Super Bowl Monday?

A VERY LONG WEEKEND INDEED!

Friday was a big day for football at the office. There was a lot of discussion about our offensive schemes and a we had a good planning session for Saturday’s three hour practice.

After eating a pizza in Aci Castello, we went to the apartment and the four Americanos studied DVD’s of 2007 games of Milano, Bergamo and Bolzano trying to get a feel for their style of play and proficiency.

Then it was time to take the newbies out for a Friday night at Piazza Bellini that included two gelatos, the Chiave, the Fundo Bianco and, of course, a stop at Jonathan’s for a panini. We saw none of the usual players and to our great collective disappointment only one of the Pink Elephants, Elisa, at all that night. Could they possibly all have been getting rest for Saturday’s practice?

I must mention that at the Fundo Bianco, Brandon gave Atilio, the owner, the biker t-shirt he wore the night before when they hit it off so well. This gesture got us a free round of drinks and Atilio insisted that the four of us go behind the bar for a group picture with him on the far left and Pope Benedict’s picture above us, a rare honor indeed! Brandon has made us instant locals.

Because so many Elefanti were missing, two other great moments occurred at the Fundo Bianco. We are still operating on a two drink maximum limit per night. O.K., Matt Obi Won Cannoli had WAY more than two Cokes with his gelatos and Brandon’s two beers are big enough that they really should be brought out by a waitress from a beer garden in Munich. Jason ordered a rum and coke and I mentioned that he should be sure to get the Havana Club rum from the forbidden island. This got Brandon started on leading a discussion about Castro and his effects on the Cuban economy and culture. Brandon had a good grasp of the subject and swore to cut block Fidel HARD if he ever got the chance! From there the discussion turned to The Da Vinci Code. Two areas were discussed at length, the book vs. the movie…the book won easily. The second subject that Brandon and I addressed was contrasting and comparing The Da Vinci Code vs. Dan Brown’s earlier novel, Angels and Demons. Neither Matt nor Jason had read Angels and Demons so it was up to us to inform them about how we both believed that it was the better read of the two books. The subject matter is just not as controversial, but a better book nonetheless in the opinions of the two resident experts on the topic in a small bar…on a small side street…in Catania, Sicilia, Italia.

Groundhog’s Day 2008…Happy Groundhog’s Day mi’amore!  In 1968 Laurie, picture at Christmas in Las Vegas, and I were in our third year of dating. I was attending the University of Washington while she worked there as a secretary in the Educational Foundations office. We had a typical spat that couples in their teens have from time to time on or about February 1st. As a make up on February 2^nd, I bought her a small gift (I think) and a card (I KNOW). In the card I asked her to be my Groundhog because in America the second of February is indeed Groundhog’s Day. For my Italian brothers, there is a small town in Pennsylvania that each year on this date has their own festival (parade, brass band, fireworks, confetti, the usual stuff we have here in Catania every night) and a large groundhog is somewhat like their town’s patron saint that day. The tradition is that at a big ceremony at sunrise they take Phil, as the groundhog is called, out of his cage and if he can see his shadow, i.e., a sunny day, winter will last six weeks longer, maybe shorter…”I do not know”. It is all just an excuse to have fun and Bill Murray made a funny movie perhaps ten year’s ago about the town and their festival, it was an instant Contreras family cult classic. Since that fateful Groundhog’s Day in 1968, Laurie and I do not honor Valentine’s Day on February 14^th like the rest of Western Civilization. This may sound strange to you but think about it, dinner reservations at a nice restaurant are easy, flowers are MUCH cheaper, no hassle with crowds at the Hallmark store. The only drawback of our now 40 year tradition is finding an appropriate card for the occasion. Usually I find one I can tweak a little in about June or July, buy it and try not to forget where I hid it for half a year. This is surely the first time that we have not been able to share this special day together. We have had great fun with Groundhog’s Day for a long time. I wonder what we fought about?

Everyone here thinks that Jason is at least half Japanese, he is constantly taking pictures with the impressive array of picture and video cameras he brought with him. He plans to make a documentary of our shared experiences, maybe a book and if nothing else have a great, detailed visual record of our time here. He is very good with computers, has a mind that is in hyper-drive with ideas about life, football and fun. If there were a video game called High Energy, Jason would surely be a PLAYER!

Jason is very excited about Saturday’s practice, his first chance to work with the receivers in particular and the team in general. I know the team feels the same way about finally getting to see him in action.

