Typical Days in Camarillo

After just a couple of days back in California, I'm back into the Rio Mesa H.S. football routine although I'm nowhere close to getting over jet lag!

COWBOY CAMP

The NFL Dallas Cowboys Training Camp

The Dallas Cowboys have a very long history of holding their pre-season training camps in Ventura County.

During the Golden Years from the early 1960's until the late 1980's when the legendary Tom Landry was their head coach, the Cowboys trained at California Lutheran University in Thousand Oaks.

When Jerry Jones bought the team 1989 he quickly decided to move the Cowboys training site to someplace in Texas after 1 or 2 more summers at Cal Lu.

Jones brought the team back to Oxnard about 3 years ago and spent 2 great camps there so naturally he moved them back to Texas last summer. This summer he is back in Oxnard! 

Oxnard's River Ridge

The Dallas training camp is held on 2 manicured fields that sit side by side next to the River Ridge Golf Course (behind the trees in the background) and a Marriott Hotel where the players are housed.

This site is only about 3 miles from Rio Mesa H.S. where I coach. 

Spectator Rules

I think that Rule #1 may be the reason you see so few Italians at the practices.

The Cowboys even bring their own portable mini-Hall-of-Fame.

Super Bowl Trivia

Every REAL Cowboy fan knows that Chuck Howley is the correct answer to the question: "Who is the ONLY player on the losing team to ever be named the Super Bowl MVP?"

Autographs

You have to be under 13 years of age to get into this autograph line, QB Tony Romo IS the hot number around the camp amongst fans.

Offense is in White

Defense is in Blue

Be More Fan Friendly

One thing that bothers me about Cowboy practices is that when it comes time for team work they always move the team to the field farthest away from the fans.

In the Landry days, the fans were allowed as close as 10 yards from ALL practice activities!

Cowboy Souvenirs

The Cowboys will sell you any and everything! Nice leather helmet on the salesman.

They will sell you Jerseys, Pictures...

... Seats from the old Texas Stadium...

... and even Paving Stones at their new stadium

Cowboy Mascot on the Rampage

Norm Chow visits the Cowboys

Norm Chow is one of the greatest offensive minds in football having been the very successful Offensive Coordinator at BYU, USC, the NFL Tennessee Titans and now starting his first season at UCLA.

GREAT GUY!!!

GUNNER PRIDE!

As you know if you follow the blog, I just signed my Letter of Intent with Arsenal to be their newest fan. As it turns out I may be their newest fan but at the Cowboys camp I wasn't the biggest fan! I don't know where this large fellow is from but I know his dream is to someday see an Arsenal game at Emirates Stadium.

The glove I'm wearing is NOT a tribute to Michael Jackson, I'm actually at the Cowboy's Camp...

... Working the Rio Mesa H.S. Football Food Booth

As a result, I have to wear these gloves if I'm handling the food.

The Cowboys have offered the local high schools the opportunity to sell food concessions to the spectators during their time in Oxnard. Our booth sells pizza, breakfast croissants, nachos, meat ball sandwiches and all sorts of non-alcoholic beverages.

Labor intensive, it is a GREAT fund raiser for us!

I know, we are not up to Sicilian standards

I'm in charge of cooking these steaks on the BBQ to later cut up and add to our nachos. I fully understand that there SHOULD be cipolata, involtini and Italian sausages on the grill too but I've only been back 4 days!

THE MEDIA

Arsenal Fans Are All Over Ventura County

After finishing my morning shift at Cowboy Camp, I met the Ventura County Star's ace sports reporter, David P. Lassen, for lunch at Jack's Deli in Westlake.

We both showed up wearing Arsenal jerseys. David's O2 (a communications company) style is the former sponsor's version. I'm sporting the current sponsor's red version.

We had a nice visit about the end of the Elephant's season and his upcoming trip to Beijing to cover the 2008 Summer Olympics where he will be following the 10 or so U.S. Olympians with Ventura County roots. After the Olympics are over he will vacation in Australia, I'm jealous!

RIO MESA H.S. WEIGHT ROOM

POWER CLEANS and FULL SQUATS

After lunch it was back to Rio Mesa to open up the weight room for the team to work out. I got their about 45 minutes before the players were scheduled to arrive.

It has taken several years to equip this room and we are very proud of it!

Rio Mesa Football History

Besides being a workout facility, we also try to instill pride in our program in this room. Here are pictures of many of R.M.H.S. alumni who have gone on to play college and NFL football.

All-C.I.F.

The highest honor a player can earn in Southern California is to be named to the All-C.I.F. team. In our 43 year history, 41 players have earned this honor. When they do, their jersey number, name and position are added to the ceiling as depicted here.

We had a great Nose Guard by the name of Calvin Burnett a few years ago. He made All-C.I.F. his senior year and asked me to tell him when I was going to install his information onto this Row of Fame. When the time came he steadied the ladder for me and told me that the first day of summer as a freshman when he saw these numbers, he vowed to someday be up there too! I guess it worked as a motivational tool.

Team Pictures

All 43 varsity teams that have represented Rio Mesa on the football field have their team pictures on the walls too. These are the photos from the last four very successful seasons.

So, that's it, the drill is basically football, football, football.

LIFE IS GOOD!

European Notes

Elephants Catania

American Football Team

With apologies to Billy Joel, here is my European Grand Tour version of his great hit song "We Didn't Start the Fire"... as a warning, this IS the long version.

Reggiano Parmesano

Paddington Station

Gustavo and Elena

Prague

Cefalu’

Gelato

The British Library

San Marino

The Champs-Elyeese

Hyde Park

Davide, Daniella and Alesandro

Siracusa

Piccadilly Circus

Malibu

Katerina, "The Get Back Referee"

Roman Ruins

Big Ben

Fanta

The Dorm

The Tower of London

The Internet Café at the Dorm

Armageddon

Corleone

The Orsay Museum

Lucky, Federica, Danielle and Simone

Wearing Scarves in winter

The Pantheon

"Pony", Ika, Eduardo, Alicia, Ruggiero and Federico

“Obie Wan Cannoli”, a.k.a., Matt Epperson

Gino, Connie and the town of Enna

Westminster Abbey

“Mt. Etna’s erupting!”

Etoile d’Or

“The 39 Steps”

The glace at Berthillon’s

“The Big Bianco”, a.k.a., Brandon Bennett

The Deportation Monument

St. Paul’s Cathedral

The Medici Chapels

Padre Pio

Taormina

“The Doctor” Salvo Sicali

Spaghetti al nero

Cityper

Castel Sant’Angelo

Fratelli la Bufala

Baia Verde Runs

St. Peter’s Basillica

Green Park

Golf at Il Picciolo

Wind Jet’s on time air service

Covent Garden

Katerina and Bruno

MAC Officials

The Palace at Versailles

Giorgio’s Master Plan

Nutella Crepes

“The Woman in Black”

The Arc de Triomphe

Raphael

Schonbrunn Palace

La Sorbetteria Castiglione

The British Museum

Prague

Alcantara Gorge

Michelangelo’s David

The Two Marias

“But you can call me Smith”

Winter Midnight Run to Mt. Etna

Gianmarco and Simona

“Futtatini”

The Walled city of Lucca

Andy and Jenn get engaged in Rome

Festival of Sant’Agata

Caltanisetta

Nazi Pill Boxes

British House of Parliament

Monreale

Cristian DiMauro will hit you

Vienna

Massimo Tribulato

The Palermo Corsari at Catania pre-game fiasco

L’Antica Pizzeria da Michele

The Block of Discord

Alfonse Mucha

Taking Gustavo to the hospital

Meeting Laurie in romantic Rome

Piazza Navonna

Sainte-Chapelle

The Fiat Cinquecento

The Louvre

The Elephant Statue

Super Bowl Party starting at 2:00 a.m.

Fabio Russo’s fashion sense

Cemeteries

“Blood Brothers”

The Vatican Museum

Mike and Vanessa get engaged in Paris

Victoria Station

Street Performers all over Europe

The Trevi Fountain

Giulio and Fabio

221B Baker Street

The Duomo

Claudio and Roberta

Crazy Vespa/motorcycle Drivers

Churchill Museum and Cabinet War Rooms

Buckingham Palace

Salvo, Tiziana, Riccardo and Guglielmo

The Twin Towers in Bologna

Wine Tasting

Mythos

The Autogrille

Caltagirone

“I do not know”

Gregorio and Alessandra

Al Tubo’s

The Italian Advertising Community

The Catania Fish Market

“MASAGEE?” by Linda at Giardini Naxos

Mike’s Graduation

The Swiss Guards

Cinque Terra

The Eiffel Tower

Havana Club Rum

St. Paul’s Cathedral

Pompeii

Mt. Etna Molten Lava Red jerseys

Acireale ‘08

Pino Anello, always interesting

Cavallo

Watching Enrico Lombardo run

The Charles Bridge

The Antique Market

Logrono

Renato Gargiulio

Olive Oil and Balsamic Vinegar

The Ponte Vecchio

“Madame Butterfly”

Savia’s

The Statue of Bob

“Elefanti Mai Stanchi!”

Jonathan’s

Tapas in Barcelona

The Palio in Siena

Piazza Armerina

Plaza Mayor

Pisa’s Field of Miracles

The Medusa

Palazzo Adriano and the Cinema Paradiso

Sicilian BBQ’s

Granita

Brunelleschi’s Dome

Piazza Bellini

The Crown Jewels

Peppe and Valeria

“EEMPOSIBLE!”

Atilio and Fundo Bianco flaming shots

Reverend Seth

The Royal Palace in Madrid

The Circumnavigation of Mt. Etna

Las Ramblas

The Pieta

St. George, the Dragon and now the Naked Woman

Visits by Paul, Joe, Mark and Susie

The Italian Communist Party

Francesca from Palermo

Sicilian Weddings

“Palermo = AIDS”

The Cathedral of Notre Dame

Caravaggio

CURVA NORD!

Fully decorated Sicilian fishing boats

Parking and Driving in Catania

Gilly’s stance

Santal Fruit Juices

“J Twice” and Christie once

Monday nights at Jonica’s Pizzeria

“The Night of the Broken Glass”

Getting mugged

San Gimignano

Puerta del Sol

Playing in the Elephant's post-season calcio game

Mathieu and Giordana

Cipollata

All of the Elephants!!!

Matteo Belfiore

Sagrada Familia

Agrigento

The Running of the Bulls

Lidos in the summer

Football practice all over Catania

And, finally, ALL MY GREAT NEW FRIENDS!

Hello America!

In answer to a question I have been asked many times in the last month, I AM going to keep the blog going now that I am back in California, just not every day I would think.

Normally at the end of a vacation I feel sad about going home but I have been so excited to get back to California that I could not sleep the last two nights in London. After 10 1/2 hours in the air, I finally alit in LAX to find that British Air had NOT lost my one checked-in bag!!!

When I did my check-in at the electronic kiosk in London's Heathrow Airport, it said I had a window seat. Now normally I take the aisle seat so that I can spill out into the aisle to some degree. The negative of this seat is that I would get the hell beat out of me by the food and drink cart as well as everybody walking to or from the rest room for nearly half a day! So I took a chance and opted for the window.

I completely forgot about going to the rest room myself and it made for two epic balancing acts just getting to the aisle.

The 15 year old British lad sitting next to me was interesting. I believe that he was on his way to U.C.L.A. to deliver a speech on his life experiences dealing with Attention Deficit Disorder (A.D.D.) while at the same time trying to form relationships with strangers. He pretty much beat me up too during the flight!

A last reflection on the past seven months in Europe:

When I was still teaching American Government at Rio Mesa H.S. in beautiful El Rio, California, we would start every semester talking about the roots of our system in large part starting with our countries English roots. One of the things I would try to get across to the students was that difficulties in communication and travel were big factors that led up to the American revolution in 1776.

I read somewhere that in 1776, the average American colonist never traveled more than 100 miles from their birthplace. This factoid always made me think how fortunate we are to live in these times of instant communication and the ability to fly, literally, half way across the world in less than 11 hours!

I have spent the last seven months traveling all over Europe visiting eight countries, countless cities and meeting so many wonderful people!

WHAT A GREAT EXPERIENCE INDEED!

But my reflection is really this, I used to feel bad about those people during our American Colonial Era who, by and large, never saw much of the world. As I sat on the airplane I came to the realization that almost everybody (loved ones in Las Vegas and friends in Seattle being notable exceptions) and everything I love and treasure is indeed within 100 miles of my birthplace, Long Beach, California.

I think that all those American colonists may have been O.K. after all.

Koreen FitzGerald and her husband Brian picked me up at the

Los Angeles International Airport

Note the In-n-Out Double-Double Cheeseburger in the sack that they greeted me with!

With my friends that evening at Cronies Sports Grill in Camarillo

Brian even got me this cake to celebrate my return home

Note the gelato sign on the lower right side.

Greg, the manager of Cronies, forced me to drink a beer while everyone in the bar sang "For He's a Jolly Good Fellow"

London Videos

The following three videos are from London scenes.

I could not upload any of them in the United Kingdom but it only took about 5 minutes to upload all three of them at home this morning... ENJOY! 

Red Coats on Parade Inside the Tower of London

Street Entertainers in  Covent Garden

I have no clue what the name of their instruments might be but I liked the sound.

Green Park

This VERY nice park, across the street from Buckingham Palace, was where thousands of Londoners were trying to beat the 80 degree "heat" last Thursday.

Good Bye Europe!

My 199th and final day in Europe on my 2008 Grand Tour. Usually at the end of a vacation I dread going back to life in Camarillo, not this time! I had a hard time sleeping because I am SO EXCITED to see my family and friends later today!

I got up at 5:30 a.m. to get ready for the flight to Los Angeles at 10:005 a.m. on British Air. I'm flying out of the luggage black hole that is Heathrow Airport's Terminal 5. I've got all my electronics in my carry-on thus lessening the sting when British Air undoubtedly loses my one checked-in bag.

What a FANTASTIC experience, I'm already making mental notes for next season and Grand Tour II. I still have some things to post when I get back to Camarillo so stay tuned.

Arriverderci ragazzi!!!

The Red, Yellow and Blue Royal Flag flying over Buckingham Palace

When this flag flies over Buckingham Palace, as it was yesterday on my visit instead of the British Union Jack, it means that Queen Elizabeth II is at home. I should have gone in to say hello but I felt bad that I didn't bring her a gift.

English Premie League Arsenal's Newest Fan

As I mentioned in an earlier post this week, I was flirting with becoming an Arenal football Club fan. They play in the English Premier League considered by Jason Johnson as the best league top to bottom in the world.

My friend David Lassen who is VERY into football/calcio/soccer told me that I would be joining, until recent years, the English version of the Chicago Cubs. That cinched it for me,

GO GUNNERS!!!

Arsenal Memorabilia

I got an Arsenal decal, the very cool Arsenal scarf and the Nick Hornby book "Fever Pitch". The Hornby book is a hilarious look at life as an Arsenal fan.

In my first few days as a Gunner, here is what has happened to our team according to the London papers:

1. Emmauel Adebayor tells a teammate he may not sign with the Barcelona side.

2. Bacary Sagna expects to be ready for the new campaign as he returns from an ankle injury.

3. The Paris Saint-Germain team is trying hard to sign Gunner William Gallas which has drawn the anger of Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger.

4. Forward Eduardo Da Silva will miss the first two months of the season while still recovering from a badly broken leg.

5. Star Gunner defender Kolo Toure, an Ivory Coast native, has contracted... MALARIA!

I'm am now rooting for a team with a key player battling MALARIA?

David, this is already WAY better than being a Cubs fan!

The Final Heather Linderman Ad of the Day Contest

It's been a long seven months of competitive ad contests.

Thanks to Heather Linderman for both her moral and financial support in this exciting venture!

Notting Hill is down with the Italian "War on Cellulite"!

This one comes from the borough of Harrow.

Last Full Day in London

My 198th and next to last day of the Grand Tour. The day started with great intentions and plans. Unfortunately it was not to be!

This is for you Bill Gardner, lifelong Rotarian

As I walked out of my hotel in Harrow, I was greeted by this sign welcoming today's Rotary International Club's meeting. Bill is my father-in-law and was an integral part of the Crescenta-Canada chapter of Rotary for mant years in Montrose, California.

I decided to go and play 9 holes of golf in England

I was REALLY fired up to play a short round on this very nice 9 hole course. It was highly recommended by the hotel and was only one Tube station away followed by a 15 minute walk.

I got out my black collared Elephants Catania polo shirt, a nice clean pair of Nike shorts and put on my Nike tennis shoes and headed out to the course at about 10:00 a.m. When I got there the course looked great and no one was playing on a Thursday morning.

When I got there the young man in charge asked me if I had soft spikes and I said no, just tennis shoes. He informed me that I could NOT play the course because I was not wearing "Proper Golf Attire"... no soft spikes!

He was nice about it so I asked him where I could go to play with the offending shoes and he said he could only think of one course anywhere near us and it was a 15 minute car ride away and not easy to find at that.

Playing golf in the United Kingdom stays on my Bucket List.

Back to 221B Baker Street

I decided to ease my pain by returning to the home of the greatest detective of all time, Sherlock Holmes. His hat fit me perfectly!

I think this Orphan's Fund would have gone directly to help

"The Baker Street Irregulars"

I feel VERY comfortable in his parlor.

Now THAT's a toilette, Sherlock.

I felt a little better after the Holmes' home tour about the aborted golf mission.

London has a great dragon for it's icon

Camarillo has Don Adolfo Camarillo on horseback and Thousand Oaks has it's oak tree. I like London's icon a WHOLE lot better!

Plaques like this one are the reason I don't take illegal pictures at sightseeing spots in the U.K.

The next planned stop was to Temple Church

This church is featured in Dan Brown's "The Da Vinci Code".

The church's was dedicated to the secret and mysterious Society of the Knights Templar.

I was greeted by a Church of England pastor dressed in a bright red cassock. He simply asked me if I was there for the Communion Service which was about to start in two minutes.

Of course I said "No" and he then announced that I could not come inside during the service, fair enough. I asked when he thought I could return to view the church and he said it would be open to visitors again on Saturday!

Rejection #2 for the day, so I went for a combination strool, bus and Tube tour of London.

I'm all for re-opening this tavern on name recognition issues alone!

The flowers are in bloom at this park near the River Thames

Big Ben is, well, BIG!

Can't the head of Formula 1 Racing just have some privacy at an S&M party?

Buckingham Palace

The fence and gate were impressive, but the Palace's external architecture was not.

Across the way from Buckingham Palace is this excellent entry gate to

Green Park

The Victoria Monument

A make shift "water slide" in Green Park to beat the heat

It was the hottest day of 2008 in London today with the temperatures reaching a scorching 28 degrees Centigrade which equals 82 degrees Fahrenheit!

The Tube now had signs posted and more frequent and sterner announcements over the public address system warning us to carry a bottle of liquids with us when we entered the Tube for health reasons in this continued heat wave.

The girl on her knees is sliding all the way to the bottom of the slide as I take this shot.

The view back to the Victoria Monument from the Green Park "water slide"

I wonder why they named it Green Park?

Green Park has a cool Blue Gate

I found this sign when I did a small 15 minute walk to the Harrow Civic Cemtre tonight.

We got to London on Monday and I leave tomorrow, Friday. I just missed this on both ends of my stay in Harrow. DAMN!

MORE PUB SIGNS FROM TODAY'S EXCURSIONS

I think this was taken near Covent Garden

I know The George was on a previous blog but this time it's a close-up Mr. DeMille

In Covent Garden

Near Buckingham Palace

Also near Buckingham Palace

In Notting Hill

They served a mean chicken sandwich here that i chased down with a pint of ice cold... orange juice!

It was 82 degrees for Christ's sake, I needed a COLD drink not another pint of warm beer!

Wedding Website

Thanks to the modern age of the internet, our son Michael and his bride-to-be Vanessa, have created a website with information about their August 8, 2009 wedding.

I think that Vanessa probably ran the point on this one!

I thought some of you might be interested, if so, just click on the link below the following picture. 

Mike and Vanessa in a Tuscan vineyard

http://www.momentville.com/vanessaandmichael

Another Day of Sightseeing in London

Wednesday was another great day sightseeing in London.

St. Pancras Church

I got off the the Tube at the Kings Cross exit to immediately find this magnificent old building that is being turned into a series of luxury condos. I believe this used to be St. Pancras Church.

I love these British headline announcements to grab your attention and get you to buy a copy.

I wonder why the Ventura County Star doesn't go this route?

St. Pancras with the new British Library in the foreground.

In the British Museum's courtyard they have this very large sculpture of the Elephant's starting center, Gilly Cocuzza, in his stance.

 

How could anyone have predicted this great tribute to our landmark first season in the IFL's top league?

WOW!

