Milano Rhinos vs the Reggio Emilia Hogs

The last game of the season, the Rhinos went out with a... roar? I'm not really sure what noise Rhinos make, so let's just say they went out...charging their opponents. Yeah, that sounds big, manly, tough, and football-y.

The Rhinos were projected to lose this game, but they weren't going to take that for an outcome. 41- 39 was the final score and the Rhinos deserved the win. The entire game both teams literally went score for score, until an unfortunate fumble before the half, by the Rhinos. The second half was the same as the first and because of the fumble in the first half, Reggio Emilia was able to lead by one touchdown. The Rhinos quickly drove down the field and scored to tie the game. Reggio's next drive resulted in a touch down but they failed to kick the extra point due to a bad snap. Fourth quarter was much of the same, until Reggio fumbled which allowed us to score the Rhinos final winning touchdown.

The boys were sad it was their last game but they enjoyed the win to cap off their season. The bus ride back, from what I hear, was livelier than the previous ride back from last week's loss.

I on the other hand enjoyed a nice Aperitivo with some lovely ladies because I REFUSED to go on the bus after my last experience. And it was a good judgment call as well as a good life choice; considering the boys won.



Coach Kreamer's wife Sandy, Cassie, and I. These ladies were my date while the boys were winning their game.

Cinque Terre with Christina & Jake

After Brock’s football game in Bolzano, we woke up bright and early for our trip to Cinque Terre. Brock and I had been before with my parents when they visited, but we were beyond excited to return to the five small coastal villages that make up the region known as “5 Lands.” We spent our nights in La Spezia, where Brock did it again, and found us a wonderful hotel for the four of us. On our first day we laid out and enjoyed the beaches of La Spezia. Our second day was our hike through the five towns. After a small detour, caused by SOMEONE leading the group on the wrong train (that was going 4 hours in the wrong direction), we finally made it to the first town for our hike. The detour only took an hour off our planned hike because Brock got the conductor to let us off… so my mistake; I mean the person’s mistake, didn’t turn out to be such a disaster… just more of an adventure. Each town; Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza, and Monterosso, had something different, new, and unique to offer. And as we entered each new town, we enjoyed something to eat or drink, enjoyed the scenery, took some pictures, and made our way to the next town.

Words truly cannot express the breathtaking views and the one of a kind charming layout each town had. We were always surprised to see what awaited us around the corners and cliffs of our hike and we were all so blessed that we were able to spend time in this tropical, European location filled with the most beautiful sights of sailboats, Castles, charming villas, and rolling green hills that over looked the water. Our last day was a relaxing day on the water, eating with the locals, and catching some rays. This trip was much needed after a hard semester ending with finals (for Jake and Christina), a tough football match (for Brock), and well…for me, it was just needed; especially for my tan!


Fresh new eyes made us appreciate our surroundings in a fresh, rejuvenating way. The entire trip with Jake and Christina made Brock and I thankful for this opportunity to live abroad, but it made us even more thankful that we had the chance to share it with our family member and our friend. Living here, day in and day out for 4 months, has made us comfortable and familiar with the Italian way of life, and having them experiencing these culture shocks, made us remember how unique our situation is and how far we have come during our time here.

Milano Rhinos vs Bolzano Giants

Sorry it took so long for the game blog to be posted. Normally it is posted the Sunday after the game, but once we arrived home after 3:00am and woke up the next morning at 6:00am to leave for our trip to Cinque Terre, I figured the game readers would understand my delay.

We rode on the bus to Bolzano with the team; a 4 hour ride. The game started at 8pm so we knew we were in for a long day. On the way there, it was enjoyable for us girls (my sister, the coach's wife and daughter, and of course, me). We laughed at the boys chanting: "Auto Grill, Auto Grill" the place they wanted to stop for food. We napped and before we knew it we were there. The scenery was beyond amazing. Bolzano is at the top of Italy and it is close to Switzerland and Austria, so our view during the game was of the snow capped Swizz Alps. Brock said it was definitely the best view during a game he has ever played.

We were ahead all game but in the last quarter, with only a few minutes left, the Giants pulled ahead with a two point conversion; making the score 22- 21. It was a great match and we were sad to lose by only one point, especially for the game that qualified us for play offs. The boys were heartbroken, disappointed, and even cried. But like the true Italian way, the bus ride back was a party. You would have never of known the boys had lost their game.