The competition level in practice just went up a BIG notch. Jason has great composure and patience. He continues to be a good teacher to our hosts. His high definition video camera is a great tool in combination with his computer skills. We stopped by the office to bring home the video projector and watched the practice tape for about a half hour before going out to dinner. It will be a great teaching tool for the Elefanti. Jason looked very good today with great command and presence, just what you want at QB.

Dinner tonight at 9:30 p.m. will be at a Mexican food ristorante. This is a very big stretch for me as I live by a very simple rule, i.e., “Never eat Mexican food above the 45^th parallel or in the Eastern Hemisphere”. We’ll see…

No we didn’t see. In terrible news, Davide called as we were on our way to meet him and Daniela, with the news that their home had been broken into and many things had been stolen including all of her jewelry. Of course, they would not be joining us as they were dealing with the police. I can’t think of many things that would be more of a violation than this, terrible…

We picked a nice ristorante near the Zo Club where Renato D.J.’s and where we were to meet other Elefanti  after our two hour dinner. Matt expanded his gastronomic horizons with swordfish and calamari. The talk at the table revolved around Saturdays practice and how to improve the team. When we got home, rather early by Catania standards, at 2:30 a.m., Jason and I watched the practice video tape again for about 45 minutes.

My best parking job of the weekend is pictured.

 The picture of Matt coming out of the mandated, end of the evening Gelateria if of him with a gelato in one hand and a marmalade fiiled cornetto in the other. The white bag in his pocket contains another cornetto for the road. Matt is quickly moving up the depth to number two chart at offensive right guard.

Sunday started with Matt, Jason and I driving the half hour out of town to Motta Sant’Anastasia for church, Brandon slept in and stayed in Catania for the day. We got somewhat pressed to be on time when we got stuck behind a flock of sheep blocking the road, picture. While they heard a sermon about “…being a MAN!”, I attended Mass in the old hilltop church in this picturesque little village.

After our religious experiences we decided that it was time for a road trip! We drove inland to the town of Piazza Armerina to look at the Villa del Casale and it’s famous mosaics. This site is an 1,800 year old villa that was buried in mud by a massive flood in the 1,100’s and was rediscovered in the 1,800’s. Each room and corridor of this very large villa was decorated with intricate mosaic floors which are very well preserved, pictures.

We then proceeded to take the back roads back to Catania and took several pictures of the towns and countryside.

We met with some of the players, again at the house of former Elephant player/coach Matteo as we did two weeks ago, for our first ever Super Bowl MONDAY party, pictures. The game started at 12:15 a.m. Catania time and lasted until after 4:15 a.m. I picked the Giants as did everyone except Brandon and Jason. It was great fun and a good game to watch.

To warm up our Italian friends for the game, we brought the Elefanti blow-up video projector and broke down the Saturday practice film for about half an hour with the players present. It was an eye opening experience for them and it was fun to coach all of them up in such a short time. They really do love football, want so much to learn and the four of us like teaching them our game of football…REFRESHING!

NEW GASOLINE RECORD: Last Saturday, after practice, we filled up the Nissan Micra for 56.07 euros, breaking the old record by 7 cents! To give you a better perspective on the subject, there are about 3.75 liters in a gallon. We paid 1.37 euros per liter, the equivalent of $5.14 a gallon!

Random Thought for the Weekend: In the late 1960’s or early 1970’s there was a show on American TV starring an actor by the name of Ben Gazzara. The show was called something like “Run for Your Life” and the premise was simple. Ben was told by a doctor that he had a terminal disease and only had one year to live. Ben’s character was in his 30’s, so decided to try to cram 30 years of life into the one he had left. I feel like I’ve experienced his quest for 30 years of life experiences in my first 30 days in Catania. I realized that I have yet to wake up and then go to bed in the same day since I got here, i.e., I have not gone to bed before 12:30 a.m. once this whole time and it is usually much more like 3:00 a.m. when I hit the sack.

Manly Men Bonding

After the newbies arrived and got settled either at home or at the office, it was off to practice at the University. Brandon is a PLAYER! More importantly for our team he is also a very good teacher. He did a great job with helping our other offensive linemen and brings a tough attitude to the practice. I really want to see him at Nose Guard on defense, I think he will be a dominant two way player. His example is going to raise everybody's level of play on both the offensive line and the front eight on defense.

