of love and hate well, but for me the most important issue is that of a musical genius, a brilliant character who could have been so much, made to feel isolated, and forced to hide away from the world because of the way he looks.  This is the saddest aspect of the novel, and the part that leaves the reader with much to think over.

Set in the midst of the ‘roaring twenties’, Fitzgerald’s celebrated masterpiece traces the rise, fall, and hedonistic lifestyle of Jay Gatsby, as seen through the eyes of his neighbour, Nick Carraway.  Located primarily within the fictional villages of East and West Egg, Long Island, New York, we are invited into a world of lavish parties, expensive cars, and well-to-do families, the likes of which have characterised the booming decade which followed World War One.  At the centre of the novel is Gatsby, a man of a million acquaintances but, you suspect, no real friends.  The old flame, and love of Gatsby’s life, is Daisy, Carraway’s second cousin, and wife of the crude and brash Tom Buchanan.  Gatsby’s attempts to win Daisy are the driving force behind his every motive, but it is only when this comes to a head that the depth of the social problems – the lies, sleaze, and corruption – are fully revealed.  Gatsby's mysterious dealings, although never properly revealed, are hinted at, and his shady past is always lurking, waiting to pounce.  Ultimately, I don’t think anybody really achieves their American dream in the novel; the ideal is in part a falsity, just like the economy of credit and consumerism.  And just as these problems eventually caught up with the 1920s economy, so they catch up with all the protagonists of the book.  It is this that makes The Great Gatsby such a wonderful piece of craftsmanship.

As with Tender is the Night, Fitzgerald’s characterisation is nothing short of brilliant, and his ability to bring fictional people to life leaves you feeling as if you have personally met each one.  An inevitable comparison will always be made between this book, and Tender, but whilst the latter deals with many of Fitzgerald’s personal problems (and is, I feel, the deeper and more meaningful of the two books because of this), The Great Gatsby offers an unparalleled insight into the booming lifestyles of the super-rich in America, mixing the ideal of the American dream with a heavy dose of corruption and social unrest which underlay the entire decade.  Interwoven, and maybe impossible to separate from this, are the issues of love, regret and, most importantly, the foolishness of attempting to recapture the past.  The way in which these themes are so effortlessly brought together truly confirms The Great Gatsby as one of the best novels of the twentieth century, and Scott Fitzgerald one of its finest authors. 

Below is a picture of Lila Sara Gahar’s class at Tribhuvan School, Nepal, sporting their crisp blue uniforms, paid for through the charity Himalayan Learning.  Having recently visited Tribhuvan School, Himalayan Learning have created a short film, which can be viewed at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vziskniuao4.  I can’t see Lila Sara in the film, but one nonetheless notes the poor condition of the school, which lacks benches, paper, and pencils.  It is, however, wonderful to see the children enjoying their learning, in spite of the many obstacles that they face.  I hope they are on the way to a much brighter future.

Himalayan Learning is a small charity, working to improve the conditions of schools throughout rural Nepal, in order to give some of the world’s poorest children the chance of a better life.  Their work is invaluable, and recent projects include the renovation of the rural Shanti Srijana school, and the ‘computer college’ campaign, which ships used computers, otherwise destined for landfill, to the region, where they can be used to teach children.  The charity relies on public awareness, and their website is well worth a look: http://www.himalayanlearning.org/. 

Coming off the back of FC Porto’s UEFA Champions League victory, Portugal was on a high, and in confident mood to host the twelfth European Championships, a competition that was expected to showcase the best that European football had to offer, following the continent’s slightly disappointing showing in the 2002 world cup.  The home nation had much to offer, as the ‘golden generation’ of Portugal hit their peak, with players such as Luis Figo, Rui Costa, and Vitor Baia expected to shine, along with the other superstars of the European game – Spain’s Raul, England’s Wayne Rooney, France’s Thierry Henry, and Italy’s Francesco Totti amongst others – all of whom were looking to make their mark, and prove that European football was still the best in the world.  Set within a plethora of modern, stylish, high-tech stadia, the stage was set for the most glamorous competition so far.  What followed, as usual, was magic.

Group A pitted Portugal against arch rivals, Spain, both of who were expected to qualify at the expense of Greece and Russia.  The tournament kicked off in Porto, with the Greeks providing an upset, beating the hosts 2-1.  Spain won their first match 1-0 against Russia, before drawing 1-1 with Greece, whilst in their second match, Portugal beat Russia 2-0, with goals from Maniche and Rui Costa.  The final round of group match saw Portugal defeat perennial underachievers Spain 1-0 to finish top, whilst Greece, despite losing 2-1 to Russia, crept through in second place.  In Group B meanwhile, England were seconds away from beating France, having taken the lead through Frank Lampard in the first half, and even squandered a penalty, when David Beckham missed in the 73^rd minute.  They held out until the 91^st minute, when Zinedine Zidane scored a brilliant free kick, and in a turbulent period that followed, England lost their heads, David James brought down Thierry Henry in the penalty area, and Zidane was left to score the 93^rd minute winner from the spot.  The England squad, which contained the likes of John Terry, Michael Owen, Joe Cole, and Owen Hargreaves, were left broken.  They recovered, however, with wins against Switzerland and Croatia, to finish second to France in Group B, the French having drawn against Croatia, and beaten the Swiss.