The bus ride back was a different story. We left Bolzano after 10pm and we had a 4 hour drive back to Milan. This is when I say: "The girls should not have been on the bus!" The boys were boys; macho and manly. As you recall in a previous blog, Brock’s “baptism” with the team, Jake received the same warming, brotherly welcoming that Brock did. And forever and always Jake will remember his love taps from the team and he is now one of them. It’s funny to look back and laugh now, but all through the night, as we tried to sleep on the bus and ignore the rowdy boys, we were getting more and more annoyed/ upset; especially because we knew we had only a few hours before we had to wake up and catch the morning train to Cinque Terre.





The views of the scenery behind the stadium. Bolzano is close to Switzerland and Austria. We had a view of the snow caped Swiss Alps.







Brocky warming up.



Some photos from the game.

Gondola! Gondola!

Our first trip with our guests was to the romantic, waterside city of Venice. Brock and I had been before for our anniversary and we were so excited to return in warmer weather and bring Jake and Christina. The charm of the city was exactly how we remembered it; water ways filled with boats and gondolas, streets with quaint shops filled with Murano glass sculptures and beautiful, historical buildings with intricate architecture towering in the town.

We spent our two days in Venice walking the island. Our conversations started with Jake and Christina repeating… “We are in Venice!” “We just ate gelato in Venice.” “We just… “fill in the blank… “in Venice!” They kept saying, “This doesn’t seem real. I feel like we are in a movie.”

One thing that we had to do while we were visiting was go on a gondola ride. We scoped out the gondola captains and tried to “assess” which one would be the best captain to make our experience a great one. A jolly, Italian man won us over and led us to a gondola where he assisted us on, and left us with a hard, non-smiling, grumpy man who didn’t seem to want to take us on our ride. We boarded the gondola and were strategically placed in our seats based on our size…okay based on Brock’s size. We were slightly disappointed we were unable to sit together because Brock had specific instructions to sit in his seat, close to the front, on a special chair, and NOT move! Even with these instructions, the gondola still leaned to the right. Although our gondola man didn’t sing and wasn’t jolly; we had a great time singing our version of Italian songs and taking pictures of our gondola ride through Venice.

We enjoyed a delicious full course dinner at a really nice restaurant and of course some gelato for dessert. We were exhausted after a day full of walking and touring and we couldn’t wait to get to our hotel and rest up for our last day in Venice. We sat by the water and watched the boats go by and we took a water taxi to the other side of the island where the train station was. We took our last few pictures and said Arrivederci to Venice. These memories made there would be special memories that only us 4 would have together.


Around Milan.

Exploring in Venice.




Our romantic gondola ride together.

The Rhinos vs. The Elephants of Catania

What an adventure. Really and truly this game was more than just a match, it was a journey and an experience that I personally, will never forget, and I still laugh when I think about my time with the football boys. Let me start off setting up this blog explaining that for the past week I had a stomach virus and was deathly/violently ill for several days. This game was my first day outside of the house in 8 days! Now….off to Sicily.

Our morning started bright and early: 4am we woke up because our ride was picking us up at 5am to catch a 6am flight to Sicily. As the boys rolled in, some just returning from the club (no really, they just left the disco and made it to the airport) we all gathered around the Airport’s café for a little breakfast before we boarded our flight. As we stood in line and watched the departure time change from 6am to 9:30am, there was a mixture of emotions from the team: some were upset because they could have had a few extra hours of sleep, some were angry because they could have squeezed in some more early morning partying, and the rest were nervous that we would be cutting it close for our 2 o’clock game.

We were finally off and in the air by 10:30am and the adventure had just begun. I sat next to Brock and thought; “Finally, we can close our eyes and you especially need to rest up for the game.” Ha! With these guys, I should have known better. As the flight attendants went through their safety instructions, I was crying with laughter as I watched the group of 40 big, manly, football players mock their movements. “Emergency exits are to the front, back, and sides of the plane,” the players’ hands went to the front, back, and sides with great emphasis and enthusiasm. “Seat belts go over your lap with a click and pull the straps,” the whole team showed the plane (and the other passengers) exactly how to do it with their hands in the air making the motions. They had the entire plane, flight attendants included, dying laughing.

We finally arrived and hurried to the field. The game didn’t start on time because the Ambulance was late (2nd time now I have seen this at the game).
*Brock’s part in the blog* Both of the teams were strong and it was a great match. