ETNA

A lone hiker makes his way across a ridge of Lava on Etna's Marsian Landscape.

ETNA.  If you say that single word to any Sicilian, immediately its importance can be seen in their reaction... as if "Mufasa" has just been said to a pair of Jackals in The Lion King.  Europe’s largest active volcano, Etna stands 10,892 feet tall and looms over Eastern Sicily like a sleeping giant with a small smoking cigarette.  In fact, Italian writer Leonardo Sciascia called it “a huge house cat, that purrs quietly and awakens every so often.”  Etna’s last major eruption was in 2001 and 2002, but the most devastating ones occurred in 1381 and 1669, when the lava reached all the way down to Catania.  It’s reassuring that locals say something larger happens every 5 years or so… and why our teammates don't flinch when a large, Hiroshima-size puff comes from its top.

"Don't worry, honey, we will TOTALLY be safe from any possible eruption." -- Mt. Etna Homeowner, 1999.

Etna looming over Catania, as seen from the airport...

 ... and from the sky, about 20 miles north of Catania. (Special Thanks to the airline pilot who let me get out to take this picture.)

As the last major Sicilian landmark not seen by Christie during her mother’s visit, we decided to head up to its peak.  Unfortunately, it was a hazy day and therefore there wasn’t much of a view – which is essentially the only “real” attraction of Etna if: 1) The volcano isn’t erupting, 2) You have seen rocks before, and 3) Aren’t there in boots ready to hike.  We were packing girls with sandals, so the souvenir shops were our destination – where Lynn picked up a nice necklace while I snapped photos of the Marsian-esque landscape. 

The black lava rock of Etna... available in his, hers, or any shape you'd like.

One note, I was very tempted to purchase one of the many things made of Etna Lava… My top choice was a Mussolini bust, with the second being an Elephant ridden by a mermaid… but I declined and in hindsight am not regretting my decision.

During the winter Etna does get snow, and a small ski resort actually runs intermittently during those few months.  On the day we were there, the 80 degree weather had melted almost the entire snow pack… however I have heard you can also do some intense sledding there or perhaps just get stuck on the icy ledge of a crater.  I do not know.

Ski Conditions: Base of 0".  Slightly Rocky.

The one drawback of heading up Etna: The 45 minute drive can be EXHAUSTING - as shown by our backseat.

~ J. Twice  

AfterGlow: Bergamo

The Coin Toss - Tails never Fails!

My grandfather, Frosty Westering, coached at Pacific Lutheran University for over 30 years, racking up over 300 wins and 4 National Championships, and was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.  However, it is not the “Scoreboard” that is his greatest achievement… nor is it how he would want people to remember his coaching career.  During his time at PLU, he introduced many revolutionary ideas about coaching and sports psychology, and taught his players to become better people by understanding that football is more than a game… it is a way to learn LIFE LESSONS, to GROW AS A PERSON, and to ultimately become MORE THAN A CHAMPION – by helping others & seeing life through a positive point of view.

One of the most important & memorable traditions that he started, which is continued today by my uncle Scott Westering (Frosty’s son and current PLU Head Coach), is something called AFTERGLOW.  He believed that you put so much work into preparing for a game during the week, that you should not just go your separate ways the moment it is over… that there are stories, memories, and lessons that should be shared with family, friends, and fans after the game.  Therefore, about an hour after EVERY PLU GAME, the “family” of PLU Football gathers for an “Afterglow” to share the post-game experience.  It is led by the coach & captains, and players share with everyone the amazing JOY of playing a game you love – often laughing, crying, talking, praying, and carrying on for well over an hour.  There is usually food brought by different families, and it is not uncommon for the Afterglow to be almost more memorable for the players than the game itself.  (All of this seems very Italian to me!)

Growing up as a ballboy and lifelong member of the PLU Family (my brother also played quarterback for PLU – making 3 generations of PLU Football!), I have attended hundreds of Afterglows… and therefore feel it a little strange not to have one after our Italian Games.  THEREFORE, here is my own personal ‘Afterglow’ session about the Bergamo Game and the many great memories that were made:

THE ADAMS FAMILY.  When we fly to away games, we fly commercial airplanes filled with normal people.  However, as the plane is about to take off, the entire team braces to “help” the stewardesses teach people about the safety features of our aircraft.  IRONICALLY, THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT THE PLU TEAM DOES WHEN IT FLIES!  As she pulls out the safety information card, suddenly 35 cards are thrust into the air, often making the stewardess laugh and start having a great time.  We all are sure to point out that there are 2 exits to the front, 2 to the side, and of course, 2 to the rear.  When she shows you how to buckle your seat belt, loud metallic clicks from our own can be heard echoing through the plane.  Before you know it, everyone else on the plane is smiling too… fun is contagious!  After she finishes, the whistling begins – THE ADAMS FAMILY.  You can be sure that everyone on the plane knows the part of the song where our seatbelts loudly replace the snapping, going “Click Click.”

