36 Degrees in Canada?!

PALM BEACH — Bidding farewell to Palm Beach Gardens after 22 intense, unforgettable days feels like closing a chapter of pure journalistic exhilaration.

We leave behind Portugal's World Cup headquarters, a daily grind woven from meticulously timed press conferences, morning training sessions for the Portuguese National Team under the watchful eyes of dozens of journalists, and live television broadcasts with pulses racing.

But the true essence of this 'Route 66' unfolded on the road: two transcontinental marathons to Houston and back, thousands of air miles burned heading to Miami to soak in the mystique of Ocean Drive, hunt for local stories, and capture vox pops brimming with tales. We'll forever remember that incredible urban wildlife, the intoxicating flora, the vast beaches, the fine sand, and the warm sea.

Timeless memories remain: a nocturnal beach picnic bathed in a colossal full moon, and the fright turned poetic as rockets streaked across the Florida sky. Our bodies grew accustomed to the relentless heat, the suffocating humidity, that thick, almost palpable air, and the constant sweat.

We depart now, not to return, at least not for the remainder of this tournament. A sense of longing has already begun to gnaw at us even before boarding the plane, but our next destination beckons with a delightful climatic irony.

In Toronto, where the national caravan now heads, an utterly exceptional weather phenomenon awaits. Forecasts predict the hottest week of the entire year in Canada, with temperatures hovering around an unthinkable 36 degrees Celsius and humidity far exceeding the region's normal patterns.

So much for the sweet illusion of finding a refreshing balm for the players' legs and the reporters' hides. But this is precisely the truth: the exciting, unpredictable, and incredibly rich adventure of covering a World Cup thrives on these constant shifts. It's an absolute privilege, the true service of a lifetime dedicated to the passion of words and the vibrant asphalt.