Faces of Sicily: Part 1

Sicily is full of great people and interesting faces.  Here are some of the best faces -- full of great "character" -- that we have come across.  Enjoy!

In a small town in the foothills of Mt. Etna, I got a glimpse of this guy leaning against a car. 

Aci Trezza fisherman.  I don't think this was his first day on the sea.

A woman in a second story window watching the world go by below.

Toothpicks are fashionable in all countries.

This man was in Vatican Square, speaking his mind.

More to come later.

~ J. Twice

VLOG4 - BBQ

Sicily is famous for two things: FOOD and FAMILY.  When you combine them both, you get SICILIAN BBQ!

On Sunday afternoon, we had an amazing afternoon with a bunch of our teammates and their families, hosted by Tony (The Pony) and his energetic wife Ika.  Coincidentally, Ika spent her senior year of high school on a foreign exchange in Amarillo, Texas!  (The hometown of our wide receiver Matt Epperson)  They had a lot of fun chatting about important facets of life in Amarillo such as On the Border Mexican Restaurant and Cow Chips.

The 14 course meal consisted of a number of local Sicilian favorites -- all served family style fresh off the grill.  Hope this makes your mouth water for good food... and more importantly, travel!

Cheers,

J. Twice 

Picciolo: Sicilian for Golf

The signature 10th at Picciolo.

Like all professional football players, the Elephanti enjoy golf as one of their top 'off day' past-times.  Well, maybe not all.  Or even some.  OK -- the "AMERICAN" members of the Elephanti enjoy golf as one of their top 'off day' past-times.  With that being said, George and myself, joined by WR Claudio "The Sheriff" Mangano, decided to hit the links on Tuesday!  (For the record, he earned the nickname 'Sheriff' when he joined the Elephants 8 years ago, due to his striking resemblance to the character in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, which coincidentally is one of Kevin Costner's top 6 films of all time).

There are only two courses on Sicily, the closest being Il Picciolo Golf and Country Club, located about an hour north of Catania in the foothills of Mt. Etna.  We arrived just after 1pm, and lucky for us, were able to get on right away without a tee-time.  (There were only 3 other people we saw on the whole course.  Apparently the Sicilians do not share the same passion for golf as their American counterparts).

After paying our green fee (60 euro) and renting two sets of clubs, we were ready to go.  However, there were two things missing in our club rental: golf balls (we bought 10... and augmented this number as we walked by the range), and shoulder straps for the bags.  While seeming light at first, the 30 pound behemoths felt much heavier later in the round. 

  

Teeing off on another par 5... our 4th in 5 holes.

Being the more 'experienced' of the group, I spent my time banging out long drives and teaching Claudio about the game of golf.  It was his first time on a real course, and for someone who began the round not knowing the difference between an iron and a wood, he did VERY well -- eventually being christened, "Il Naturale" by George.  I was so excited to see him have some success!  (He experienced the 'ecstasy' of a few pure shots AND the frustration of a few on the ground).

As with all things in Sicily, there were of course a few comical touches to the game that amused me.  One is the course layout.  While typical courses are a variety of par 3's (short holes), 4's (medium), and 5's (long), the Sicilians must feel that par 4's are too boring, and therefore make pretty much every hole a 3 or 5.  At one stretch, we played four consecutive par 5's... which were even more difficult because of my second comical element: yardage.  I know that roads are in kilometers and milk comes by the liter -- however I am not sure what system was used to measure these holes.  Hole 6 -- measured at "435" -- took me a driver, 3 wood, and 5 iron to reach... probably more in the 800 range.

   

The power of George's game, captured mid-swing.  It was tough for him to concentrate with the constant taunting of the trees.

The final difference between American golf and Sicilian golf is how you finish your round.  In America, you are done after 18 holes.  In Sicily, you are done when you run out of golf balls.  (Which happens much quicker than you think with the abundant rough that seems to swallow any shot not down the middle.)

For us, we were down to our final 3 balls heading into the 14th hole, and made a turn for the clubhouse.  (Or maybe it was the growing weight of carrying our bags by hand).  All in all, it was a great afternoon for golf -- and please be sure to keep an eye out for "Il Naturale" on the 2014 European Tour!

 

"Il Naturale" -- aka The Sheriff -- about to tee off on another long par 5.