Jason is not really the "Positologist" he claims to be, what he really is is a "Million Miles an Hourist"...really high energy. He also is a good teacher and will also, beyond question, raise the level of play for our offense and for our linebackers and defensive backs.

In a nutshell, our team just got a whole lot better!

After practice it was a night of team bonding. First it was dinner, picture, at a small restaurant near the Piazza Duomo that specializes in meat. We ate all sorts of wonderful things, including cavallo. My new favorite is a dish that has green onions wrapped in bacon, MAMMA MIA!!!

From there is was off to the nearby Etoile D'Or, pictures, for cannolis. Jason gave Matt the perfect new nickname "Obi Won Cannoli". He only had two last night. After my cannoli, Giulio bought me a "Small Breast of Sant'Agata". Sant'Agata is the patron saint of Catania and was martyred by a Roman Emperor who cut off her breasts before killing her. Etoile D'Or serves these white pasteries with a candied cherry on top in memory of her, quite good but I'm still a cannoli and gelato man first and foremost.

We went to the Fundo Bianco bar where the owner, Atiel (crazy looking guy with the red eyes that is not Matt) picture, had his Harley-Davidson parked out front. Brandon lit up when he saw it and struck up a conversation with Atiel about motorcycles and tatoos, instant bonding and a very happy lineman.

Jason got up early enough to go  out on the patio, picture, and see his first sunrise in Aci Castello. The we walked into Aci Trezza for a cornetto and cappuccino. Afterwards I introduced him to the "Two Marias", picture,  far left and far right. They are the ladies who run the local dry cleaners. I brought them a cornetto to share and they are our friends for life. They do a great job running their business and think we have connections in Hollywood. They also want us to introduce them to Mel Gibson and Richard Gere.

Finally, you see a picture of Jason with a fresh gash on his forehead.

He was either

A. hurt in practice when a linebacker blitzed and gave him a vicious blow to the head

or

B. hit his head on the little pop up top that hides the view of the trunk in our hatchback car putting his gear into the car after practice. You decide.

The Second Coming

THEY'RE HERE!

Brandon and Jason are finally in Catania. In the picture at the airport, besides Brandon and Jason are several of the Elefanti who came to see the two newest members of the team.

You will note a young man in white at the right of the picture. We don't know who he is, just a guy at the airport who was drawn in by the magic of the Elefanti machine!

Practice tonight at 8:00 at the University for the OL/DL/RB/LB group. Then it will be time to introduce the new Elefanti to the nightlife of Catania. Stay tuned for further developments...

Santa Claus and The Easter Bunny

It is finally here, the day that Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny arrive in Catania! At least that's what you would think based on all the phone calls we keep getting..."Are they here yet? No? What time does their plane land?" The players are REALLY excited about Brandon and Jason to say the least. Truth be told, so am I!

Last night we had a GREAT defensive practice! We are moving in the right direction.

Random Thought of the Day: Italian juice, picture, is fabulous! I don't know why but it just tastes so much better than in the U.S. They have these blood oranges that look normal on the outside but are indeed blood red on the inside, they just taste great.

A new Pink Elephant, picture, Elisa was introduced to us last night. Giulio has been dating her for about five years now only she doesn't know it yet! He will outlast her in the end because as everybody knows, "Chicks Dig Fat Guys!" 

Calcio update: This is the first time in history that Calcio Forza Catania has made it to the Italian Cup Semi-Finals. We were there, coincidence? No, KARMA!!! Viva Curva Nord!

Forza Calcio Catania!

Today we went, picture, to the Forza Catania vs. Udinese calcio (soccer) game at Stadio A. Massimino here in Catania at 3:00 p.m. It was an Italian Cup Tournament quarterfinal playoff game and Gustavo scored us tickets in the Curva Nord section. This is where the crazies cheer for our team.

My first important move of the day was probably my greatest moment in parking to date. Traffic was very packed coming into the Stadio and parking was rarer than ever. As we were gridlocked I spied a car leaving on the other side of a small park, picture. I was in the cross walk when he moved so I only had one chance for his spot...illegally drive into the park, come out on the other side and seize the moment. DONE DEAL!

Italian calcio is a combination athletic event, passion play and hootenanny. Curva Nord is on their feet for the full game singing and chanting constantly. They have a chant for every occasion, even to the songs "Popeye the Sailor Man" and "Guantanamera".