Since they have monuments to beheadings in London, I did not dare to take any pictures inside the Sir John Ritblat Gallery where they house all sorts of treasures.

Among the artifacts in the Gallery were:

The Magna Carta

William Shakespeare's First Folio

The Gutenberg Bible

Notebooks of Leonardo da Vinci

An illuminated manuscript of every schoolboy's favorite, "Beowulf"

Hand written works by John Milton, Dr. Samuel Johnson, Jane Austen, William Wordsworth, Charlotte Bronte, Lewis Carroll, Dante, Thomas Hardy, Oscar Wilde, Joseph Conrad and Virginia Woolf!

Music scores written by Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, Mendelssohn, Ravel and even the Beatles!

They also had texts from books from religions from all parts of the globe.

It was a very different and interesting hour in this very well presented Gallery.

I freely admit that I have Heraldry issues 

After finishing my tour of the British Library, I took the #15 bus nicknamed "The Heritage Route", from Trafalgar Square to the Tower of London. This bus takes you past some great sights in the heart of London. The next series are my highlights from the bus trip that I walked by as I walked back retracing the bus route.

The Royal Court of Justice

 If you want to sue someone in the highest Civil Court in the UK, this would be the place!

I loved the Royal Court of Justice's clock.

St. George IS the patron saint of England

He has plenty of work to do in London.

BRAVE SOULS OR JUST PLAIN NUTS?

The heat wave continues  and is all the buzz on TV and in the newspapers.

It got up to an unbearable 78 degrees Fahrenheit yesterday.

People were dropping like flies everywhere but these crazies just sat in lounge chairs at the Victoria Embankment Gardens tempting the fates!

London's EMT's must be nearing the breaking point!

All Hallows by the Tower Church

This is the oldest church in the City of London having been founded in 675 A.D!

This venerable church has seen, among other things, the funeral of Thomas More, the baptism of William Penn and the wedding of John Quincy Adams.

All Hallows has some great stained glass windows with heraldry of a seafaring nature that is featured in the next few photos.

Sir Francis Drake's family crest is to the left.

I like flames on my board shorts, on my T-shirts and now on my stained glass windows!

As I said, they have a very strong nautical flavor in All Hallows.

MAGNIFICENT!

A hundred and fifty yards away from All Hallows is this pub.

Pubs with names like this is why I only take pictures in London where they are allowed... BE AFRAID!

I liked both the color of this random building and the relief at the top of it.

Of all the sun pictures I've taken all over Europe in the last seven months for my good friend, Koreen FitzGerald, this is my favorite one.

Brian and Tom FitzGerald would LOVE this restaurant near St. Paul's Cathedral.

World War II Firefighters Monument

This monument has the name of every firefighter who died battling the flames in London during the Nazi's Blitz in particular as well as the entire 1939-1945 involvement by Britain in World War II.

Londoners trying to beat the INTENSE heat in the shade by St. Paul's Cathedral.

It may hit a scorching 79 degrees Thursday in London according to weather forecasters! I must drink LOTS of liquids or face serious consequences!

Sir Christopher Wren's St. Paul's Cathedral

He completed the building in his lifetime which is VERY unusual.

His goal was simplicity inside the Cathedral but after his death Victorian artists really added a lot of ornate touches to interior of the front half of the Cathedral near he altar.

The back half is still done in Wren's simplistic vision.

NO PICTURES ALLOWED INSIDE THE CATHEDRAL UNDER PENALTY OF DEATH!!!

Tudor Style on the left and perhaps some Cuban influence on the right

That concluded the Bus #15 Heritage Route highlights for me, now it was on to dinner and a play in the West End's Theatre District.

Dinner in Soho's Belgo Centraal

This very cool underground restaurant features food and beer from Belgium. I had a great soup and sausage combination platter (but still not as good as Sicilian sausage) plus a very interesting Belgian beer.

If one of MY parents had been of Belgian extraction, I would definitely have explored their culture's tastes. It definitely beats, oh let's say, Irish cuisine.

BELGIUM, IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT THE WAFFLES ANYMORE!

 

At Belgo Centraal the waiters dress up as Trappist Monks for some unexplained reason.

The Trappist Order, who take a vow of silence, were founded in France but after the United States, Belgium has the second most Trappist monasteries in the world with seven inside their borders.

"The Woman in Black" at the Fortune Theatre

I was wide awake thanks to two humongous cappuccino's before entering the theatre. This was a two man play about a ghost, The Woman in Black, haunting a small English village.

It was both very well produced and well acted. This play has been running here for 18 years!

Some parts that had girls shrieking in fear and, I must admit, surprised me too.

This was the third play that I've attended in London since last January, actually the fourth one if you count taking Laurie to "The 39 Steps" a second time. It was another great night in the London theatre scene!

Heather Linderman Ad of the Day

I have GOT to buy a loaf of this bread to take home with me tomorrow!

Video of London Life

I'm having trouble uploading some videos of the street life here in London. So far this is the only one to cooperate.

Laurie and I saw this quartet playing on Monday night, our first one together in the United Kingdom. I think you'll like them.

Pub Signs

London is filled with public houses or pubs as they are commonly known. What I love about them is their interesting signs. They kind of make me stop at each one to have a pint just because of the coolness of these signs.

Here are some of the best ones I came across the last two days.

Do any of these catch YOUR eye?

Arsenal Football Club

While walking around London I've been barraged by souvenir shops selling all sorts of English Premier League football (soccer/calcio) club's gear, uniforms are called kits here.

The four most popular clubs as near as I can tell are Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool. Now I know very little about English Premier League football other than what Jason has taught me about Man U and Chelsea who we watched on TV in Catania play in Moscow several weeks ago in the Champions League championship game.

What I do know is this, I like the name Arsenal. I like their red, white, blue and old gold colors. I LOVE that they have a cannon for their mascot!

I'm thinking of picking them as my team of choice for the 2009 season based solely on the above likes and love expressed in the previous sentence.

Am I mad to opt for Arsenal? Am I doing the right thing picking Arsenal. Football fans, especially David Lassen and Jason Johnson, guide me a little on this life changing decision...PLEASE!

The Tower of London

Our last day together in London was a busy one. We woke up relatively early, had a good buffet breakfast in the hotel and boarded the Harrow-on-the-Hill Underground Station only a 5 minute walk away for our trip to finally see the Tower of London.

In London they have all these throwaway newspapers that are being handed out all at the entrances to the Tube, "Mind the Gap". I was trying to read (remember, it's Rockin' n Rollin' train service here) one this morning on the way into London when I came upon the following article.  

HEATWAVE!

Is this what Martha and the Vandellas were singing about years ago?

I mentioned what great and unseasonable weather we encountered in Paris, not so in London. As you can see from this article it is HOT here in London! On the Tube they even announced that all riders should carry a bottle of liquid to stay hydrated on the ride due to the intense heat. Heat related heat issues are a very real concern here.

In the picture above, some Londoners are seen trying to escape the sweltering temperatures by riding in small boats called punts on a lake or perhaps it's a river in Cambridge on Monday.

