A typical Austrian/German/French/American/Canadian Dinner

Raiders WR Andi Proller showing off the new "bling" - 2008 Eurobowl Champions Ring.

Perhaps the best thing about playing football in Europe is the people you meet.  We have been fortunate enough to have met countless new friends, and it is exciting to start meeting all my new teammates here in Innsbruck.  Everyone has a story, and it seems that the people who dedicate themselves to playing this physical, intense, and completely foreign game bring something special along with them.  Case in point: one of my new teammates, Andi Proller.  (The "o" actually has two little dots over it but can't find that on my American keyboard!)  

On Friday, Andi invited us over to his house for dinner with his girlfriend, and we had an incredible time sharing stories and laughs.

Another new Pink Raider - Christie with Lili.

Andi's girlfriend is Aurelie Poitou, or "Lili."  She is originally from Angers, France, about 300 km southwest of Paris, and speaks German, French, and ever-improving English.  She has a great smile and is lots of fun to be around.  For this special occasion, she treated us to a French specialty - Foie gras.  For those of you (like me) who had never tried this, it a delicacy made from DUCK LIVER.  Yummy!   

What can't this guy do?

Over the course of dinner, we shared many stories, and quickly realized there is a lot more to this 6'5 receiver than meets the eye.  In addition to looking like Jesus and catching touchdowns, Andi was a bobsledder for the Austrian National/Olympic team, is an insane downhill mountain bike racer, and once played in a band!  We will definitely have fun this year playing together.  Oh yeah, and he has skills in the kitchen!   

French wine is tough to beat...

... as is the food in Austria!  A great mix of German, Italian, and French cuisine.

We look forward to many fun times ahead, and meeting many other great people like Andi and Lili here in Innsbruck!

What else would be on the wall - ELEPHANTS!

Lili might have a little Italian in her after all...

~ J. Twice

my life in italy

Pizzeria... Palermo?

Pizzeria Palermo - Enemy Territory or Fine Dining?

I have a confession.  I am too guilty, I must admit it.  We broke down.  We did the unthinkable, for a former CATANIA resident...

WE ATE AT PIZZERIA PALERMO.

For those of you unfamiliar with Sicilian geography, Palermo and Catania are the island's two largest cities.  They sit on opposite sides of the map, and are world's apart in a sort of Montague/Capulet sort of way.  Palermo has always been the larger of the two, and served as the political capital in the days of the "Kingdom of Sicily."  Catania, being on the west, was closer to Greece and thus served more as a bridge to Asia and home to those mysterious Elephants.  (Never quite got the official explanation of that one.)

As the quarterback of the Catania Elephants last season, I was instructed on the rivalry and learned to hate all things Palermo.  It actually felt very similar to my arrival in Tucson, Arizona, where the Wildcats quickly taught me that the "Sun Devils" up in Phoenix were an evil bunch.  Apparently I didn't get the message quickly enough, so one of my teammates made it a point to spray paint his feelings on a local church:

"PA" (PALERMO) EQUALS AIDS.  'nuff said.

    

 Yes, call us traitors.  Yes, call us unfaithful.  Or perhaps, just call us... HUNGRY!  Desperate times call for desperate measures, and I had not had pizza in at least three days.  We decided to go for it.  

From the looks of these two strapping Austrians, this must be a good place to eat!  (Little help here on the translation?)

The quaint interior of Palermo.  No Aids to be found here...

Yet once we got inside, my fears quickly subsided as I was neither ambushed by a hidden Mafioso nor told "eeeempossible."  Instead, a nice lady ushered us to a quiet table in the corner and greeted us in English.  Maybe Palermo wasn't so bad after all...

An "Americana" pizza stands for cheese & pepperoni.  Who's really setting the trend here? 

I quickly perused the menu and found a number of appetizing options.  Few people realize that the Italian border is a mere half-hour drive to the south, and its gastronomical influence is far reaching into Tirol.  (Brief pause to comprehend the complexity of that last sentence... I sure am getting WORDY!)  Bottom line, there's lots of good Italian food here in Innsbruck, so that is one thing I am not missing from my time in Italy.  The Palermo menu was full of large salads, big plates of pasta -- a major difference from Italy in that pasta here is not viewed as a 'primi' or first course but rather an entire meal -- and of course, the pizzas that give it its name.  While tempted by the "Americana" pepperoni pizza, I settled on the "Mama Mia" and was not disappointed!  

All smiles with my Mama Mia!  (Here I go again...)

Christie enjoyed a little penne arrabiata, a spicy tomato sauce that is a favorite in the north, while my pizza lived up to its name.  (I added in a few hand gestures to boot.)  Maybe outside of Sicily, Palermo really isn't that bad. 

As a side note, on our way home we passed through the Sillpark Mall, a trendy shopping area on the cusp of downtown.  Suddenly something caught my eye.  I could only wonder, is this the biggest Cannolo you have ever seen?  Or just a Tirolean impression filled with whip cream?  You be the judge...