ENRICO: SO QUICK HE HAS 2 NUMBERS.  Our new Red Uniforms are great – the bright red color of “Mt. Etna Molten Lava” just glows in the sun.  However, when producing new uniforms for an entire team, some funny things can happen.  Our shifty running back, Enrico Lombardo, is so quick that people often think he is in two places at once.  Trying to capture this, our uniform manufacturers decided it would be best to give him 2 DIFFERENT NUMBERS – one on his chest, and a different one on his shoulders.  So be sure to keep an eye on number 37/33 in your program!  

NOW AT QB: JACK JOHNSON!  For some reason, the Bergamo stadium announcer had trouble with my name.  Not once, but for the entire game.  I was playing and obviously unaware, but after the game was told by my teammates that on different plays, Jason Johnson, Jeff Johnson, Jack Johnson, Jason Jackson, and John Jefferson all took snaps at quarterback.  No wonder they could not figure out our offense!

SPEAKING OF ANNOUNCERS… The Bergamo stadium announcer did much more than just call me different names.  It is not confirmed, but I have been told that the announcer was actually a high-ranking Bergamo official.  That being said, he was able to use his “eye in the sky” to also become the “voice of God” – telling their defense where our players were lining up and giving them little ‘tidbits’ of information that one might find useful.  My favorite was this one (announced to the whole stadium):  “CATANIA IS READY TO RECEIVE THE KICKOFF.  AMERICAN MATT EPPERSON HAS MOVED UP ON THE RIGHT SIDE TO CATCH A SHORT KICK – IT WOULD BE A VERY GOOD TIME TO KICK IT DEEP…” (which some how they did?)

MADDEN IFL: THE VIDEO GAME.  As the shootout wore on – and with 7 touchdowns scored in the second quarter alone, I got the strange feeling that we were actually just inside of some video game.  I made sure at this moment to just sit in the sun, allowing the craziness of Italian Football to hit me, and it all made me smile.  So what if after two games I’ve only seen one punt… win, lose, or draw, this is FUN!  As we battled back and forth, we all began joking about this on the sideline.

MATT EPPERSON: I AM BATMAN!  In the second quarter, Matt started playing some defense, and after hitting their QB on a scramble, was more than just a little ‘woosy.’  We rushed his to our bench, where he would only speak Italian at first, just saying, “Aqua! Aqua!  Aqua!”  I told him to just relax for a few minutes, that we still had a whole other half to play.  He said, “Are you serious?  We’ve been playing forever!”  At least he didn’t tell people he was Batman!

STATS: For some reason, our league has not published the stats from the game yet.  Matt Epperson had 6 catches for 130 yards and 2 TDs, Claudio Mangano had 6-112, Gregorio 3-38, Enrico 4-23, Guiseppe 1-22, and Salvo 1-4.  Overall, we were 21-38 passing for 330 yards.  Enrico carried the ball 17 times for 80 yards.  Of course, we were playing on a 90 yard field with no single yard lines and a big line only every 10 yards, so these stats are as good as we could estimate.

IFL: THE SOUNDTRACK.  One other great aspect of Bergamo is the continuous music played… the entire game!  It is turned up between plays, and just turned down a little when the game is actually on.  After a while, I felt like I was playing the game with my iPod on… a funny sensation.  Before long, I was singing along as some of the Top 40 Tunes in America came playing through.  My favorite song was a rap beat mixed with some Spanish Trumpets… I still have it in my head!  Maybe I can download it somewhere… 

BOUQUETS!  As the PLU Afterglow wraps up, players stand and acknowledge the efforts and great plays of their teammates – something that Frosty began calling “Bouquets” (Like giving them flowers for their self-confidence!)  Here are some Bouquets to a few of my teammates, great job!

ROBERTO CONTI, Linebacker: Has been our most consistent playmaker on defense, and has made up for missing a month of preseason practice (due to a business trip to Israel!) with great instincts and a nose for the ball.  We all can follow his lead with EFFORT and determination! 

CHRISTIAN DI MAURO, Safety.  In only his second year of organized football, “Crazy Christian” is flying around the field with reckless abandon.  He leads our defense in tackles, and is a LEADER on our team in terms of effort.  If everyone on our team played as hard as him, we would be much improved.  My favorite play he had on Saturday was when he received a short kickoff and immediately headed straight up field – not worrying about the on-coming tacklers!  As the first defender approached him, he jumped straight in the air, hurdling him and actually putting his leg in the middle of his chest!  It was a sweet play, and defined the great heart that he has!