Group C opened with a 0-0 draw between Denmark and Italy, before Sweden hammered Bulgaria 5-0, with two goals from Henrik Larsson, and one from Freddy Ljungberg.  Denmark beat Bulgaria, and Sweden drew with Italy in the second round of matches, and in the final round, Italy beat Bulgaria, whilst Sweden drew 2-2 with Denmark.  The results left the top three teams all tied on five points, and because they all drew against each other, no head-to-head results could be used to determine their group placings.  The positions were therefore decided on goals scored, and thus it was the Swedes who finished top, followed by Denmark, with Italy missing out.  Group D meanwhile saw the Netherlands, Germany,  and the Czech Republic line up against the surprise of the tournament, Latvia.  The Czechs managed to beat Latvia 2-1 in the opener, whilst Germany and Holland played out a 1-1 draw, Ruud Van Nistlerooy cancelling out Torsten Fring’s opener.  In the second round of matches, Latvia secured probably their finest result ever, with a 0-0 draw against world cup finalists Germany, whilst the Netherlands lost 3-2 to the Czech Republic.  Germany’s 2-1 loss to the Czechs in the third match, coupled with Holland’s 3-0 dismissal of Latvia, saw the Dutch finish second to the Czechs, whilst Germany limped out on two points, just above Latvia.  The failure of Germany, Italy, and Spain saw three of the big guns fall in the group stages, blowing the tournament well and truly open for the taking.

The quarter-finals began in Lisbon, with Portugal taking on England in a thrilling encounter, which saw Michael Owen give England an immediate lead, before Helder Postiga equalised.  Going into extra time, Rui Costa scored for Portugal on the 110^th minute but, due to the dropping of the golden goal rule in favour of the silver goal, England had enough time to recover through Frank Lampard in the 115^th minute.  Penalties followed, with Beckham and Rui Costa missing for their respective teams, as sudden death ensued.  Postiga scored for Portugal, then Ashley Cole hit the net for England.  Ricardo put the Portuguese back in front, and up stepped Darius Vassell to become the latest in the long line of England players to fail in the shoot-out.  Portugal six, England five.

The second quarter-final seemed a forgone conclusion, with the juggernaut France taking on minnows Greece.  Perhaps nobody read the script, however, as the Greeks ran out 1-0 winners, Angelos Charisteas giving them their most famous win ever.  In the third match, Sweden played out a 0-0 draw with the Netherlands, the Dutch sneaking through on penalties ,whilst in the fourth quarter-final, the Czech Republic provided the most competent performance of the round, demolishing Denmark 3-0, with two goals from Milan Baros.

The semi-finals saw the hosts take on Holland, in the match that most people assumed would eventually produce the tournament winner.  Christiano Ronaldo put the Portuguese ahead, and the lead was doubled after half time, with a goal from Maniche.  Holland hit back, through an own goal by Jorge Andrade but, try as they might, Overmars, Van Nistlerooy, Reiziger, and all, could not find a way through.  The hosts were on their way to the final and, for the second Championships in a row, the Dutch had fallen at the penultimate hurdle.  In the second semi-final, the Czech Republic, so confident in their quarter-final match, were expected to easily beat a Greek side that had surly gone as far as it could.  The conquerors of the French clearly thought differently, however, holding the Czechs to extra time, before Traianos Dellas headed in the silver goal winner in the 105^th minute.  Nobody expected it, and few could believe it, but Greece had deservedly earned their place in the final.

The tournament had truly come full-circle, as the two teams who kicked off the championship in Porto, met for the final in Estadio da Luz, Lisbon, in front of a sell out crowd of 62,865.  The match was tightly fought, and unexciting as far as finals go.  The Portuguese, aware of their loss to Greece in the first match, were desperate to have their revenge and give the home crowd a memorable night.  But Greece had defied the form-book throughout the tournament, and their hard-battling, tough-tackling, workmanlike performance paid off as, just like in the first group match, they drew first blood, an Angelos Charisteas header putting them 1-0 up in the 57^th minute.  The goal stunned the home crowd, so expectant of victory in their own capital, but Greece had torn up the script from the very beginning, and defended so resolutely, that Portugal could not find a way through.  The final whistle brought a mixture of disappointment, shock, and then admiration, for a team who had shaken off odds of 150-1 to become European champions.  And whilst the underachievement of Italy, Germany, France, England, and Spain was all too clear, nobody could deny the victory to a side who embodied teamwork, grit, and determination.  The Greeks had provided an example to the rest of the continent; believe in yourself, and you can achieve anything.