They taught us the names of some of the people involved in the game. One of the referees, who I think has a brother on the Udinese team, goes by the last name Bastardo. The Curva Nord people are great fans and constantly praised them throughout the contest. Equally singled out for his apparent hard hitting play was a Udinese player whose name I think is Figlio di Puttana. I believe the referee on our sideline's name is Merda. It was a great time and Catania won 2-1 with a goal in the last two minutes of the game, even I got really excited. The video is of the last part of the game just after the winning goal was scored.

You will notice an area of the stands that has netting over it called "The Cage", picture. This is where the fans of the opposing team sit. There were only about a dozen Udinese fans present because there home base is in the northern part of the Italian boot. There were also about 25 uniformed Polizia in The Cage to keep the peace. Of course The Cage is strategically located right next to the Curva Nord section. I think Bastado's parents were in The Cage for the game.

Random Thought For Today: Italian house keys are really unique, picture. That's it, I just like the REALLY old school look and feel of them.

Last night's trip to Aci Reale for Carnevale was a bust. Although the Carnevale does last a week, last night was not one of the nights, it's an on-off type situation. We'll try again later this week.

Brandon and Jason arrive tomorrow, the whole team is excited to meet both of them! This also means that Matt is moving into town to his new digs after practice tonight. I'm a bachelor again for one night.

Major thanks to Davide who showed me how to download pictures from my Blackberry cell phone to my computer yesterday. Check the Opera House picture from two weeks ago especially.

NOI SIAMO IL CALCIO CATANIA!!!

Big Breakthrough, The Castle, Caravaggio and Clothes

Practice last night was a big issue for Davide, few offensive linemen attended and our best one right now, Giulio, was in a murdercycle accident. He was at practice but is very scrapped up. Defensively, I thought we made good strides in our understanding of coverage techniques versus different route combinations, we're slowly but surely learning the coverage concepts. In the middle of practice, at the other end of the field from Saturday's outburst, another round of fireworks and festivity broke out in a nearby neighborhood. I have got to get a piece of the fireworks concession in this town! 

After practice, we stopped at Jonathan's when a HUGE breakthrough occurred. As we walked up to the counter the lady looked at us and said "Sausage and two chickens?". Believe it or not, Matt is the two chickens order not me! She knew our standard order on sight, WE'RE REGULARS!!! Later when they came off the grill the man who always serves us knew what to add without asking too!

Random thought #1: At every stop light the various Vespas and motor cycles form a pack near the limit line. As soon as the light turns green THEY'RE OFF! Kind of like NASCAR on two wheels, it is very entertaining.

Random thought #2: They serve patatine, French fries, on everything as stated in an earlier post. I am thinking about asking the priest on Sunday if they can give out a side order of patatine at Communion. I know it sounds sacrilegious but I think it could give attendance at church a real boost, just thinking out loud.

I went to the Norman Castle, pictures, in Aci Castello again, Matt for the first time. We brought the nice people who run it one creme cornetto and they let us both in free.

From there we drove into Catania to see the Caravaggio exhibit, pictures. There were several of his works in real size reproductions that are currently in museums all over the world including one that is in a Ft. Worth, Texas museum, it had Matt weeping. I liked his Medusa the best.

Our next stop was a clothing store called Sicily Outlet. The highlight was Matt, picture, trying on a very dapper coat that was on sale for mere 1,999 euros. What a steal, I can't believe he didn't buy it. We then stopped for lunch at Menza having the mandatory ricotta cannoli for desert.

Tonight we are meeting with the Elefanti to drive up to Aci Reale for one night at their week long Carnavale. Last Sunday when we went to the In-Line Hockey game in Aci Reale we saw over 50 recliner buses full with people coming to the Carnevale. Just another night of revelry in Sicily.

The Pink Elephants

The Pink Elephants is a term of endearment for the wives and girlfriends of your 2008 Catania Elephants, an American football team. These lovely young ladies are great supporters of the team and our players.

You have met some of them already in previous posts and they include Roberta, Daniela, Ica, Elena, Valeria, Giordana, Erica, Martina, Federica, Francesca, Claudia, Allessandra, Denise, Laura, Chiara and Serena. All are great fun and make being here great.

When I first told many of you about my desire to come to Europe and coach football many of you said "GREAT!" When I later announced that I had accepted the job in Catania, most of you said "Where?" and "Why there?"

The "Where?" is the great seacoast town of Catania in eastern Sicily.