~ J. Twice

PHOTO OF THE DAY: Wednesday

The city of Innsbruck is known for its colorful houses that line the river.  After about a week and a half of consecutive days with snowfall, the weather finally cleared on Wednesday, providing me the opportunity to capture the signature row of houses with the snow-covered Alps in the background.  The river is only about 3 feet deep, giving it a brilliant green color... absolutely spectacular!  (Click on the image to get a larger size!)

Fasching Dienstag

Like the US Postal Service, neither rain, nor sleet, nor snow will stop Austrians from partying.   Maria-Theresien Strasse, the main pedestrian only street leading out of the old town, was packed with revelers. 

On Tuesday, the city of Innsbruck filled with excitement as thousands flocked to the streets to celebrate "Fasching Dienstag."  While celebrations vary around the world - from Carnival in Rio to Mardi Gras in New Orleans - Tirol's biggest party for what is universally known as "Fat Tuesday" comes in the form of sort of Halloween meets Thanksgiving's Day parade.  As always, you know REALLY PLAYING FOR PIZZA was there to take it all in! 

Euro-bowl MVP Running Back Florian Grein, aka DARTH MAUL, poses with his Egyptian-Austrian girlfriend Hermine.  The Pink Raiders contingent will be strong this season!

Why is a monk wearing a beanie (or toque as Canadians say) and striking the pose while his wife flashes Blue Steel?  Cause it's Fasching Dienstag of course!

Menyada Watson, Raiders running backs coach, donned an orange Hawaiian shirt as an "NFL Assistant Coaching in the Pro Bowl."

Not exactly the Four Horseman of Notre Dame, but this quartet knows how to get their costume on... from left to right Flo (Darth Maul), Emmy (Friar), Tom (Joker), and Tom (Old School).  

They didn't expect WHITE BOY to pop up did they?!  Matt arrives on Monday so look forward to plenty of that!

You're my boy, Blue!

Costume of the night went to Thomas Lerch as Heath Ledger's JOKER.  He rarely broke character all night, staring vaguely into the air and mumbling gibberish.  Perhaps it was the pain medication - as unfortunately he is a receiver and on the first day of practice one of my passes broke his finger!  I felt terrible, but was reassured that "it wasn't my fault."

The Joker (Best Supporting Actor.)

As we walked through the streets, we were suddenly assaulted by starting cornerback Markus Krause!  He was doing his own impression of a "Raider" - which to me looked closer to something from Pirates of the Caribbean.  Yes, the teeth are fake!  (Although judging by how he hits, I'm sure some opponents will look that way!

The traditional celebration takes place in the middle of the afternoon when dozens of floats, pulled by tractors, parade into the city center.  Each float is decorated in its own style, and plays loud music.  At the end of the parade, they sort of disband and become their own "parties within a party" for lack of better term.  My favorite was an upside-down ship sporting the Austrian flag!

Best float... shipwrecked!

Are the American Idol semi-finalists on board?

On our way home at around 10 pm, we came across the best random costume of the night: MILKMAN!  Hand-painted and vaguely resembling Sponge-Bob, this crowd pleaser was happy to pose for pictures with all the passers-by.  My favorite touch, the word "Pasteurized" painted on his back!

Got Milk?

And finally, there is Nick Johansen.  He is our offensive line coach for the Raiders, and brings both a great attitude and lots of energy to any situation.  We have a lot in common, as we share a last name (I learned this week that three generations ago our family's name was Johansen) and both essentially come from Minnesota.  His antics will surely make RPP lore this season, but on Fasching Dienstag his most important goal was to make sure that everyone was having a good time.  Here's two good shots of my man Nick!

True Love?

"Oh no you DIDN'T!"

~ J. Twice

St. Anton - Coolest city in the Alps!

All smiles in St. Anton - our new favorite Austrian city.

On our way home from St. Moritz, we decided to stop by a city called St. Anton.  It is located 90 km west of Innsbruck, and a straight 45 minute shot on the autobahn.  As we got closer, we were hit by a blizzard that made us make a few wrong turns (up the wrong mountain), but when we arrived, I can honestly say that we'd found the "Austrian Taormina!"  (Sicilians know what I'm talking about!

Neon lights flood the the pedestrian only zone of St. Anton, spilling out of trendy restaurants, packed bars, and ski shops.  Skiers actually cruised down mainstreet - heading to the front door of their hotels.  Of the people we passed, I would hazard to guess 85% were British.

There are a few certain towns in the world that just have the "perfect vibe" - places like Banff, Lahaina, Impanema, and Taormina come to mind - that combine high energy with chill people.  Places where just looking around makes you happy.  This is exactly how we felt when we strolled down main street! 

When will it start snowing?