CLAUDIO MANGANO, Receiver.  The “Sheriff” has continued to improve every game, and his hard work and positive attitude are contagious.  This past game, he had his first hundred yard game, catching many passes that were often in tight coverage over the middle!  I know his ribs must not being feeling great (sorry my friend!) but I really have enjoyed playing with “Otto-Cinque” (the Italian equivalent of a certain Bengals receiver nickname he gave himself).  Great game, Claudio!

IN CONCLUSION: THE ATTAWAY.  Frosty’s favorite chant to tell people they were doing a good job was with what he called his “Attaway Cheer!”  So to finish, please (silently if you are reading this from an office computer) repeat after me: Hey Elefanti!  Go Elefanti!  Attaway!  Attaway!

 

~ J. Twice

Barbagallo: Italian for Ping Pong

Posing with Sicily's Top Ranked Ping Pong Players: Greg and Bruno Barbagallo.

After our amazing dinner courtesy of Katerina Barbagallo (and with Christie and Lynn’s help... see below!), we retired to their game room for a game of Italian Billiards.  It is played on a regulation style pool table – yet there are no holes (and no 8 ball!)  The game involves 3 balls, and the object is to make your ball hit both of the others on the same shot.  This is not as easy as it looks, and we were quickly schooled by Gregorio and his father.  We played for about 15 minutes until two little words were uttered that might change the course of my entire trip to Italy: PING PONG.

I love Ping Pong.  Not like – LOVE IT.  If I could have been steered away from football at an early age to play ping pong, I would have gone in a heart beat.  I have been playing since a young boy, and have had countless backyard battles with my brother Chad that fueled my competitive fire.  I would actually place my love of Ping Pong higher than that of Cannoli and Gelato – which should put things into perspective.  At my Booster Juice office, we had our own table in the middle of our conference room and would constantly hold tournaments, grudge matches, and duels to the death.  (OK, not to the death but with the intensity of 5 paddle-weilding Asians!)

Before we knew it, Greg had wheeled his own personal table out into the home’s main entrance, and we were now standing in Barbagallo International Ping Pong head quarters.  Now, if you read earlier about the homemade Olive Oil… one should also be aware of anyone who can have a ping pong table set up within 2 minutes of the words being mentioned… AND who brings their own paddles and 3-star balls.  (Those in the ‘community’ know how good 3-star balls are…) AND, in the case of Greg’s dad Bruno, has an entire shelf full of PING PONG trophies.  These were all warning signs of what was to come…

Bruno's Trophy Case... those aren't for soccer.

The first match was a friendly warmup session with Bruno, who hits with more spin than a Tiger Woods sand-wedge.  Every shot bounced in a different direction, and you could tell he had that ‘veteran savvy’ that comes from years behind the white line.

Next up was Greg, an aggressive, trash-talkin’, top-spinnin’, home-court advantage usin’ player who handed me my first solid defeat in nearly a year.  The crowd was definitely rooting for him, as was George – who smiled with content at my demise.  However, I was not easily deterred, and in the rematch game beat him solidly by 6 points.

In the grudge match, Greg defended his family honor, and ended the night with a 2 games to 1 overall record against me.  We gave each other the obligatory high-five, and I promised only one thing: many more games over the next 4 months!  Who would have thought the Italians were so Ping Pong savvy?  Nothing in the country surprises me anymore!

~ J. Twice  

Katerina's Cooking School

Christie and Lynn - time to cook Sicilian Style!

Late last week, we were invited over to the beautiful home of wide receiver Gregorio Barbagallo for a fabulous dinner where Christie and her mother had the opportunity for an “informal cooking lesson” with Greg’s mom Katerina. It was an amazing evening – and ended with the best twist I could have imagined.Before I came over to Italy, I had talked to Greg using ‘Instant Messenger’ many times, and had mentioned how my wife was very interested in learning the Italian style of cooking. Greg, like our coach Davide has many times, corrected me and told me that Sicilian style differs from other areas in Italy, but that his mom would love to be able to help teach Christie some of her Sicilian style. As an added bonus, Katerina was available when Christie’s mom was here and it could become a whole mother-daughter bonding moment! 

Preparing Pasta Al Katerina.

We arrived around 7pm, and before long “Katerina’s School of Fine Cuisine” had begun. Homemade Ragu (Meat Sauce) was prepared using homemade tomato paste (not any of this Hunt’s store-bought stuff!), and soon the ladies began layering sheets of penne-type noodles, cheeses, and vegetables into an incredibly tasty dish that was later cooked for 20 minutes to let the cheese melt completely.

 

Not your average meat sauce!

While they moved on to a meat dish (the second course), Gregorio and I laid out cheeses, meats, and crackers – all covered with their own Olive Oil that Greg helped produce. Yes, I said “their own” Olive Oil – the family itself owns about 1,500 trees up on the slopes of Mt. Etna, where the elevation allows for the best growing conditions, and Greg spends the better parts of October and November personally making the EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil as Rachel Ray puts it.) 