The "Why there?" just may be The Pink Elephants!!!

Cannoli...Definite Proof of the Existence of God

Where to begin? Friday night's 8:00 p.m. practice for the OL/DL/LB/RB group was both well attended and productive, probably our best practice to date!

After practice we went at the Chiave, the team bar at Piazza Bellini, at 11:30 but the place was deserted so we walked a block to Mustafa's for a Kebob, picture, after we got a gelato to start the evening. Finally at 12:30 a.m. people started arriving and we eventually went to a new spot Fundo Bianco. Met many new people there and had quite a good time. From there it was on to Jonathan's at 3:30 for the traditional Buona Notte panini.

Italians, it should be mentioned, drink very responsibly for the most part, not many sloppy drunks. In the five hours we were out and about I had only two beers and Matt, usually Mr. Coca-Cola, had maybe two drinks also. Good thing as it turns out because on the short drive to Jonathan's I got pulled over at a Random Check Point by the Police. I instantly realized that I had left my international Drivers License at home and we might be in trouble! It was then that ten weeks of Italian classes at Ventura College and Conejo Valley Adult School as well as countless hours listening to Italian Language CD's both in the car and on the computer paid off. In this crisis every word and nuance that I have ever heard or studied came magically together I SPOKE FLUID ITALIAN FOR ONE INCREDIBLE MINUTE!!! The cop, duly impressed, had no choice but to let us go with a smile on his face. The Italian sausage panini with sun dried tomatoes and eggplant at Jonathan's never tasted any better than that night! "The great ones are defined by how they handle pressure situations." We were home safely by 4:15 a.m.

Saturday was very busy, first we had to wake up, never easy for Matt and really hard for me today! Went early (1:00 p.m.) to the airport to turn in the Fiat for a new Nissan Micra, better rental rate for the team. Practice at 3:00 p.m. was average compared to Friday nights great one. As usaul good individual progress but I only had one defensive lineman and the offensive line was missing two starters. SEMPRE AVANTI ELEFANTI!!!  

One funny thing at practice was the breakout of yet another local festival with the usual parade, brass band and fireworks, I again thought we were being invaded by the Allies! on the drive home traffic slowed down because another group was having their festival parade on the main coastal road of Catania thereby completely shutting down the south bound lanes. Fortunately we were heading north and would have been fine except for the car stopped in the right lane with the driver out of the car taking pictures of the festival on the other side of the divider!

Speaking of parades, it is obvious that Sicily leads the known universe for parades per capita so Davide wants to cash in on the action. He has scheduled a parade, with fireworks and brass band, for February 5th in the Piazza Duomo to honor the three American players in general but really Jason specifically. He has given Jason's highlight DVD (see Jason's blog) to the local TV stations and has started a vigorous campaign in the local papers to drum up interest in the 2008 Elephant campaign. I don't know how many people will join in but I think the sound of fireworks and the brass band will trigger a sort of Pavlovian response in the people to join the parade and celebrate. If we get more than 100 people parading with the team it would be a success, we'll see how it goes two days after the Super Bowl is played at midnight our time.

After practice we did he smartest thing we've done to date. We went to bed at 7:00 p.m.! At 11:15 p.m. Gustavo woke us up and we headed downtown to meet the team at The Zo a club in town with our own Falcon, Renato as the D.J. Usual good times with the guys and their girlfriends. We met a new girl named Erica who has so much energy she would make an espresso nervous! She plays In-Line Hockey, picture, and we promised to see her play on Sunday. Went to the Etoile D'Or at 3:45 a.m. for a pizzetta and a cannoli, home by 4:10 a.m.

Matt talks a good physical fitness game, little alcohol, lots of exercise, watch the diet, all the things I believe in! It was going well for him until he was introduced to a cannoli. For him it was like crack cocaine! Sunday he had THREE deserts after dinner! He has also discovered gelato. Davide has him listed as the number three offensive guard on the depth chart. How are we going to get him back on the farm after he's seen a pasticceria?

Sunday it was 8:00 a.m. Mass for me in Aci Castello at San Mauro's Church, priest was very long winded, I'm not going there again. Went back and woke Matt up to drive him to the 11:00 a.m. service at Calvary Baptist Church with the Reverend Seth Jenkins, pictures, in the nearby town of Motta Sant'Anastasia, picture. The reason for this American oasis of faith is the U.S. Navy base at Sigonella. I dropped Matt off and then drove into the very quaint village while Matt attended his service. As I drove away it felt a little uneasy, kind of like the day you leave your first born at school on the first day of Kindergarten.

