... And We're Back!

Seriously, what a trip. The Glass Man had never been to Spain, and hadn't been to Europe at all since the summer of 2003.

That all changed over the last 10 days as me and my girlfriend hopped from Barcelona and Ibiza before spending five days in Paris.

Although I wasn't able to watch any Mets games during that time -- strangely, they don't have Mets bars in Spain and France -- the trip wasn't without sport. Last Saturday we saw FC Barcelona in their final tune-up before their Euro Cup showdown with Manchester United (which Barca won 2-0).

The match we saw at Barca's massive, 110,000-person stadium, was only an exhibition, but it also served as a celebration for the team's having won... something.

After the game, the players did a march around the field to such American superhits as "Eye of the Tiger" (sung by a woman for some reason) saluting the fans and basking in their affection. Afterward the players and coach all gave speeches, fireworks were presented, and the key centerpiece of the celebration, a sign in the middle of the field that spelled some Spanish word, failed to light.

It was awesome to be there for the celebration, but honestly I felt a bit guilty. I pictured some random tourist at the game when the Mets celebrate winning the World Series while I sat at home, unable to get a ticket, and thought of how pissed off I'd have been. So there was some guilt there, but hey, you only live once and it was an awesome experience. Everything you've heard about the intensity of European soccer matches is true.

When we got to France we spent Thursday at Versailles but Friday was all about Roland Garros. We saw a pre-upset Rafa Nadal destroy Lleyton Hewitt; we also saw Maria Sharapova and a really bratty 16-year-old from, I think, Portugal, who inspired a piece in The New York Times the next day devoted to her annoyingness.

The French Open was amazing. We had perfect weather for tennis and great seats -- it was one of the real highlights of the trip, and now I can't wait to go to the US Open again this year.

Now, I might not have been able to watch the Metsies while on vacation, but that didn't keep me from checking in on them during my trip. WiFi access in Barcelona, Ibiza, and Paris was better than anything I've ever received in the US, so I was able to follow all the games and read all the recaps.

More than anything, I'm struck by how much changed in the 11 days I was gone. In the last game before I left, a 2-1 loss to the Dodgers, Jose Reyes led off, Ryan Church manned right field, and Ramon Castro did the catching.

Each day of the trip it seemed like something new had happened. Reyes and Church were DL'ed, Castro was traded, Carlos Beltran's stomach exploded (I know how you feel, bud).

But through it all, a few things stayed constant. People kept getting hurt but the Mets kept winning games; then I returned and the Mets lost a game they were winning 5-0 early and 5-3 in the 8th. Gotta love this team.

And it's nice being home, at least in a way. I mean, Paris is incredible and I could've spent another few days there easily, but it's nice coming home to all the little routines, including the Mets and, you know, updating the site. I know we were light on the posts in May but I'm going to try to ramp things up again in June. It's a nice thought at least.

Beyond all that, if I missed any really major Mets-related developments in the past 11 days I want to hear all about it on the comment board.

- A.F.O.M.G.