By day, St. Anton boasts some of the best powder in all of Europe, if not THE best in Austria.  Everyone we talked to was on a "powder high" - oh wait, that sounded bad, but put it this way, SKI BUMS WERE HAPPY!

After walking the length of the town, we looked for a cool place to grab dinner.  There was romantic, there was trendy, and there was THE FUNKY CHICKEN - EXACTLY WHAT WE WERE LOOKING FOR!!!

Down south BBQ and Curry?  Only in St. Anton!

The restaurant/pub was packed with people - some still in their ski gear.  The menu featured some hearty favorites: Ribs & Corn on the Cob were the specialty.  (Can you find that in Italy?)  If that doesn't sound good, they have 5 varieties of spicy curry.  I went with the special (extra spicy) and a couple extra pieces of Naan Heaven!

A group of 40 British skiers got things rowdy early!

Having to make a late drive home, I sucked down Austria's second greatest import (after Arnold): RED BULL!  Yep, the world headquarters for Red Bull are just outside of Salzburg... bet that piece of knowledge could win a bet or two...

The waiters are multinational - we were served by a Swedish girl and an Australian dude - and all speech slang English.  The key to the Funky Chicken, as we learned, is the MUSTACHE.  Everyone working there must have one (girls draw theirs on) and there is an annual costume party for best 'stache!  Where was Jake Riddell when I needed him??!!!

Gotta love the Funky Waitstaff: yes, the biker's hat does say Kazakstan.

You can be sure this will be the first of many reports from St. Anton!  To learn more, visit the city's website.

~J. Twice

St. Moritz

St. Moritz can be known by its other name - St. Louis Vuitton.

St. Moritz is one of the most exclusive ski resorts in the Alps, a winter playground for European elite.  It is tucked into a small valley in the southwestern corner of Switzerland, and boasts downhill skiing on a dozen different mountains and miles of cross country terrain.  We paid a visit on Monday afternoon to look for suntanned movie stars, but all we came away with was some good times!

St. Moritz from above.

After making the two and a half hour scenic drive from Innsbruck, we parked in a structure at the center of town and started to explore on foot.  The elevation is 6,000 feet - which ensures great snow and lots of hills.  While the prices were all "Swiss," an adjective meaning "expensive," we were not too surprised with what we found in the stores.  I mean, do you expect Prada and Gucci to be $15?

Ready to hit the stores... and hopefully avoid crazy busses!

Unlike most mountain towns in North America, the ski lifts go straight out of the town here in the Alps.  It is not unusual to see half the population in ski boots!  We were tempted to hit the lifts ourselves!

There is no PETA program in St. Moritz.

Perhaps the second biggest sport in St. Moritz is CAFE.  Everyone sits at these outside patios, wearing their designer furs, sipping cappuccinos and eating their dolci.  The Hauser hotel has one of the most prominently views, looking over a busy shopping district and boasting a well-dressed clientele.  Each chair has its own fleece blanket, making the cold temperatures quite comfortable!

Hauser patio.

We also stopped across the street at the Steffani Hotel... same view, same prices!

Gotta keep warm...

... and gotta look cool!

After enjoying our 21 Euro pasta (at least mine came with "racy" sauce - not sure about the translation but think they meant "spicy"), we decided to do the third most popular winter sport in St. Moritz, EATING SWISS CHOCOLATE!  The people at Laderach Swiss Chocolatiers make perhaps the best, and is located across from Prada on the main drag.  We ducked inside for fresh truffles, two big chunks (for me, Dark Chocolate with Almonds, and for Christie, Milk Chocolate with large hazelnuts), and were tempted to bring home the BIGGEST TOBLERONE I HAVE EVER SEEN!  (Although for $120 we decided to pass.)

Truffles - thirty two different flavors!  Or as I like to say, "Baskin-Robbins Plus One."

Toblerone in your mirror is BIGGER than it APPEARS!

We finished our afternoon by checking out the Palace Hotel, one of the main stomping grounds for the uber rich & wannabe famous.  No stars were in sight - perhaps they were at the Oscars? - but we still had fun walking through the grounds.  For the record, I'd still take the Banff Springs.

Outside the Palace Hotel.

The famous lake at the foot of the town.

It should be noted that there are also some interesting sports outside of skiing in St. Moritz.  My two favorite:

1) WHITE TURF.  Every winter, there is a huge "White Turf" SNOW POLO game on the lake.  It is a huge event with corporate sponsors, lots of collars, and of course, cold horses.  As we arrived, they were just taking down the bleachers, but you got the idea it carried the same vibe as a golf tournament but with all rich people there.

2) CRESTA RUN.  This famous British-made run is the world's first sleigh and toboggan run -- and is so risky that WOMEN ARE NOT ALLOWED!!!  I like to hear someone explain that to Danika Patrick! 

But perhaps the best thing to do in St. Moritz is just chill... and this park bench was the perfect place!

~ J. Twice