If you can't read the article, it says that the reason for this nautical adventure is the "HEATWAVE" gripping all of England through this Thursday. The temperatures got up to 25 degrees Celsius which equals an unbelievable 77 degrees Fahrenheit!!!

I wonder why British people all seem so pale?

Harrow

This is a very quaint village where our hotel is located away from all the hubbub of London. Our hotel is just around the bend to the right.

Even this bank in Harrow is worth a picture due to it's architecture.

NO PICTURES!

Inside the Tower of London you are not allowed to take pictures of the Crown Jewels so this will have to do.

The Crown Jewels are spectacular and include the world's largest diamond. In order to keep people from crowding around, they have built a people mover on both sides of the display of the crowns so that you can get close to the them but but can't hog the view. Laurie took two laps to see and appreciate them. 

Laurie loves guys in uniform, this Beefeater was no exception!

The White Tower houses the boy toys.

Inside are all sorts of weapons both big and small plus tons of battle armor.

View from the execution spot

Only eight people were ever executed in private inside the walls of the Tower instead of the much more common public execution area outside the walls. These eight condemned souls were either wives or close friends of the King. The Tudor style buildings to the right was the place prisoners were held before execution.

Yet another example of Laurie and and her love of uniformed men!

This guard was stationed outside the entrance to the building housing the Crown Jewels. I'm guessing that the machine gun is not faithful to the medieval time period we associate with the Tower but it would be quite effective if needed I'm sure!

This is the stronghold that houses the Crown Jewels.

Laurie taking a break on a parapet

After we left the Tower, we hustled back to the hotel to grab Laurie's belongings and get her to London's Heathrow Airport for her 5:00 p.m. flight home on Air France. We got there in plenty of time, thank goodness, because the line to check-in was a mess. The quick, automatic check-in kiosk was only accepting the data from about 25% of the passengers, but Laurie was not one of them. We had to get into a very long line for over one hour to check in.

Now here was the problem, the baggage drop for few, lucky automatic check-in people had three people working their three desks, their lines were never more than two deep. The people flying anything but economy had their own 3 people working a different three desks for their needs. Again, the queues were never more than two deep for them.

Our huge line? ONLY ONE PERSON TO CHECK US IN!!! Even the Frenchmen in line were angry at their national airline.

We finally were able to say our goodbyes at security with about 45 minutes to spare and she was off! 

Heraldry

As I have mentioned before, I love all the colors and symbols of the medieval heraldry system, so naturally this display in Piccadilly Circus caught my eye.

I stopped here on the way back to the hotel to see about going to one more play, hopefully wide awake this time. I purchased a ticket for a "spine-chilling thriller" of a play called "The Woman in Black" at the Fortune Theatre for Wednesday night. I'm taking a nap today!

London is in Full Bloom

After buying my theatre ticket from a broker, I decided to walk the 10 minutes to where the Fortune Theatre was located so as not to get lost Wednesday night. The walk took me through some new and unexplored parts of London.

Of course there were pubs everywhere

Did I mention that the British love their ale?

Street musicians and entertainers are everywhere too

These two produced some sweet sounds out of whatever these previously unseen musical instruments are called. I bought their CD, they were so good and unusual.

Did I say "Full Bloom"?

This restaurant/pub is about 50 yards from the Fortune Theatre. A pre-game meal here on Wednesday may be in order.

The crest of the nearby Theatre Royal Drury Lane

This stained glass lunette is above the main entrance door to the Theatre Royal Drury Lane.

Another English Pub in Covent Garden

They sell tobacco from the colonies in Covent Garden too! 

This street performer knows how to attract a crowd

Covent Garden is teeming with people eating, shopping, strolling or just looking for a positive outlet for their energies after toiling for another day.

The Fat Controller?

As for me, I got back to Harrow early to get some rest but had to stop into this pub first about two blocks from the hotel to have a pint with the locals.

I asked the barkeep which of the beers on tap would help me control my weight the best, she laughed and poured me a local brew named "Courage". The tap looked normal but when she went to pour it was really an old fashioned pump. She had to pull the handle down three times to draw the golden ale into my glass. I felt very much the tourist watching her pour.

So I now have two full days in London left before flying home to Camarillo on Friday. That should be enough time to see a few more interesting sights in and around London.

Adieu Paris, Cheers London!

On Monday, we took a noon flight from Paris' Charles de Gaulle Airport to London's Luton Airport to start the final leg of our Grand Tour.

I am proud to announce that after walking together in Catania, Bolzano, Bergamo, Madrid, Logrono, Barcelona, Paris and now London, Laurie and I just got word from the United States Olympic Committee that we are now alternates on the 2008 U.S. Team heading to Beijing in a few days.

It was grueling but I truly believe that we earned our spot as the only alternates for the Pairs Figure Walking competition in China!

One last look out of our Paris hotel window

We are staying at a small hotel outside of London in the village of Harrow, Middlesex, a 20 minute Tube ride into the center of London.

The Tube or Underground is a great way to get around London.

The London Tube Rocks-n-Rolls. I mean that literally. I have been in a lot of Metros all over Europe and they are a great way to get around big cities cheaply and safely. They have been smooth rides as well except in Jolly Old London. I have trouble reading the free newspapers they hand out all over town on the Tube because of all the motion. What price public mass

transportation?

After settling into our hotel we took exhilarating Tube into London. We needed to make a transfer to get down to the Tower of London and had to get off at the Baker Street Station.

WAIT JUST A SECOND!

Didn't Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's famous sleuth, Sherlock Holmes, live at 221B Baker Street?

As we got off the Tube I suspected that I might be correct in my hypothesis!!!

Upon further analysis of the evidence I surmised that I was on the right track!

"QUICK WATSON, THE NEEDLE!"

The trail gets warmer...

There it was, 221B Baker Street, but where was that little vixen, Mrs. Hudson?

I was pumped, ANOTHER CASE SOLVED!

After we solved the case, we did continue on to the Tower of London.

The Union Jack is pretty cool flying over the Tower.

Tower Bridge spanning the Thames River

It was too late to go into the Tower of London and have enough time to properly see it, so we bought tickets to enter Tuesday morning instead.

The only way to make up for this minor setback was a good dinner.

We were walking towards the Globe Theatre when ewe stumbled upon The Walrus and The Carpenter with it's Lewis Carroll Bar and Dining Room.

Carroll is the author of "Alice in Wonderland", one of Laurie's favorite books so we just had to go in.

We ordered traditional British food 

The Lewis Carroll prides itself on their sausages so we ordered the sampler plate of eight different sausages plus an order of fish and chips to share.

The food was bountiful as you can see. The fish and chips were excellent. The sausages were good but no where near as tasty as what we have been enjoying in Sicily the last seven months. 

I am REALLY spoiled when it comes to sausage, I am going to have to find a GREAT butcher when I get home.

A nice illustration from "Alice in Wonderland" that was hanging in their stairwell.

St. George, where were you when we needed you?

What is a modernized statue of a Spartan doing in London?

A positive omen for the Rio Mesa Spartans perhaps?

