Tuesday, March 31, 2009

A Night in Milano

Milan's Duomo is the 3rd largest cathedral in the world.

After the Bergamo game we spent the evening in Milan's impressive downtown core.  Milan is much different from any other Italian city, for while other Italian cities can at times seem to dwell on their past, Italy's second largest city is moving forward at lightning speed.  It is the world capital (unofficial of course) of design and fashion, and is filled with an eclectic mix of business people, supermodels, and anyone not interested in taking Siesta.    

The amazing glass and cast iron ceiling of the Galleria.

Three men and a lady inside the Galleria.

We headed straight to the center of town - the Piazza Duomo.  It is a huge square dominated by the Cathedral, with the world famous Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II to its right.  The Galleria is a covered passageway that connects the piazza with the square opposite La Scala (Opera House) and is filled with high end shopping and trendy caffes.  By the time we reached the Galleria, all the shops were closed but it was still fun to window shop at Louis Vuitton while trying to imagine that this was built all the way back in 1877.

The Duomo from beneath the pillars of the Galleria.

A Rainy night in the Piazza.  (Paint Daubs for effect!)

Christie participates in a timeless tradition - spinning on the bull's privates!  In actuality, the tile work here is the coat of arms for the city of Turin, which happens to be a bull, and local lore has it that spinning three times with your right heel will bring good luck.  Giddy up!

Dusk is a magical time in the city center, and it is said that the last hour of the day is the best for photography.  I did my best to snap away!

A timeless pose...

At a timeless place!

Enjoying one final look at the Duomo.

When we had our fill of sights, we headed a few blocks north for an authentic northern Italian meal, coupled with one of our favorite Italian traditions: VINO LOCALE.  "Vino locale" literally means "local wine" but should never be confused with bland table wine served the states.  Here, local wine means it comes from a nearby vineyard that is probably over five hundred years old.  When you consider the price - a whole liter for between four and seven euro - and compare that to what you would pay for soda (3 euro) or water (2 euro), it becomes a no brainer!  

Un litro de vino locale rosso.

We were not disappointed with our meal - the quality of which was guaranteed by my tried and true method for discovering authentic cuisine: head out of the tourist zone, and look for a small place filled with both ambiance and locals.  The pizza was crisp, full of flavor, and only 5 euro a piece!  Que fortunato!  


Alex caught with his mouth full...

... while Matt feels good to be back on Italian soil.

On our way to the hotel, we happened to pass by an impressive fortress right in the middle of town.  Such a thing happens when you are cruising around Italy!  A little research showed that it was the Castello Sforzesco, built in 1368 to defend the city from attack.  It now houses countless museums and art galleries.  We thought it was just fun to catch rain drops off the top of the castle.

Castello Sforzesco.

A perfect end to a perfect night.

~ J. Twice

Trip down memory lane: Elephants battle Bergamo

Import receiver Taber Lemarr (#14 in white) knifes up field on the opening kickoff between the Bergamo Lions and Catania Elephants at Stadio Comunale in Osio Sotto, Italy.

The day after our battle with Graz, we hopped in our (rental) car and headed three and a half hours south into Italy to watch my former team, the Catania Elephants.  They were facing the Bergamo Lions, who for those of you unfamiliar with the Italian Football League, are the perennial powerhouse.  In their 26 years as an organization, they have capture 3 EuroBowl titles and 12 National Titles, including the last two.  They are also the darkly portrayed antagonists in the now infamous John Grisham novel Playing for Pizza that gives this very blog its own very name.  I love using the term 'very.'  

Sharing a pre-game moment with Catania Head Coach George Contreras (White Beard / Sean Connery rugged good looks).  Like Santos in Innsbruck, last year George was the defensive co-ordinator and was elevated to the top position in the off-season.  We lived with George last season and he is an extremely close friend & fantastic person.  You can follow his blog (much wittier and thorough than mine) at COACHINGFORPIZZA.COM. 

A not-quite capacity crowd of 114 were on hand at kick-off.  I know because a) I counted, and b) There was a bet riding on it.

Despite their annual success, Bergamo does not draw that large of a crowd and plays their home games at the unassuming Stadio Comunale (Community Stadium) in Osio Sotto, Italy.  Osio Sotto is a small frazione of Bergamo, which is itself a larger frazione of Milan in northern in Italy.  Making matters worse was the weather, which began the day as drizzly & 40 degrees (5 celcius) and quickly disintegrating into a pouring & 38.

Current Catania Quarterback Luke Tracy from Orange County, California.  He is wearing the white version of my #6, which he wears extremely well.  I hope he enjoys this version, because I have the red one back at home in Seattle.  (SORRY DAVIDE!  IT'S FOR THE WALL!)