Claudio with another long putt.  The line looks good, although speed was a little more tricky.

~ J. Twice

The Many Faces of George

As most of you have been following our blogs here in Italy, I have been getting a number of great comments in the "mailbox."  I must say that I really enjoy hearing from all of you - it really does make my day!

I did get one recent comment from a friend lately (my sister) who made a very astute observation -- this time concerning our defensive coordinator and co-blogger, GEORGE CONTRERAS.   She writes (pasted directly from her comment):

Our very own George Contreras.

Jason --

Here's a link at Discovery.com that I thought you'd be interested in seeing.  http://tlc.discovery.com/fansites/tradingspaces/bio/frank.html

Every time I see a picture of George all I can think of is this interior designer who is on TLC show called Trading Spaces...his name is FRANK BIELEC.  Thought you would get a kick out how much they look alike.  I'm gonna call George "Frank" from now on.

Anywho, I'm gonna go google Frank Bielec and see if I can find more pics.
Enjoy!!!

(And without further ado, here's the pics... I must say she is bang on!)

~ J. Twice

A Few More Pics from Rome

Another great orange night sky over the Tiber River.

Me Smiling at the Vatican.

This is the inscription on the large obelisk at the center of the Vatican Square.  Translation, anyone?  (One hint: V's are really U's!)

Detail inside Saint Peter's Basilica.  There was actually a famous statue in there (not pictured) that was given to Michaelangelo as a project when he was only 23.  Needless to say, he earned Rookie of the Year honors that year.

Rome: Day 2

For our second day in Rome, we arose at the crack of NOON and headed towards the Vatican. Yes, I said crack of noon… we should really start setting an alarm. But that’s another story.



If you ever go to Rome, you MUST go to Vatican City and St. Peter’s Basilica. Not only will it blow you away just visually, but simply the history and aura of the whole place will blow you away. There were huge crowds of people, however, we were told that this is nothing compared to the busy summer months. We joined the mob and headed inside.



I have had a few ‘jaw-dropping’ experiences in my life, but walking into St. Peter’s practically blew me away. It was as if the halls of heaven were open, and we were free to take a tour. It’s not just the decoration, but the mere vastness of the space. If the US ever needs a place to park the Space Shuttle, they could probably just borrow a corner of this church. I don’t think my pictures do it justice, but here’s a few anyways just to give you a feel.








After touring the inside, we headed for the “Cupola” – which is the very top point of the church. It is 551 claustrophobic steps to the top (for a mere 5 Euro) – however for an extra 2 Euro you can take an elevator past the first 221 of them. Needing a workout after only walking the distance of a marathon the day before, Matt and I slung our bags on our backs and headed up.
The view from the top was incredible – a 360 degree view of Vatican City and Rome as far as the eye can see. It gives you a great feel for the complexity of the city, as well as the overall size and busyness. We snapped our obligatory 47 pictures while enjoying the 70 degree (21 Celcius) sunshine. It was awesome.

We were unaware that the Vatican Museum – which houses incredible works of art and the Sistine Chapel – closes at 4, so when we were finished with St. Peter’s we walked down to the river for a great Pizza dinner.

All in all, Rome was more than I could ever have imagined… a big mix of ancient history, modern civilization, and people in all shapes and sizes. While two days isn’t enough to see everything, I think we definitely now have a great feel for Rome… and look forward to coming back soon.


~ J. Twice

Notes from Rome: Day 1

1) There is graffiti EVERYWHERE in Italy. I thought it was just Sicily, but Rome has been ‘tagged’ equally as hard. But there is a lot of graffiti in America too, so maybe the entire world is just one big canvas. However, in Rome I have discovered something unique… not only are the trains completely covered from front to back..


... but the PGA gets into the act here as well! Who would have thought the PROFESSIONAL GOLF ASSOCIATION – guys like Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson – would need to deface property to claim their territory? Perhaps I could send this to Sports Illustrated as “This Week’s Sign the Apocalypse is upon us…”

2) Rome is very, umm, touristy. Even in February (the WAY off-season), all the sights are packed. It seems everyone here speaks English better than I do, and you can be sure to pay DOUBLE the cost for HALF the amount of Gelato that you do in Sicily. There are even the obligatory photo-snapping, peace sign giving Asians!