Giuseppe and Valeria got ahold of us in the afternoon for a delightful afternoon and evening. They are a great couple who I really enjoy seeing. First it was great food in Aci Trezza, then off to see Erica's In-Line hockey game in Aci Reale, gelato and cannolis in Catania and the a finish at the Catania vs. San Croce men's Volleyball game.

The Stadium where they played Volleyball is named PalaCatania. The event was equal parts athletic skill, teamwork, circus and Marx Brothers movie! The first two of these were the teams playing, the last two were the crowd. Everyone was given a noisemaker as they entered, fans were beating drums all over the place and the one end zone kind of reminded me of the guys in centerfield in the movie Major League. An older man in front of us was living and dyingwith every rally. Some of his hand gestures were unique, the one for the referees was universal. It was FANTASTIC!

Dropped Matt off at Gregorio's for some Texas Hold'Em with the boys. Doesn't appear to be fair to have Amarillo Slim role into town for this contest. I took the wise route and left him there with Gustavo. Gustavo and Elena gave him a ride home while I went to bed early for once, i.e., 11:45 p.m.

Drivers Training Sicilian Style

This morning I made the huge mistake of waking Matt up early, 10:00 a.m., to give him a refresher course in driving a stick shift, I kind of expected Mr. Toad's Wild Ride at Disneyland. His biggest worry was going from a dead stop, uphill in rush hour (O.K., normal Catania) traffic. I got him on a quiet isolated road to start, he did fine for a novice so I had him drive us all the way into town!

When we got into downtown I got out of the car to check on plane tickets at the Air Malta offices and let him drive solo for a bit. From there he got us back to the office in one piece. It brought back memories of teaching Drivers Training at Westlake H.S. 20+ years ago when all my heart and ulcer problems started. Matt has this Jack Nicholson laugh when he gets in a tight spot driving like in movie "The Shining". It's a little bit scary when you're in the passengers seat and he does it!

After leaving the office last night we went on a minor food binge. First stop Etoile D'or for a pastry stuffed with ham, cheese and onions. We followed that with a DELICIOUS pistachio and ricotta cheese canoli! Still not full we stopped at Jonathan's Panini Stand to get a pork, cheese, eggplant and tomato panini smothered in French fries (patatine).

A note about patatine, I've previously alluded to them on pizzas. I've also seen them in croissants and of course on paninis. Patatine are a main staple in Sicilian street side eateries. Who am I to fight it? When in Catania...

At Jonathan's we were joined by the lovely Elena, picture, Gustavo's girlfriend. She had just come from an English class she is taking so we spoke in English to give her some extra practice. Elena is very petite, outgoing and funny. She brightens up the room when she enters and her English is very endearing!

Matt and I, pictures, are both trying to find the panini at the bottom of the fries!

We also saw a purple cow, check our QB Jason Johnson's blog for an explanation of this term, last night. As noted previously people here park anywhere and anyway possible. Double parking is routine but make sure your 4 way flashers are on. Triple parking is not odd. There's a spot on the sidewalk...GO FOR IT! Crosswalks are usually a good place to park too. Space too small to parallel park? Just head straight in and leave the rear 1/3 of your car in the traffic lane. I must admit to having already done some of these things.

Now for the purple cow, last night while driving near the Roman Amphitheater we saw an illegally parked car being towed away! This was a first for me, so I asked the people when was the last time that happened? No one could clearly remember such a thing happening but they were all pretty sure that the Pope was still an Italian when it did.

No internet on the weekend, see you Monday with the weekend's updates, CIAO!

Italian Women!

Many of you have commented that while I have posted several pictures of the Elefanti, you wonder what Italian women are like.

This is Roberta, Claudio's girlfriend and me with our strong safety Renato in the black hat behind us in the picture on the left and with me, Claudio and Matt at the Cappella Bonaiuto in the picture on the right.

Her smile alone could light up Rome for a week!

Any questions? 

Cavallo?

Practice last night at the University for WR's and DB's. As always, the numbers were low but we got a lot accomplished as individuals.

After practice we met some of the Elefanti at Chiavi, the team hangout on Piazza Bellini, at about 10:45 p.m. It was very quiet and not many people were there when we arrived. Claudio took us to a local street vendor/sit down eating spot near the Piazza Duomo.