The Elephants were looking to bounce back from a disappointing 14-12 loss to Ancona in the opening week of the season, and it was going to be a difficult task against Bergamo.  At QB for the Elephants was Luke Tracy.  Before our season began Christie & I traveled to Sicily and I spent a week working with Luke and the Elephants.  He is a tremendous athlete - much faster than me - and a great person.  He is also an avid surfer, which is sweet, and will spend one of the upcoming bye weeks catching waves in IRELAND!

The Elephants are running the offense I installed last year, with a few tweaks. This is a difficult thing for any quarterback - having to learn a new offense versus me running my favorite plays last season - so it will take time for things to click.  They were also fighting an up-field battle with two typical Italian mishaps hampering their team: forgotten paperwork led to one of their starting linemen being ineligible, and their starting strong safety forgot the clocks changed overnight and missed the flight!  Futtitini!!!  (Ask Matt)  This showed at the beginning of the game as Bergamo raced out to a 21-7 lead.  

Up in the stands with Matt, Christie, and Laurie - George's wife & better half.

Midway through the second quarter, the Elephants got a boost from import defensive back Lawrence "LA" Atkinson, who returned a punt 65 yards to cut the Bergamo lead to 21-12.  Luke hit Taber for the two point conversion to make it 21-14.  The Elephant supporters (aka those in the picture above plus Luke's parents) went crazy.  

Elephants celebrate LA's punt return TD while Bergamo's heads were down.

In Italy, every gesture has a meaning, and I can't quite decipher if this is a first down signal, a friendly gesture to a friend in the lower part of the stands, or disgust at how someone is driving.  Also of note: Bullhorn in the lower left of the screen, which in a bizarre-twist would play "Happy Birthday" in a series of annoying beeps.

The Elephants got the ball back one more time before the half, and quickly drove down the field.  With no scoreboard and no clock, we could do nothing but gaze at the medieval fortress down the street from the stadium and guess how much time remained.  It was actually very similar to European soccer, where 'stoppage time' is kept by the ref on the field and it is really anyone's guess.  My guess is that it's whenever the ref feels like it.  Luckily, there was time for one final play and Luke threw a beautiful 40 yard post to Taber as time (may or may not have) expired. 

HALFTIME SCORE:  Bergamo 21, Elephants 14

Being that this was my first Italian league game that I wasn't playing in, I was fortunate enough to have time to investigate what was going on.  The first interesting thing I discovered was the Italian Zamboni.

No... not this kind of Zamboni.

YES!  Italian Zamboni hard at work!

While most of you immediately assumed when I said ZAMBONI that I meant the famous self-propelled ice resurfacing machine invented by one Frank Zamboni of Paramount, California in 1949 (US Patent #2,642,679), I actually meant the guy that appears to re-draw the field of Italian league football games!  This diligent worker braved the elements to retrace the sidelines and both 30 yard lines in RED so that the fans in the stands could better see the action.  No word yet on Frank Zamboni's Italian heritage, although rumor has it he grew up near Agrigento.   

Could this non-descript door and humble "BAR" sign lead to paydirt?

YES!  Italian football coffee bar!

The second thing I got to discover was the half-time food.  While I was expecting hot dogs, in turn I found a very authentic Italian caffe just steps from the endzone.  It was serving strong espresso (of course no cappuccino - it was after 10am) and a variety of pastries.  If only Matt would have known last year - he would have been unstoppable on Nutella Bianco Cornettos!     

Offense going to work on a late drive.

In the second half, the Elephants battled hard.  The defense stepped up with a number of key stops.  I was really impressed with their improved speed, physical presence, and teamwork this season.  However, they couldn't quite contain Bergamo QB LittleJohn (Best name ever?) Bradshaw out of Morgan State, who broke a 40 yard TD run (his third of the day) to give Bergamo a 28-21 third quarter lead.

The offense twice moved the ball inside the 15 yard line, led by receiver Claudio Mangano who had a number of brave catches over the middle.  However, both times the Elephants came away empty handed after getting a couple unbelievably poor spots by the refs and some untimely penalties (also unbelievable.)  In a last ditch effort, a late pass over the middle was intercepted by Bergamo QB turned safety LittleJohn Bradshaw (when your name is LittleJohn you are pretty much unstoppable against anything other than the Sheriff of Nottingham, one Claudio Mangano) who returned the ball 90 yards to seal the victory for Bergamo.

FINAL SCORE: Bergamo 35, Catania 21 

I was extremely proud of the way the Elephants battled, especially in the bad weather conditions and against a team like Bergamo.  I think they learned a lot about themselves that they can hopefully build upon in the upcoming weeks.  The most important thing is that they learn to STAY TOGETHER when tough things happen, which I am sure they will. 

POST-GAME SIGHTING: OBI WON CANNOLI!