Now, I know I take a lot of pictures, and I know I also have been known to “flash the deuce” a time or two, however the beautiful thing about being in Sicily is that it is NOT touristy, and I’m NOT the majority trying to speak English.

It just made me realize once again what a unique experience this has been so far, and that I would not change a thing about my decision to head a little of the ‘beaten track’ in coming to Sicily.

3) McDonald’s is Rome’s #1 restaurant... per capita. In our walk around town today, Matt and I counted at least 15 Golden Arches. I guess it’s good to know there is an unofficial American embassy around every corner… however, they are listed on our map like Metro stations. At least the one inside the Colisseum doesn’t open until 2009.

4) Do not say “When in Rome…” when you are actually IN ROME… that is cliché. (And please, whatever you do, don’t make it the title to a blog post!)

~ J. Twice

When in Rome...

I promise I will not use that phrase in this post. I did however, think it about 100 times as I was walking around today. But let me back up a little…

I awoke this morning to George (my human alarm-clock) pounding on my bedroom door, “Get up! It’s 4:30am, time to go!” The reason for my early wake-up time (which has been more typically my bed time here), is that today Matt and I had decided to take a spur of the moment flight to Rome for two days while we had a quick break in our practice schedule.

For those of you who haven’t traveled in Europe lately, and have only heard people talk about how great the EuroRail system is (which I haven’t tried yet), flying can actually be a great (and faster/cheaper) way to get around. There are a number of budget airlines (think each country has its own Southwest or Westjet) – and we got a great deal on Windjet so decided to make the trip.

However, the one thing I have learned from this whole experience is that LIFE IS FUNNY. EVERYWHERE. If you have a ‘positologist’ attitude – and don’t sweat the small stuff – even the normal difficulties of traveling can be fun. For example, we hadn’t even gotten out of the Catania airport before life started amusing me. We arrived at the airport at 5:15 am for our 6:15 flight, so after checking-in went to find a quick snack. In America, just a Snickers bar might cost you almost $2 – but here a cornetto (and one of the best to date, at that) and bottle of water cost me only $1.30. I also saw a couple of signs that made laugh– one was definitely LOL and the other just a made me LOL and the other just a SAC!

Talk about ENERGY... Panino, Fountain Drink (Not found anywhere else in Europe), AND a Cannolo?! ALL IN!

LOL.

We landed no problem and easily caught a direct train into town. We grabbed a quick breakfast at Café Miani – a cool local café we stumbled across – and Matt enjoyed his first cappuccino! (George and I have one every morning, however this was actually the first time Count Matt-ula has been outside before 11:30 am… and it is frowned upon to have coffee – other than shots of espresso – after breakfast.) I think the Italians use this as an American indicator.

We dropped off our luggage and hit the town. When I travel (especially lately), the last thing I try to do is have a checklist… I’d rather let my adventures take me where they lead, and instead simply focus on the overall experience and enjoyment of the day. (And try to take a minimum of 200 photos of this experience.) With only two days here on this trip – we did take a more direct approach… and I can now cross the Coliseum, Parliament Hill, Pantheon, Spanish Steps, and Trevi Fountain off my list.
I will post many more pictures later, but the short story is that when you come to Rome – bring your running (walking) shoes! We must have hit the pavement for at least 10 miles… and I actually was forced to make one tighter notch on my belt (literally, not figuratively) as we toured the city. (Who would have thought I would lose weight in Italy? Pending book title: The Sicilian Diet).

We have much more to see, so don’t want to spend any longer in an internet café, but here’s some shots from the day!

~ J. Twice

Matt at the Colisseum. Around his neck hangs the audio guide... which we highly recommend!

JJ posing at the site of UFC -836.

Inside the Pantheon... really cool church with yes, a hole in the ceiling!

VLOG3: Searching for Orangemen

The Syracuse Orangemen are known around the globe for their storied history.  Their mascot -- the ORANGEMEN -- has become synonymous with both resembling a Sesame-Street Character (or one of the Mr. Men book characters) and with WINNING.

  

The mascot, the myth, the ORANGE.

Who could forget their Cinderella run to the 2003 Men's Basketball National Championship behind freshman phenom Carmelo Anthony -- Upsetting Texas in the Final behind 'Melo's Career High 33 points.

  

Carmelo Anthony, the Patron Saint of Headbands.