Sir Christopher Wren's magnificent St. Paul's Cathedral behind the much newer Millennium Bridge

Prince Charles and the late Princess Diana were married here. It's a tough old church having survived 57 nights of Nazi bombing raids during the Battle of Britain.

The Globe Theatre

This is the spot where William Shakespeare debuted many of his plays. The current building is smaller than the original but still holds plays on a regular basis, just not tonight...STRIKE TWO!

Piccadilly Circus

This area is alive by day and by night. We decided to take one more shot at going to a play.

"The 39 Steps" at the Criterion Theatre in very nearby in Piccadilly Circus

I had seen this hilarious four person play last January but could not enjoy it as much as I should have due to lack of sleep.

Laurie really liked the play and I did too, at least the parts I could stay awake for, I'm STILL suffering from sleep deprivation!

One last look at Piccadilly Circus as we exited the play.

ZZ Top Paris Concert

As I noted on last Sunday's blog about our visit to the Palace at Versailles, we saw the guys from ZZ Top touring the Palace in clever disguises as Greek Orthodox priests, see a picture of them on the blog.

That night ZZ Top was part of a concert at Les Vieilles Charrues. They played to an estimated crowd of 215,000 people!

Please check out the newspaper report in Monday's Paris newspaper below.

Final Paris Thoughts

The Eiffel Tower...

one last time

As we prepare to fly to London for the last days of our version of the Grand Tour, I must reflect on the four great days we spent here.

First, is there any better place on earth to spend your 37th wedding anniversary? Doubtful!

After seven months in Europe visiting so many cities in eight different countries, both big and small, I had come up with a theory that two days in any city was enough to see all it had to offer.

Paris is the exception to the rule. I feel as if we have only scratched the surface of the "City of Light." There is SO much to see and do here! We will definitely be back in Paris next spring.

Why the love affair with Paris? As Birgit, our table-mate from Switzerland last night at Restaurant Chartier, so clearly put it in trying to describe her feelings about this wonderful city, "Paris is the color of life!"

I can not agree or state it any more clearly than Birgit.

Adieu Paris!

2008 IFL Super Bowl Results

Just another defensive struggle in the IFL wars!

 IFL SUPER BOWL GAME

Saturday, July 19^th at 8:30 p.m. at Cattolica, Italy:

Bergamo (10-2) 56 – Bolzano (11-1) 54

The Bolzano Giants beat the Bergamo Lions TWICE in the regular season, but the Lions won when it really counted in the 2008 IFL Super Bowl.

IFL SEMI-FINALS RESULTS

Bergamo 48 – Parma 35

Bolzano 49- Catania 20

FINAL REGULAR SEASON IFL STANDINGS

10-0 Bolzano Giants *

8-2 Bergamo Lions *

8-2 Parma Panthers *

6-4 Catania Elephants *

5-5 Bologna Doves

4-6 Milan Rhinos

2-8 Palermo Corsari

1-9 Ancona Dolphins

1-9 Palermo Sharks

* 2008 IFL PLAYOFF TEAMS

Heather Linderman Ad of the Day

Paris submits this ad, I love the Sophia Loren look-a-like model.

The Palace at Versailles

Sunday was our last full day in Paris so we decided to start the day by taking the train out to the Palace at Versailles.

After seeing it, I rank it the #1 Palace in Europe followed in order by the Palaces in Vienna and Madrid.

By the way, Versailles is French for "FAT CATS" as near as I can tell. Can you say OPULENT?

But first we saw this herd of donkeys walking in front of our hotel.

On the train we sat next to a Spanish couple from Cordoba who have been married for one year. He was in his late 30's I'd guess and she was in her late 20's. He has run with the bulls four different years and has convinced me to do it next year! 

The Palace of Versailles

Guilding is BIG at the Palace 

The Palace itself is HUGE also covering over 2,630 acres!

King Louis XIV

Known as "The Sun King", he is Koreen FitzGerald's favorite European monarch of all time.

A naked make-up artist???

The Teams: Rio Mesa and Catania

The Colors: Red and Black

Next season's game day coaching attire?

We'll see...

Sister Mary Thomas Sadistic

She was my 8th grade teacher at St. Phillip the Apostle School in Pasadena, California.

Why don't more of us have urns like this in our homes?

This "lace" is carved out of marble!

Laurie wants these to be our new hallway doors.

With a lion's head helmet and a Medusa shield, what worries could a soldier have?

Vera Wang's first attempt at designing beds.

The Hall of Mirrors

Laurie continues to mutter something about remodeling, I do not know.

She also keeps mentioning new drapes for the living room.

The first French pole dancers?

Two beefy guys

Why don't more rooms have free standing pillars in America?

I wish all the Linebackers I coach in the next 5 years have the intensity of the guy on the left with the green turban!

The blur is caused by the old hand blown glass in Versailles' windows.

The gardens are in the distance.

What a cool globe!

The Turkish chair was big enough to hold three of me.

Where's the remote control?

A couple of guys just trying to have a little fun by the water.

A few weeks ago I met KISS' Paul Stanley at the Florence Airport, at Versailles it was the entire ZZ Top Band!

They were just as down to earth as Paul Stanley was.

I wish the fans would just leave them alone to enjoy the serenity and beauty of Versailles!

"Tube Steak Boogie" anyone?

"Now batting for the Versailles Royals, number..."

Lunch in the Bosquet du Dauphin

Somebody didn't listen to the warnings about getting too close to the lava flow...

The Bassin du Char d'Apollon

One of MANY great fountains on the grounds, the kings of France literally diverted an entire river to supply the water for all these fountains and lakes.

 

The Grand Canal, it's rental boats and picnickers.

Yesterday at the Orsay Museum I could not find Edouard Manet's "Luncheon on the Grass" painting. I am humbly substituting this picture from Versailles even though all the women are fully dressed!

The view of the entry courtyard from inside Marie Antoinette's Estate

The view from Marie Antoinette's bedroom with the Temple of Love in the distance.

Did you say...

THE TEMPLE OF LOVE!!!

I needed to get my Mojo working!

Popeye's love child stopped by the Temple to entertain us.

Let this be a lesson to us all...

Somehow a single swan swimming in a pond at Versailles seemed appropriate.

Louis loved his fountains!

How many great statues are in Europe?

For dinner we went to Restaurant Chartier

It was recommended by our world traveling friend, Mark Johnson from Seattle.

On the train back to Paris, we met a charming young girl from Kentucky who will be a freshman soccer player at Murray State University about a month from now. We also met a lovely lady from the south of France named Sylvie who invited to stay at her house next spring when we both return to the Continent.

As for Restaurant Chartier, I'd give their food a "C", maybe a "C+" due to their dessert and cafe'.

But their ambience got an "A+"!

Very interesting early 1900's feel to the decor with dressed up waiters running all over the place.

More New Friends

We were seated at this table and shared it with a couple just a little older than us. She is seated behind Laurie and is a Parisian by birth. He is taking the picture and was born in Morocco of French parents. They were fun and even shared their wine with us.

Some more friends drop by for dinner.

