The Beach

The beach. It can satisfy our senses like no other retreat. No other vacation spot offers the whole package: breathtaking vistas at sunset or moonrise; the tangy fragrances of salt air and suntan oil; the shrieks and swoops of the birds; the very watchable surfers and bikinis; children laughing and playing; or simply silence and solitude. Even a beach photo or painting can work its magic on our hearts. Near or far, sandy or rocky, balmy or blustery, every beach has its own siren song that can penetrate our busy lives and draw us away from our gerbil wheels of time and technology. On the rocky beaches of the Oregon coast, the trendy shores of Miami, the romantic beaches of Hawaii, or the isolated sands of faraway places, the beach invites us to rest, relax, and find peace in the arms of nature.

Soccer

If you're in Europe and you get invited to a football game, don't expect to see tackles and helmets and goal posts. In Europe, "football" means "soccer," a sport that has been around since the 1800s. Players primarily use their feet (and sometimes their heads) to get the ball down field into the opponent's net. Soccer play is intense and physical and so are soccer fans. For many fans, soccer is a matter of national pride. In fact, violence at soccer games has led to hundreds of spectator deaths in South America and Europe.