UEFA Euro 1996

Euro 96 saw a revamped championships, with the tournament expanded to sixteen teams for the first time.  As well as Russia making their first appearance (since the break up of the USSR), newcomers included Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Switzerland, and Turkey.  With holders Denmark looking to defend their title, and with perennial title contenders France, Spain, Italy, and Germany in the mix, not to mention hosts England, Euro 96 was set to be the greatest European Championships ever staged.  And set within some of the world's most stunning stadia, this one didn't disappoint...

Group A kicked off with Terry Venables' England playing out a drab 1-1 draw with Switzerland, Alan Shearer's early goal being cancelled out by Kubilay Turkyilmaz's penalty.  In the other Group A match that day, the Netherlands and Scotland drew 0-0.  Holland's victory over Switzerland, followed by England's 2-0 defeat of Scotland, left the two group favourites to fight it out in the final group match.  That result, due to the brilliant partnership of Alan Shearer and Teddy Sheringham, saw England demolish the Dutch 4-1 to qualify as group winners, whilst the Netherlands crept through on goal difference, after Scotland could only manage a 1-0 win over Switzerland.

In Group B, meanwhile, France and Spain secured their qualifications at the expense of Bulgaria and Romania.  The French squad included names such as Fabien Barthez, Frank Leboeuf, Laurent Blanc, Didier Deschamps, and Zinedine Zidane, all players who would mark their places in history at the next world cup.  In Group C, the Czech Republic notched up a 2-1 win against Italy to finish second to Germany, who cruised through qualification with the fantastic Jurgen Klinsmann in superb form, netting twice against Russia.  Group D saw Portugal and Croatia progress, with holders Denmark crashing out (despite three group goals from Brian Laudrup), and Turkey finishing with no points, having failed to score a goal.

The quarter-finals began with England taking on Spain at Wembley, although the match finished goalless after extra time, and needed penalties.  With goalkeeper David Seaman in some of the best form of his career, England progressed 4-2, with penalty conversions from Alan Shearer, David Platt, Stuart Pearce, and Paul Gascoigne.  For Pearce particularly this was an emotional day, as he laid to rest the ghost of his penalty miss in the 1990 World Cup.  In the other match that day, France progressed against the Netherlands, again requiring penalties after a 0-0 draw.  The next day, Germany beat Croatia 2-1 at Old Trafford, the famous Davor Suker scoring Croatia’s consolation, and the Czech Republic beat Portugal at Villa park, with a wonderful chip from Karel Poborsky.

The first semi-final, played at Old Trafford, saw France and the Czech Republic fail to produce a goal in 120 minutes.  The match went to a penalty shootout, and was only settled in sudden death when Reynald Pedros missed for France, and Miroslav Kadlec scored for the Czechs.  Twenty years on from the historic Czechoslovakian win at Euro 76, the Czech Republic were back in the final, awaiting the winners of the evening kickoff at Wembley.

The scene was set for a fantastic semi-final showdown, as the hosts prepared to take on their old footballing rival, Germany.  At a packed Wembley Stadium, Alan Shearer gave England the lead after three minutes, to send the home crowd wild.   They were silenced, however, just twelve minutes later, when Stefan Kuntz hit back to bring Germany level. And that’s the way the match went, end-to-end, then into extra time; Gascoigne came within an inch of winning it, and Darren Anderton hit the post for England, while at the other end, Stefan Kuntz had a goal disallowed for pushing.  Finally, when nobody could break the deadlock, there came the penalties.  The five England penalties were good and all hit their marks, but the five German penalties were equally as efficient.  When it came down to sudden death, up stepped Gareth Southgate, the whole of the nation behind him.  The result was predictably English; Germany goalkeeper Andreas Kopke saved, leaving Andreas Moller to convert the winner for Germany, and break English hearts.

Euro 96 had gripped the English public, and a 73,000 crowd turned out at Wembley to see the final.  Germany were looking to lay to rest the memories of their final defeat four years earlier, however they were left stunned when Patrick Berger scored from the spot for the Czechs in the 59^th minute.  German manager Bertie Vogts had to act fast and, in the 69^th minute, he sent on substitute Oliver Bierhoff.  Four minutes later it was 1-1, as Bierhoff headed home the equaliser.  The Czechs held out for the remaining twenty minutes and, just like both semi-finals, the match went into extra time.  This didn’t last very long however, as five minutes into the extended period, Bierhoff fired home the golden goal – the first of its kind in the European Championships – to win the match, and the tournament, for Germany. 