Fellow retired Rio Mesa teacher, Dick Bellman, once told me about taking a group of students to somewhere in Europe I think and how they only wanted to eat at McDonalds. He made them eat the local cuisine to force them to learn a little more about their culture. With that in mind, Claudio got me to eat, picture, an authentic Sicilian cavallo panini, i.e., a horse meat sandwich! I know many of you think that some sort of Michael Vick rule should apply to me in this case but it tasted like beef and the spicy tomatoes made it quite delicious. Yes, there was a stray dog giving me the evil eye about 20 feet away as I dined but I proceeded as usual when it comes to food.

On the way to the cavallo panini we passed the Cappella Bonaiuto, a chapel built in the 1300's that is now a ristorante. Claudio, as usual, talked them into giving us free pasta al pesto. We met with Claudio's stunning girl friend Roberta and went back for the pasta. The ristorante was very nice inside and the actual chapel down in the basement was very interesting.

By the time we left the ristorante it was 2:15 a.m. and the streets were now packed! And people in Los Angeles think Dodger crowds are late arriving! I LOVE THIS TOWN!!!

On the way back to the car we found this awning, had to have a picture to remind me of my roots.

Matt's Bucket List

I've finally been able to upload six pictures onto last two days of blogging and have revised the blog's text for these days also.

After a fairly calm day yesterday, Matt and I went on the hunt looking to eat lasagna for dinner in Aci Trezza. We stopped at about 5 or 6 different places, all had pastas but none had lasagna. We decided to eat at a ristorante with a second floor view of the harbor.

It was here that things got interesting for Matt, after I ordered the veal cutlet alla milanese, he picked spaghetti alla vongole not knowing exactly what it was past the word spaghetti. Alla vongole is a sauce made olive oil, butter, garlic and chopped parsley, so far so good for Matt. The final ingredient is clams, lots of them with their shells, which he had never eaten before. Matt, to his gastronomic delight, has now taken clams off of his bucket list! WELL DONE!

Matt's clam eating I'm sure was part of the reason he woke up at 10:30 a.m. today, maybe it was my knocking on his door. All of Sicily mourned his now failed attempt at setting the last two significant island sleeping records he had not broken. I should have let him sleep.

Matt says he is not comfortable driving a stick shift in town, especially going uphill after being stopped. As you may know I used to teach Drivers Training in my young and carefree days. I have volunteered to take him on some back roads for a refresher course. I told Davide I would only charge the Elephants about 40 euros an hour for this service, I don't think he's going for it.

Practice at 8:00 p.m. tonight at the University's small Astroturf field with QB's DB's and WR's only. Cold, rainy and VERY windy today, tonight could be interesting if the weather stays like this.

Bad News, Good News

Bad news, I forgot to mention, I had my first bad gelato (strawberry) in Sicily.

Good news, I've had so much gelato that I can tell the difference!

Italian Style

I walked to Aci Castello to Gustavo's barber today. The owner of the Parrucchiere Per Uomo is Luigi but his sidekick Giorgio (yea!) styled my dome. I'm looking more Italian all the time!

Afterward I toured the Norman Castle, picture, it's really a rook not a castle, free entry since I'm 60! Not much to see really but great views of both Aci Castello and Aci Trezza. The three people who run the Castle are Davide, Antonella and Alessandra. Nice people, we took pictures of each other and they gave me a bunch of freebies on the way out.

In the news today, the Carabinieri in Aci Reale, where Matt (please note Matt's eyes in yesterday's blog picture at the Festival in Aci Reale) and I went to the Festival of San Sebatiano, found the body of a dead woman in her 20's Monday morning just a few blocks from where we were Sunday night. She had two puncture wounds in her neck and her body was completely drained of blood! Just a coincidence right? By the way, "Il Conte" slept in until 1:15 p.m. today! The Sicilian sleeping records are tumbling!

Practice last night was really good on an individual basis but still missing a lot of key players. The one's who come to practice are starting to see the big picture of what we are trying to do.

Jonathan's Pannini Camion on the way home for an Italian Sausage sandwich. It was a great way to finish the evening.

Many of you have e-mailed me about the lack of pictures on the blog of the Italian women. This Friday at the traditional team get-together at Piazza Bellini I'll bring my camera and take pictures of some of the Elefanti girlfriends and wives (maybe both in some cases).