The Times Herald (Norristown, PA)
Sunny Sochi turns into World Cup playground
SOCHI, RUSSIA » Warm weather, beaches, amusement parks.
It’s not exactly what Australian fan Adam McKinley expected to find when he decided to make the trip to Russia for the World Cup.
But that’s exactly what he got in Sochi, the city introduced to the world as a winter destination during the Olympics four years ago, with its coastal location on the Black Sea and its majestic snow-capped peaks a short distance away.
“Whenever I think of Russia, I picture something like cold Siberia. I picture, like, real cold stuff,” McKinley said. “I’ve been blown away by this. We even went for a swim and it was lovely. It was just nice and warm. We’ve been pleasantly surprised.”
Sochi wasn’t so cold during the Olympics, either, with temperatures frequently climbing into the mid-50s Fahrenheit (12-13 degrees Celsius) in the Olympic Park. The chillier mountains are roughly an hour’s drive away.
But in the summer, the snow is replaced by sun, lots of it, as Russia’s seaside playground explodes into a scene more akin to Southern California or Miami Beach than Siberia.
“The moment we saw Peru was going to play in Sochi, we wanted to come here,” said Peru supporter Luis Medina, one of the thousands of World Cup fans who have come to the city. “We knew this was going to be the place to be.”
Even the teams based in Sochi were taking full advantage of the region’s attractions. Brazil was feeling right at home, enjoying the warm temperatures and a private beach at the team’s hotel in possibly the closest setting to what it had back home before traveling to Russia.
“We are having lunch and breakfast with a view of the sea. That’s a plus for us,” goalkeeper Alisson said shortly after Brazil arrived.
The Brazilians fought hard to