As a general rule of thumb, when the Olive Oil you are using comes from someone’s own trees and is sold commercially to tourists… you know you’re in for a pretty darn good meal.

We ate like kings, having 3 full courses (including the meat dish that ended up being egg and cheese wrapped in beef then covered with mash potatoes and gravy!), dessert of fresh strawberries, and some of Sicily’s finest wines. Oh yeah… I should mention that Katerina also is a wine connoisseur, having taken countless classes over the course of her work as one of Sicily’s most experienced tour guides. What an amazing meal!

The meat dish makes its rounds...

A full table of full people!  (Photo Courtesy: George Contreras)

~ J. Twice

Bergamo Highlights

Here's highlights from our game against Bergamo this past weekend.  Enjoy!

~ J. Twice

Syracruisin'

A fishing boat bobs in the late afternoon sun in the calm waters of Syracuse.

Late last week, we took the hour drive south of Catania to the historical town of Siracusa... home to not just "Orangemen" but over 27 centuries of history.  The city has been of great economic and cultural importance to countless societies, ranging from prehistoric populations, Corinthians who founded the city, and later Muslims, Normans, and finally modern day Italians.  I mean... this is the city where "PLOT" was invented for storytelling... and what's a story without plot?

Our afternoon in Syracuse was a perfect blend of modern relaxation (waterfront dining) and historical sightseeing.  The most famous landmark in Syracuse is its ancient Greek Theatre - one of the largest and best preserved examples of ancient theatre architecture anywhere.  For centuries, this theatre was the hub of Syracuse culture - housing countless dramas in its magnificent setting.  It's stone bleachers could hold thousands, and at its peak was even more impressive than it is today (as much of its stone was used in the 16th century to build a wall around the local island of Ortygia.  The design of the theatre was done in the 5th century BC by the Greek architect Damacopos, and was later enlarged in the 2nd and 3rd centuries BC.

  

The ancient Syracuse Theatre... not exactly the Dome but home to equal drama.

It is just amazing for me to think, at a time when movies and television play such a large role in American society, that over 2500 years ago it held an EQUAL OR EVEN GREATER level of importance in this society!  One can only wish that the tabloids of that day had survived as well... Lucky for us, on every "even-numbered" year, the Greek theatre hosts a summer program of modern theatre.  You can see the stage being constructed now, and in a few months we will be attending a play here!

Christie posing in the stands... section BB, Row 8, seats 2-3.

Next to the Greek Theatre lies the Latomie area which holds a series of ancient stone  quarries.  They are amazing - with the most impressive being the "Orecchio di Dioniso" (Ear of Dionysius).  Standing over 200 feet tall, you can walk deep into the caves where millions of cubic feet of stone for building were once extracted.  They were later used as prisons - and get their name due to a legend, where the great acoustics of the cave would allow the local tyrant Dionysius to hear the whispers of his most dangerous prisoners and thus avoid their plots.

Standing in front of the "Ear."

This gives you a better sense of scale...

For those of you not as much into the historical aspects of Syracuse, there is still enough beautiful scenery to let you just happily walk through the sun.  We strolled down the boardwalks on the island of Ortygia, checked out the Piazza Duomo (one of the best on the island, with a beautiful Cathedral built in the 18th century) and had a great pasta & swordfish lunch while watching the boats go by.

The waterfront... with walls courtesy of the Greek Theatre.

Our 7th consecutive day eating a meal outdoors...

On the steps of the mandatory Cathedral and Piazza Duomo. 

The Canadians maintain a strong presence in the Bay of Siracusa... this boat actually departed from New Brunswick in early May, and will be back in time for the Hockey Playoffs.

Lynn posing in front of another non-descript beautiful European street.

~ J. Twice

Bergamo 68, Catania 42

I'm here in the Milan airport, sore from another crazy week in the Italian Football League.  Our plane leaves in just a few minutes, but wanted to report that we fought our hearts out against the Bergamo Lions, but lost 68-42.

We had many amazing plays, and trailed 40-29 at half, then continued to battle deep into the second half, yet the ball bounced their way and they pulled away.

Deep down, I am so proud of the effort our team put forth... to think that a year ago Catania was playing in Series B and now less than a year later we scored 40 against one of the best teams in Europe, it is a great accomplishment and shows the direction our program.

I am excited for the rest of the season, where every single game is like playing the video game "John Madden Football" on Playstation.  So far 208 total points in two weeks - wild...

Full report when we return to Catania, but thanks again to all our family, friends, fans, and well wishers who have been supporting us in person here in Italy and following our every move around the world.

Arrivaderci,

J. Twice