Campeones!

Although I did not see the match, I heard that it was riveting, and Spain came away as the pretty easy champion of the World Basketball Championship game on Sunday. Unfortunately, I don't have any sports freak students right now to explain to me their emotions, but since it's the first time Spain has ever won this title, people are pretty obviously excited. I haven't seen the out of control masses that I would expect, but then it's not the World Cup. I'm sure that would set off days of non-stop partying in all parts of the city.

In a strange turn of events, there was a fire on the 42nd floor of Madrid's tallest skyscraper - one of the new Cuatro Torres complex currently under construction, that was nearby a plaza full of people awaiting the return of the championship team. Here are photos of the fire. Here is a photo of what has been estimated at fifty to one hundred thousand revelers that celebrated the team's return with the fire in the background. In the beginning, some thought that the bright flames were fireworks meant to mark the momentous occasion.

Fortunately, the firefighters were able to climb the building and put the fire out. The incident brought back memories for some of another emblematic skyscraper in Madrid called the Windsor, that was destroyed by fire in Februry of 2005.