A Trip to the Questura and Another Night of American Football

Thursday, 28 February, 2019

On my 42nd day in Varese, I finally had to go to the local Questura or Police Office to continue the seemingly never ending struggle to get the Work Visa that is required of me in order to legally stay more than the 90 continuous days in Italy/Europe that any tourist is allowed.

As always, Santa Barbara Zanella ran interference for me again this year. Last year, it took us three grueling trips to the Questura in a small room that was packed with fellow foreigners also looking for asylum of some sort in Italy to get the job done.

The impressive Varese Questura

This year Santa Barbara used her mystical powers to secure me a private meeting with an Immigration Service official on a day when the Immigration Office is closed to the public.

When I checked in at the Questura's front desk, a call was made and I was told to wait for two minutes. In less than two minutes my personal Immigration Service official appeared and escorted me to same cramped room that I had visited last year. The difference was that there were only two other people being helped in today's otherwise empty room.

My official helped me immediately and we sailed through the process in less than 15 minutes after which he informed me that my Work Visa would arrive via the Italian Post in just three to four weeks.

This is Italy, correct? The country known for its slow bureaucratic government ways, right?

I was amazed and pleased but I still worry about anything having to do with the Italian Postal System.

On the other hand, now that the Skorpions' Right Tackle, Nikko "Il Postino" Moruzzi, works for the Post Office things are bound to improve.

After this incredible move, I think that we need to start considering Santa Barbara for a new post as the first ever female Archbishop of Varese.

My amazingly fast Questura Adventure ended, I still had lots of time on my hands so I rode the N line bus all the way to the Belforte Shopping Center to look for a much needed item for the Villa Skorpion II.

There are lots of good shopping

spots at Belforte

It is one of my favorite spots in Varese to take photos of . . .

. . . FOOD!

Strawberry Brioche Sandwich!

I wonder if they have any

Parmegiano-Reggiano cheese?

I found what I was looking for at the Belforte's Media World store, the cheapest DVD player that they had for only 27 Euros. Once home, I quickly hooked up the DVD player to my flat screen TV and watched The Gangs of New York for the first time.

It was not for the faint of heart.

If it's Thursday, that means lots of Varese Skorpions American football in the evening.

A happy Women's flag team DB

about to work on her back pedaling

U13 flag tackling drill including

Coach Enzo's dog Skippy

That's Enzo on the right in the Mt. Etna Molten Lava red jacket.

Uh . . .

I'm quite sure that this DB's move

is illegal in U13 flag American football

The U15s were working on their

flag pulling techniques too

U15s Rapid Fire Flag Tackling Drill

We needed to slow down the ball carriers departures just a bit to make this drill more effective.

So we did.

U16 tackle team working on their

fly routes vs. air

WR Andrea Volonnino caught this one by the way.

Senior Team at work

It looks like the black-clad Defense is going to win this play.

As usual, it was a spirited evening as all the teams and players in action gave good effort.

For our Seniors, it was our last workout before Sunday's season opener on the road at the home of the powerful Busto Arsizio Blue Storms, 29-3 over the last four DII regular seasons.

When I got home at about 11:15 p.m., I was upset to see that I had . . .

. . . left the kitchen light on by accident

while I was at Skorpion Field

It was indeed a BEAUTIFUL night for American football!