When the French couple left, they were replaced by sisters Sophie, left, and Birgit from Switzerland. O.K. maybe they were really mother and daughter but they sure fooled me for awhile. Again, they were outgoing, fun and made for a good experience.

I'd rate our four table mates an "A+" too!!!

Thus remember, a great dining experience is more than just the food.

We got back to the hotel and there she was in the distance yet again but this time with hundreds of blinking white lights.

Now here is something you don't see in Sicily.

The little produce market next to Laurie and our hotel is still open late into the night. Last night it was after midnight that we stopped in to buy some ice cold orange juice.

Overall I have to say that Paris is a GREAT, GREAT city! After four days of sightseeing, we have barely scratched the surface and will return next year to see more of the "City of Light."

Life on the Rive Gauche

Yet another gorgeous day in Paris! We took full advantage and had another action packed day of sightseeing. The Metro system here is full of stairs but it is simple to navigate, cheap and offers no more than a 3 minute wait until your next train arrives. We've been able to criss-cross the city several times in comfort due to this masterpiece of engineering!

Arc de Triomphe

First stop was indeed the Arc de Triomphe

 This landmark is surrounded by a huge, crazy roundabout.

History

Commissioned by Napoleon to commemorate the French victory at the Battle of Austerlitz in 1806, it is dedicated to the glory of all French armies. It has seen triumphant entries into the city by French heroes like Charles de Gaulle in 1944 and enemies like the Nazi army in 1940. This even serves as the finish line for the last leg of the Tour de France bicycle race later this month!

Famous French Generals for $100 please.

If the general's name seen here is underlined it means he died in battle.

A Stroll Down the Champs-Elysees

This is the grandest boulevard in all of Paris and is a straight shot down from the Arc de Tiomphe.

Wide and inviting, it offers great shopping, delicious food, fantastic people watching and a nice park to sit and rest your feet for awhile. 

Is $900 for a purse really that good a deal?

Laurie bravely fought off the temptation and we were able to get out of the Louis Vitton store unscathed.

It was tough because I know that she felt a disturbance in "The Force" from Koreen's long distance prodding to buy!

Laurie's reward for "Bravery in the Face of Shopping"

Laduree is a combination tea salon, restaurant and pastry shop.

Macaroons

Laduree's is famous for these tasty little desserts that are nothing like American coconut macaroons. We bought a small box of these to go. They were expensive but a steal as compared to those purses a few minutes ago!!!

Even the pigeons live large on the Champs-Elysees

If you want ANYTHING to make you smell or look better,

THIS IS THE PLACE!

The end of the Champs-Elysees brings you to this Place de la Concorde.

The 3,300 year old Obelisk of Luxor you see here is where the guillotine stood to do it's work of making you "a foot shorter on top" during the French Revolution. During the 1790's this was known as the Place de la Revolution."

The Orsay Museum

Having an Elephant to greet us was a nice Parisian touch.

As were the statues of these topless women

This museum picks up where the Louvre ends, art from 1848 to 1914. My main interest was the Impressionists. Up until the beginning of this era, painting had been used in attempts to accurately depict people, usually of wealth or power, and things. The invention of photography meant that this form of artistic expression was no longer as important. The result was Impressionism which allowed artists to focus on common people and their lives.

Here are some of my favorites.

Cezanne's "The Card Players"

van Gogh's "The Church at Auvers-sur-Oise"

About 10% of the people had their cameras focused on my shirt.

Monet's "Cathedral of Rouen"

Renoir's "Dance at the Moulin de la Galette"

Whistler's "Portrait of the Artist's Mother"

Even the restaurant was a work of art

As was their gigantic clock

Sainte-Chapelle

St. Louis IX built this to house the supposed Crown of Thorns worn by Jesus Christ

It was built in an incredibly short 8 years! There are 6,500 square feet of stained glass with over 1,100 scenes from the Bible.

I like the Rose Window style of stained glass presentation the best.

Laurie asking for a good year for the New Orleans Saints.

Is the guy in the green hat the same guy in the Monty Python "Quest for the Holy Grail" movie who taunted the English knights by yelling that

"I fart in your general direction"?

Cool Columns

Another photo op across the street from Sainte-Chapelle

The Conciergerie

Kings used this building to torture and execute prisoners.

The leaders of the French revolution did likewise. There is a tower in the building nicknamed "The Babbler" because of the painful wails that people could hear as they walked by it.

 

A list of all the people beheaded during the French Revolutionary Tribunals

Laurie was searching for possible relatives, her maiden name was Gardner.

Marie Antoinette was held prisoner here before her execution.

The Women's Courtyard

This is where they assemble the prisoner's who were about to be executed by the Revolution. They would assemble groups of 12 prisoners at a time for the cart ride to the Place de la Revolution about a mile away through jeering crowds of bloodthirsty citizens.

THE EIFFEL TOWER

Built in 1889 for the for the Centennial World's Fair 100 years after the French Revolution.

The Tower dominates the skyline of Paris and is a MASSIVE structure indeed!

The view of the Seine from the Second Observation Deck 400 feet above the ground.

Notre Dame Cathedral is in the distance.

From the First Observation Deck, a mere 200 feet in the air, people still look awfully small!

We took this picture ourselves, TRES ARTISTIQUE!

Heather Linderman Ad of the Day

Today's offering was found in an underground walkway in the Metro.

NO COMMENT!!!

Paris Keeps Getting Better!

Armed with our Rick Steves Paris guide, we nourished ourselves with the very solid hotel Continental Breakfast and headed out for a day of sightseeing. We were blessed for a second straight day with mild temperatures and no humidity!

This post will have MANY pictures as I took almost 500 today!!!

The Pasteur Metro Station done in the fashionable Art Nouveau style.

Our metro station is located 30 meters from our hotel's doorway... VERY convenient!

We got off the Metro near the entrance to the Tuileries Garden. 

We were greeted by the Eiffel Tower and this beautiful roundabout. Well the red lifts aren't all that scenery enhancing but I did like the color they added to the picture.

I admit it, the Eiffel Tower is addicting.

Part of the Pont Alexandre

Is that the Eiffel Tower on the left?

Finally, after walking through the beautiful Tuileries Garden we arrive at The Louvre Museum.

Da Vinci Code anyone?

Not all the art is inside the Louvre

This gate faces the glass pyramid.

We are not alone!

It looks crowded in this picture but the Louvre today was very easy to maneuver around. Were we lucky or was it the fact that we entered at about 9:30 a.m. while most tourists still slept?

 

1789, The French Revolution

It's funny how 219 years ago, just as they would today, men would follow a topless woman just about anywhere! 

Sainte Georges, saving a naked damsel in distress by slaying the dragon!

Saint George, San Giorgio, Sainte Georges... in any language I love this version of the story!

Winged Victory

I've seen pictures of it since my 9th grade World History class with Father Baptist at St. Francis H.S. in 1961. It was my favorite class of all time, he was a GREAT teacher! I still have my notebooks from this class in storage in our attic.

Overwhelmed

There is SOOOOOO much art to see! I don't even know who painted this but I love the vibrant colors and clarity of the characters in it.