But the list goes on of famous "Orangeman" -- names like Larry Czonka, Art Monk, Donovan McNabb, Marvin Harrison, and Jim Brown.  Not just famous for athletes, many of the voices you hear on TV are also Orangemen -- Marv Albert, Ted Koppel, Bob Costas, and Mike Tirico.  Or maybe even the more obscure, names like Ronny Siekely, Taye Diggs, and the ever popular Vanessa Williams.  Or perhaps we dig even deeper, to the early 1960's and Heisman Trophy winner Ernie Davis, the first African-American to win college football's most prestigious award.

In honoring this tradition, we traveled yesterday 45 minutes south to the "original" Syracuse -- the ancient Greek City of Siracusa -- where we were certain we would find the very first Orangemen.  However, as we quickly found out, the search for the Orangeman of Syracuse would not be as easy as we hoped.  Enjoy!

~ J. Twice   

Meet the Elephants!

The Boyz.

My Italian experience (or should I say, SICILIAN experience) has been amazing so far, as you can probably judge by the numerous pictures on the blog.  It has been fun racing around the island looking at all the cool places, historical sights, and 'picture-perfect' moments.  However, perhaps the most beautiful part of Sicily is not the scenery -- but instead the PEOPLE.

We have been fortunate to meet countless of new friends here, from Davide our head-coach to the number of great players on the Elefanti.  Perhaps the biggest lesson I have learned here is that people really are the same around the world - and the Italians especially love to laugh, joke, and have a good time.  (Except of course when you shatter their glass door... they get a little upset at that!)

Therefore, I thought I would bring a few of them 'in-living' color for you to meet, and see a little of their personality.  Enjoy!

American WR Matt Epperson with our Offensive Guard Giulio.  Giulio is a very physical lineman - especially considering this is just his second year of football.  He also has a great heart and is fun to be around.  While his English is good and improving all the time, his signature phrase is just a simple shrug of the shoulders and a deadpan, "I do not know."

The "Americanos" at our favorite late night / early morning dining establishment, Panineria Jonathan's.  They serve a mouth-watering panino, and will gladly top it with Patitine (along with Ketchup and Mayo!)  Did I mention this makes a good Valentine's Dinner spot?

My greeting part at the Catania Airport.  Left to right Fortunato (call me LUCKY!), a great-spirited Wide Reciever and former QB.  He is definitely a leader on the team, and similar to Morgan Freeman in Shawshank, as "He's a guy who can get things."  Davide - head coach / lineman / CEO / President / Engineer / Option QB.  (Need we say anything more?), young Middle Linebacker, WR Greg -- amazing guy and also a good athlete (played QB before but is going to be our starting flanker, Juilio -- complete with massive motorcycle accident head-wound, and of course, Mr. Giorgio.

Players are very gracious to us and frequently have us over for dinners (that are usually a spectacular 3 course feast!)  This was dinner at one of our WR's -- SALVO (Red Sweatshirt) -- house.  He has a great wife and two amazing boys that remind me so much of my brother and I (Sports Balls Everywhere and a hoop in their room!)

WR Claudio Mangano... aka Mr. Prankster.  Claudio is known for orchestrating many hilarious endeavors, including false text-messages to teammates, pretend parades for quarterbacks, and the ever popular, "photo-copy my butt on the copy machine."  I don't care what language you are in, that is FUNNY!  He's a great receiver as well and should contribute in a major way for the Elephants this season!

This is our stud Linebacker Gianmarco with girlfriend Simona.  Gianmarco has played the last number of years for Palermo (as well as a season in Mexico), but decided to join the Elefanti this season when he heard about the good Cannoli in Catania.  He has a great demeanor and smile, but you don't want to face him on the field - he's super-quick and hits like a truck.  This picture was taken at a lunch in Cefalu (see previous blog) -- funny story is that Gianmarco speaks Italian & Spanish, George Spanish & English (plus a new dialect of Italian that mixes all three languages together called Spanglian), Simona just Italian, and me just English.  We needed the Rosetta Stone to communicate but had a great time nonetheless.

Defensive End / Offensive Lineman Mattieu with Pink Elephant Giordana, who are currently competing with Claudio (and partner Roberta) for most photogenic Elephant couple.  However, when my wife gets here, we will give them a run for the money! (Thanks to my wife, not me!)

~ J. Twice