toro
diMatt Halsdorff
AUTOGRILL
Travel on any highway in Italy and you will find one… a tiny shop that dishes out a variety of gas-station sandwiches and sweets. Every Autogrill holds at least a...
diMatt Halsdorff
AUTOGRILL Travel on any highway in Italy and you will find one… a tiny shop that dishes out a variety of gas-station sandwiches and sweets. Every Autogrill holds at least a few things in common. Coffee is always ready to be served. Cold beers beckon from behind refrigerator doors.
And should you find yourself on the route between Piemonte and Tuscany the same day Torino is playing in Livorno, you are going to find Toro fans.
It’s about a three-hour drive from Torino down to Livorno, and we stop at three different Autogrills – cafè, restroom, chicken sandwich, cafè, and three beers for Alessandro. Crossing the bridge in Genoa and gliding down the coast of Liguria the sun brings a taste of springtime and we shed our winter jackets. Outside the wind blows furiously. We shoot out of a tunnel to find the “Toro Ultras” Buses parked along the side of the road with what appear to be two police escorts flashing their blue lights. Or at least we hope they are escorts! Or did they get pulled over?
We all agree that Alessandro can’t speak until we find our fellow Toro fans…. his accent will give us away immediately.
As the players warm up we sing the normal chants such as “Forza Toro Alè” while spicing things up with a special “BABBO NATALE…. GOBBI MAIALE” insult to Juve. A special banner has been made just for this song. Even while singing Alessandro’s cadence seems to bounce piemontese-like.
As the insults grew hotter Ruben began worrying about his car windows… and that Torino tag on his license plate.
THE MATCHAs seen from inside the stadium some basic observations…
That is, after a few stops at the Autogrill on the way home….
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