MARSEILLE, France (AP) Tricolors fluttered everywhere in Marseille on Thursday ahead of the second European Championship semifinal, with the black, red and yellow German flag outnumbering the red, white and blue of France in the city's packed Old Port.
Elsewhere, market traders used flags as sunshades and passengers waved the French tricolor from car windows as they maneuvered traffic-clogged streets near the Stade Velodrome. Even beggars asking for change had the French flag's stripes painted on their faces.
On a beach near the city's Fan Zone, German fans lived up to one national stereotype by laying out their flags alongside towels early in the day as they soaked up the Mediterranean sun hours before their team attempted to reach Sunday's final.