The real play of the day: Claudio brought Matt a shipment of fresh cannoli from Catania!  Look at the pure joy on his face, joined by running back Enrico Lombardo (#37) and Lucky.

The Grin.  The White Fingerprints.  The Addiction.

Last year Matt earned, and I do mean EARNED, the nickname Obi-Won Cannoli after his addiction to these ricotta-filled sicilian deserts.  I must admit they do taste a little bit like heaven, with the sweet ricotta center, crispy shell, and all important pistachio SLANT on the ends, but Matt took it a step two far by averaging double figures each week.  I must stop, I am salivating right now

Real Final Score: GOOD MEMORIES!!! 

It was awesome to get to share some time with our good friends and see them play!  (And yes, new Raiders teammate Alexander Hoad did look at me a little funny when he saw me and my Italian friends kissing on the cheek.)  I wish them nothing but the best this season, and just being around all of them made me remember the PURE JOY it was taking the field with them! 

THE USUAL SUSPECTS: No game is complete without a post game smoke.

~ J. Twice

Saturday, March 28, 2009

Graz downs Raiders 29-22

Dropping back to pass against Graz.

In a tough season opening battle, the SWARCO Raiders lost to the Graz Giants 29-22.

It was a physical game, and I give credit to Graz for being a very good team.  We trailed 22-8 at halftime, but battled back in the fourth quarter.  Full Report to come later.

Keep your heads up RAIDERS - it is a long season and we can learn & build from this game!

~ J. Twice

Friday, March 27, 2009

Watch the Raiders LIVE!!!


Thanks to LIVE.RAIDERS.AT, it is possible to watch our games LIVE and in REAL-TIME over the internet.  To watch the game tomorrow, go to the Raiders Homepage (www.raiders.at), then click on the Red Link "LIVE.RAIDERS.AT."

Kick-off is at 3 pm local time in Austria, so that would be 7am on the West Coast (Seattle), 8am Mountain (Edmonton), or wherever you are in the world.  Go Raiders!



I have no idea of the size, quality, or commentators... but at least you can see the game!

~ J. Twice

Salzburg: Best Pics

Salzburg was an incredibly beautiful city - read below for my full story & don't miss Christie's game 1 preview as well!  Here's four of my favorite photos I took on Thursday - click the picture to make it big!  ~ J. Twice

Cathedral Stucco

Vintage Yellow

Bridges from New to Old

Angled Roof

Salzburg in a day

The imposing fortress of Salzburg sits watch over the town and basically prevented it from being attacked for over a thousand years.

On Thursday, we headed east for a day trip to the city of Salzburg.  In tow was Duke's wife Rita, who has been visiting for the week.  Unfortunately Duke wasn't able to join us, due to game preparations, so we acted as the tour guides for his easy-going better half.  Christie and I had never been to the City of Salt, so we were excited to take a look around and see if it really was 'forever smiling to the tunes of Mozart and the Sound of Music.'

As a primer, Salzburg sits just a few miles from the German border in northern Austria, just an hour or so from Munich and an hour & a half from Innsbruck.  It is described by our trusty guide Rick Steves as "a museum city with class" boasting a "charmingly preserved old town, splendid gardens, Baroque churches, and Europe's largest intact medieval fortress."  Most people only remember Mozart and for the Americans, the Sound of Music, but the city actually has quite a history.  Around 700 AD, Bavaria gave Salzburg to a Bishop Rupert because he promised to Christianize the area.  (Hence the churches.)  He also built the big fortress, and thanks in part to that it remained an independent state until Napoleon came knocking (about 1800 - they politely surrendered.)  World War II took its toll on the city, but luckily most of the old town remains, making it feel made for tourism. 

What is more cooler than doing a sweet air guitar move in mid-air?  Doing a sweet air guitar move in mid-air OFF THE MOZART STATUE!

We began our tour on the edge of the old town at Mozartplatz (Mozart's square.)  The only attraction here is the statue, erected in 1852, to the town's #1 hero, patron saint, mascot, and composer, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozrt.  Mozart spent much of his first 25 years here in the city, and I believe there is a current petition for the town to change its website address to www.mozart.com/salzburg.  They love him here!

Like the movie Spaceballs, there is all kinds of Mozart merchandising opportunities (although I did not see Mozart the Flame-thrower.)  Pictured here is Mozart cologne, for when you want to smell like a 18th century composer.