Sainte Pierre

Yes, in a "Does anybody have two Advil?" moment, that IS a meat cleaver in his head!

Two Mysterious Women

Da Vinci's Mona Lisa and Contreras' Laurie

Da Vinci's "Madonna of the Rocks"

I tried to look behind it for some clues but the guard would not take her eyes off me! She knew...

A painting by Giulio Romano

He is not just a pretty face studying about bipolos!

The Venus de Milo

The Code of Hammurabi

We studied this code and it's 282 laws every semester that I taught either American Government or Criminal Justice.

From Mesopotamia and written around 2250 B.C.,  they are the oldest set of written laws known to date! They were only discovered a little over 100 years ago.

Four Crazy Coeds in Paris for some fun! 

The World's Oldest Rasta Man!

A classic Man vs. Snake Battle

Hercules I believe.

The view of the Louvre from inside the glass pyramid.

Do you think St. Mary Magdalene is REALLY buried under this small pyramid?

Did I mention that Paris Metro Stations are really just an excuse to display Art Nouveau works?

The Cathedral of Sainte-Chapelle

We only walked by it on Friday, we'll visit it Saturday

St. Denis, the Patron Saint of Paris

The fourth century bishop of Paris, he was beheaded for his faith as you may surmise. This statue is found in the left entryway of the Cathedral of Notre Dame.

The top of the left entryway of the Cathedral of Notre Dame.

The middle portal into Notre Dame

Charlemagne

Take a close look at the beards these two are sporting.

Part of the charm of Paris is people watching.

These two are taking a break outside Notre Dame.

The Deportation Memorial

There are 200,000 lights in this hallway, one for each of the Parisian Jews who were deported during World war II by the Nazis never to return.

You can people watch on the Ile St. Louis too!

Day 2 in Paris, time to try another Berthillon's Orange Sanguine sorbet.

This is the original Berthillon's ice cream parlor on Ile St. Louis

Delicious, Expensive and Small but we're addicts so they got us!

I went here to report the price gouging at Berthillon's to the proper authorities but got nowhere.

 

We took the Seine River Cruise and got our first close up look at the Eiffel Tower.

The tip of the island near the Pont Neuf

This could be a romantic spot given the right conditions.

Our Triumphant March Into Paris

We decided to give the granita at Mythos one more chance Thursday morning before flying to Paris for four days. 

"DAME' CINQUE"!

We have seen this lady running regularly in Aci Castello, Aci Trezza and downtown Catania since arriving in January. She is always well dressed for a runner and moving at a fast clip. Since she would give us a high five when she'd cruise by us, Jason gave her the nickname, "Dame' Cinque", i.e., "Give Me Five"!

She told me once that she runs 20 kilometers a day, seven days a week! DAMN!!!

As of Thursday, Jason now uses a murse!

My admiration for Gustavo is getting VERY complicated!

PARIS

How to describe our first day in "The City of Light"?

How about BAM!, AMAZING!, Like Aci Castelo on STEROIDS! or EXPONENTIALLY more expensive than Catania!

We enjoyed our first meal at a Paris sidewalk cafe.

The mustard was HOT!

As we walked towards the Notre Dame Cathedral, out of nowhere, up popped the Eiffel Tower!

The French Senate Building

UP THE REVOLUTION!

Water Spitting Dragons make me tingly all over my body!

The Notre Dame Cathedral

Notre Dame's South Tower

Notre Dame, Flying Buttresses and all

The Berthillon ice dream parlor in Ile Saint Louis

This place is so popular that they have three locations on the same street about two blocks from each other.

The Orange Sanguine sorbet I had was INTENSE! Now back home in Catania, a good gelato in a cone costs about 1.80 Euros and is the size of my fist. In Paris this delicious sorbet was also served in a cone but costs 2.50 Euros and is the size of a ping-pong ball!

For the Contreras boys, that's our Notre Dame on our 37th Wedding anniversary in the foreground.

Weird faces on the Pont Neuf

Why is the Pont Neuf so familiar sounding?

I'm not sure what the name this building is near the Pont Neuf, but it looks great at night when you are strolling by!

The latest creation in Parisian Fashion by the House of Fendi.

The last thing we saw before getting back to our hotel for the evening.

Paris is everything we expected and more! The temperatures and humidity have both been down so walking is very pleasurable. It feels like springtime not the middle of July. We are both having a delightful time!!!

Elephants' Banquet

Our last day together in Catania ended with the Elephants' Banquet and Awards Ceremony at the beautiful Manteca ristorante only about a one minute drive from Malibu. It was one last chance to see all the players, their wives, girlfriends and families again.

After the usual pre-game banter, we sat down to have an antipasto that was both delicious and huge. That was followed by a steady stream of all varieties of pizza that the house could make. To say we were satiated was an understatement of the largest order.

Davide, Daniella and Alessandro

GREAT FAMILY!

Remember, Davide was our owner, General Manager, Head Coach and starting offensive tackle. He earned his way back for another shot in 2009!

The two of us just before we started to graze.

As I write this it is 7:45 a.m. on Thursday, July 17, 2008, our 37th Wedding Anniversary. We will spend the evening in Paris, it doesn't get any better than that on a day like this!

Thank you Laurie!

Three Rogue Elephants

Gianmarco, Renato and Mathieu. Four if you count Claudio mugging for the camera on the lower left.

Matteo Belfiore

GREAT GUY! It will be fun to coach with him again next season, what a gentleman!

The two most productive wide receivers in the IFL.

Claudio Mangano and Matt Epperson

Pitchers of Coca-Cola WITH ICE!

The Coke flowed endlessly! Check out the antipasto.

Offensive Firepower

Jason, Claudio, Matt and Gregorio

How many yards and TD's did these four account for during the campaign?

What is Gustavo doing in the background?

Elena and Gustavo

Elena just got back from about a month of attending English language classes in London, you can not believe how much better she speaks our language now.

The Defensive Secondary

Massimiliano Garipoli "But you can call me Smith", Cristian Di Mauro and Massimo Tribulato.

Goal number 1 for 2009 is to keep these three healthy for the entire season.

The Coveted Elephant Award

This is given to the Italian player on the team who was judged to have the best season. The Elephant has a football in his trunk and the wooden base is in the shape of the island of Sicily.

The Winner?... WR Claudio Mangano, who literally jumped out of his seat when his name was announced. I'm pretty sure he was happy.

Congratulations Claudio!

Defensive Co-MVP's

FS Cristian Di Mauro and OLB Gianmarco Pecoraro

Veteran Elephants were there too

Antonio Costarella, on the left,  is now a referee and will work as the Field Judge in this Saturday's Super Bowl.

Giovanni Reale is a guy I've been trying to get to come out of retirement to play just 2 goal line/short yardage plays per half all year long. No luck this year but I'm hoping he'll be ready to battle in 2009!

Fortunato, call me Lucky

Thanks for your friendship, hospitality and family!

The Cornerbacks

Both were rookies in 2008, now they will be veterans in 2009!

Marco Raino

Thanks for the leadership!