The 20th-century dictator Benito Mussolini was famously credited (deserving or otherwise) with “making the trains run on time” in Italy.

About now, France could stand more than a little improvement in its trains’ on-time performance.

That’s four consecutive French trains now, that I have met or ridden, that failed to arrive on schedule.

None of them were rickety locals. Two were the high-speed TGV trains plying the main north-south route to or from Paris. The other two fall into the intercity category — which was the top end of the French system, before the high-speed trains were added.

All four of them … late.

Sometimes, France seems to be a slightly bogus member of the First World. The performances of their railroads certainly contribute to that sense.
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If you don’t look too closely, Normandy’s beaches, from Vierville-sur-Mer and five miles to the east, look like any other holiday spot in the northwest of France.

Long, sandy stretches that can be hundreds of yards deep, when the tide is out. A sea wall, in many places.

And steep bluffs rising behind the beach.

For the French, especially from Paris, this is where to go to get a tan.

For Americans, this is where to go to get a lesson in history and sacrifice.

It was at this long beach — code-named Omaha Beach — where the U.S. First and 29th divisions struggled ashore on the morning of D-Day, June 6, 1944, above, to begin the Allies’ final, bloody assault on Hitler’s failing Reich.

For Americans, it seems almost like sacred ground, even 72 years later.

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So, in Paris to catch up with people from home, and I had a bright idea for a social event on Sunday.

A picnic at the Champ de Mars, official Parisian viewing site for the 2016 European Championship, which would be played at the Stade de France in the north of the city.

A day in the sun, a big blanket spread anywhere we found an open spot on the Champ’s extensive grounds … and then as darkness fell, watching the Euro final on the big outdoor screens!

Thank goodness, I was saved from myself and none of that happened.

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The guy I made a point of looking for each time I looked out the window at France fans, appeared to be about 25. He was slouched in a “comfy chair” in the living room of an apartment across the street from me, here in Paris.

He had a French flag wrapped around his body, and he was wearing a blue, white and red fright wig and he looked silly. But, as the night went on, and the game we were watching stayed 0-0, “silly” morphed into “tense”. Very tense.

I don’t know for certain that it was him who shouted a pained “Noooo!” when Portugal scored the only goal in tonight’s European Championship final, but I prefer to think it was — even though every open window in view from this fourth-floor apartment seemed to show viewing parties up and down the street.

This was supposed to be the night of the biggest France celebration since they won the World Cup at home in 1998. (And that party went all night; I was out in the middle of it, having covered France’s 3-0 victory over Brazil.)

But Portugal, even without star Cristiano Ronaldo, who suffered a knee injury, spoiled the 2016 party plans with a 1-0 victory on a goal in the second half of extra time up at the Stade de France.

Talk about a civic buzzkill …

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The mind reels.

Two semi-trailers loaded with beer were stolen from the Atlanta craft-beer-maker SweetWater Brewing Company last month.

That works out to about 3,300 cases of beer, or 78,528 bottles, according to SweetWater.

It also represents about one week of sales by the brewery.

The thieves were brazen. They pulled up with two tractors in the dark of night and hooked up the trailers, which were parked outside the brewery in an area without any security cameras.

Some of the beer was found quickly, and most of the rest was recovered within a week.

And the saddest part?

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This seems almost too good to be true.

The front-runner to get the job as coach of the English national team is none other than …

Jurgen Klinsmann!

This is great news … for the U.S., where he currently is employed.

England, you’re on your own.

But we should be talking up Jurgen at this point, right? Painting him in a flattering light for gullible Englishmen. Like telling a potential buyer how clean the glove box is inside that lemon you are desperate to dump.

Hmmm, what then to say?

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Years at a time, France seems not to care particularly about its national soccer team.

(For that matter, it hardly cares about its national league, either, but I digress.)

As of tonight, however, France is one big bandwagon groaning under the strain of 66 million Frenchmen who have climbed aboard, over the past few days.

And to beat Germany tonight! Mon dieu! Life can hardly get better! Let’s take to the streets! And when (OK, if) we win on Sunday, over Portugal in the final …

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Serena and Venus Williams have reached the singles semifinals at Wimbledon, which is a remarkable event, for siblings.

It gets more remarkable.

This is the 11th time the two of them have reached the semifinals at a grand-slam tournament. On the previous 10 occasions, one of them went on to win the championship, contributing to their haul of 28 major championships (21 for Serena).

They have met in a major final eight times, most recently at Wimbledon in 2009, with Serena holding a 6-2 lead.

And then we get to the longevity marks, which the sisters are staking a claim to.

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According to the old story, if you toss a ball at a non-American, he will try to stop it with his feet.

If you throw a ball at an American, he likely will catch it in his hands.

I have not played catch in a very long time. Certainly, not since before leaving for Abu Dhabi, in 2009.

But that situation will change soon. At least in theory.

Being shipped to France, along with our more prosaic stuff …

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This disappoints me, and I assume it disappoints NBA fans, as well.

Kevin Durant signs a two-year contract with the Golden State Warriors.

Happy Fourth of July, hoops fans!

Durant was a free agent, and could join any team he chose.

He hosted presentations in the Hamptons, an upscale region near New York City, and the Los Angeles Clippers, San Antonio Spurs, Boston Celtics and Miami Heat flew to NY and made their cases — as did the Warriors and the Oklahoma City Thunder, the only franchise for which Durant had played.

And Durant chose the least entertaining option, the one that leaves the NBA a less competitive league — while offering him his best chance at an NBA championship.

The Warriors. Giving Golden State four of the 12 best players, in the reckoning of Bill Simmons, NBA honk and historian.

In Oakland, Durant joins Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and Klay Thompson, and the latter three just led the Warriors to a record 73 victories and to a Game 7 defeat — to LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers — in the NBA Finals.

More specifics on why this is bad for the league:

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