Captained by the brilliant Klinsmann, Germany had triumphed in Europe.  But the real winner was English football, unmarred by hooliganism, and rehabilitated in the eyes of the world.  And whilst the trophy went back to Berlin with the winning German side, no English football fan will ever forget the beautiful summer of 1996 – the summer when football really did come home.

Hosts:  England

Winners:  Germany (2-1 v Czech Republic a.e.t.)

Pictures courtesy off UEFA.com:  http://en.euro2008.uefa.com/history/index.html

Pictures courtesy of UEFA.com:  http://en.euro2008.uefa.com/history/index.html

Let yourself drift away to the Cuban coast in this wonderful short story, which won Hemingway the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1954.  The Old Man and the Sea follows the trials of Santiago, a fisherman on the Gulf Stream who, having gone 84 days without catching a fish, was declared salao – the worst form of unlucky.  The man’s fishing companion, a boy called Manolin, having been instructed by his parents to go to sea with better fishermen, makes a fair catch, but is always drawn back to the old man, feeding him the fresh fish he has caught, and discussing baseball and the great Joe DiMaggio.  Santiago, certain that his unlucky streak is near its end, makes plans to venture far out into the Gulf on the following morning – his 85^th since last making a catch. 

The old man, having set sail early and found himself far out at sea, sure enough encounters a good fish – a marlin – which takes his bait, and thus begins an epic tale spanning two days and nights, where the old man plays the fish and, equally, the fish plays the old man.  The respect shown by the old man toward his marine adversary is tremendous, and you cannot help thinking that the marlin repays that respect, as he takes the old man to and fro, up and down, toying with his life as if the old man himself were the catch.  In the end it is the fish who yields first – only just – and the long battle is over ,as the old man prepares to secure his catch, and bring the giant back to land.  The journey back is not a success however, and by the time Santiago reaches the shore, only the tail of the creature remains.  Exhausted from his three day ordeal, the old man heaves his mast up to his shack, and falls into a long deep sleep.  Ignorant of Santiago’s journey, a group of fishermen and tourists gather around his boat the next morning, measuring the remains of the giant, and marvelling over its massive size.  In the end, the old man has won the respect of his community back, despite coming home with nothing more than he started. 

When you read this book, you will be amazed by Hemingway’s wonderfully vivid literary descriptions, which are nothing short of brilliant, and clearly come from an author who both knew and loved the environment he wrote about.  His skill and craftsmanship is flawless throughout, and the way he weaves themes of love, war, friendship, loyalty, and aspiration into the story is sublime.  Ultimately, it isn’t clear whether the old man achieves anything in the course of the book.  I think the answer very much depends on the reader.

UEFA Euro 1988

Played for the first time in West Germany, many predicted the host nation to walk into the final, coming off the back of their second successive World Cup final two years before.  With the holders France failing to qualify, few teams were expected to trouble West Germany.  Managed by Franz Beckenbauer, who brought legend Jurgen Klinsmann into the squad, the team looked strong, fit, and ready to take the European crown.

The Group A curtain-raiser saw a youthful Italian squad – including future legends Paolo Maldini and Gianluca Vialli – upset the expectations of the home team, taking the lead against the hosts, and drawing the match 1-1.  Both teams eventually qualified for the semi finals, beating Spain and Denmark.  Meanwhile, in Group B, an England side comprised of players such as Peter Shilton, Tony Adams, Bryan Robson, and Gary Lineker, failed to impress, losing their first match 1-0 to Jack Charlton’s Republic of Ireland. England next lost 3-1 to the Netherlands, with a hatrick from the great Marco van Basten, before crashing out 3-1 to the USSR. 

The Dutch were beginning to find form, with impressive trio Frank Rijkaard, Ruud Gullit, and Marco Van Basten, firing the team through qualification and into the semi-finals, where they beat hosts and rivals West Germany for the first time in 32 years, despite falling behind to Lothar Matthaus’s penalty.  The comeback began with Ronald Koeman scoring from the spot, and was complete two minutes before time when Van Basten converted.  The hosts and favourites were out, whilst in the other semi-final, the USSR notched up a 2-0 win against Italy.

The final took place at Munich’s Olympiastadion, where a crowd of 72,308 saw Ruud Gullit head the Dutch into the lead after half an hour.  The victory was sealed in the 54^th minute, with one of the greatest goals the Championships will ever see.  A crossfield ball from Arnold Muhren was met by Van Basten on the far right who, from a seemingly impossible angle, volleyed the ball over USSR goalkeeper Rinat Dasaey to put Oranje fans in ecstasy.

Hosts:  West Germany

Winners:  The Netherlands (2-0 v USSR)

Pictures courtesy of UEFA.com:  http://en.euro2008.uefa.com/history/index.html