After cruising past Mozartplatz, we headed towards the large cathedral, or Dom zu Salzburg as it is known.  It is the largest and most impressive building in a very large and impressive downtown core.  The cathedral was one of the first Baroque buildings north of the Alps, and the city itself claims to be the 'grandest Baroque city north of the Alps.'  The site itself has a long history - the first church here was built in 774, the current one went up in 1628 (after a fire destroyed the old one), and in 1959 the dome you see today was reconstructed after a WWII bomb went through the dome.  The stucco work on the ceiling is incredible (done by a Milan artist) and the four massive organs I imagine would blow you away.  Not surprising, Mozart himself was the organist here for two years!     

The beautiful baroque Cathedral of Salzburg.

The rest of the old town - luckily spared by World War II bombings - is a treat to enjoy.  There are all sorts of interesting things to see, such as Italian inspired fountains, horse drawn carriages, life-sized chess games, beautiful buildings, and quaint shops.  It had a vibe that was somewhat between Innsbruck and Vienna, which is fitting because geographically that's exactly where it sits.  While the cold weather limited the number of patio opportunites, I imagine this would be a tourist's dream in the summer.

Christie met a couple new friends.

Just another normal park square with two men locked in an intense mental battle of chess using life-size pieces next to a huge gold orb beneath a thousand year old fortress.

In front of Mozart's birthplace.  Inside there's a museum, but the more interesting one is apparently across the river at his main residenz (we're not quite the museum-going type.)  The cool part about the building is that there is now a gelato shop on the ground floor!  Mozart (if he's anything like me) would be proud!

Easter Eggs - aka normal eggs with food coloring - are EVERYWHERE here... I'm wondering if that is a season thing or can we enjoy multi-colored goodness here year-round?

Eventually it was time to grab some lunch, which in Bavaria (if you want something quick) means BOSNA!  Bosna is essentially a glorified hot-dog, with a toasted bun and a secret sauce.  Rumor has it the secret sauce is a mixture of mayonnaise and ketchup.  The majority will also have grilled onions and sometimes curry... making it one bad mamma-jamma.  Rick Steves suggested the Bosna Grill, and it definitely lived up to the hype.  It has been in business for over 55 years, and is run by a friendly woman who goes by the name "Frau Ebner."  I called her FRAU BOSNA and she gave me a big smile!

Nothing like the first bite...

... Frau Bosna (Ebner) making the magic happen.

Rita became a fast believer!  She even picked up one for the Duke!

As a side note, I should tell you that only tourists put the meat in the bun like a hot-dog.  (Bosna grill is a tourist spot so they pretty much do it on everything.)  If you ever find yourself at a local joint, your bread and sausage will be served separately.  Act cool, and munch on them one at a time, alternating like a native.  The darker the color, the spicier the sausage.  Any more brain busters?
 
What more could a girl want?

Of course, a Bosna does not constitute an entire Bavarian meal.  With this in mind, we walked deeper into the old town, soon reaching Universitatsplatz.  It is a rectangle-shaped square with four story buildings on each side.  But the magic is in the middle, where Salzburg's busiest open air market is held.  Here you can find local produce (almost all of it organic), cheese, meat, and most importantly, pretzels.  The giant pretzels in this market come in a dozen flavors, but only one size - LARGE!  One chocolate and one sugar covered pretzel were the perfect way to, as one local puts it, "Close our stomachs." 

Double Fisting!

With our stomachs full, the girls had their hearts set on doing a little shopping.  Lucky for us, the best street in Salzburg was just a few feet away: the Getreidegasse.  It has been the old town's main drag for centuries, and is famous for its old wrought-iron signs.  The funny thing is seeing one say "Louis Vuitton" or "McDonald's."  Not much has changed since Mozart's day (his birthplace is on this street) and it is a perfect place for people watching.  There are plenty of jewelry shops along the street as well, many of which lived up to their German name, "Schmuck."  
 
The Getreidegasse looking West...

... and looking East.

Afterwards we hopped in the car and headed for a quick drive around the city, ending up at a beautiful bluff just west of the old town.  Of course I had my camera, so I took a few pics!

The city of Salzburg (old town on the right, new on the left.)

The 3 amigos of Salzburg.

Coincidentally (or not) our photo-session of the city left us immediately next to the Augustina Brau Monastery/Brewery.  I say monastery in a loose sense, as its more of a business with the monks making the beer.  Always one for life experiences, I led our weary soldiers to the door and down a number of dark passageways to the 1,000 seat beer garden.  It supposedly opens at 3pm, and by the time of our arrival at 3:15 it was packed with locals.  The waiters don't bring food - instead there are a bunch of authentic kiosks and deli counters where you can assemble your own meal and bring it in picnic style.  It was awesome!



























With our first game just two days away, I enjoyed a Coke while Christie introduced herself to a table full of locals.  Rita enjoyed a glass of Salzburg's finest beer, and soaked in the atmosphere.  Our experience in Salzburg was a lot like our time at Augustina Brau - we only got a sip but now want to experience a lot more!

~ J. Twice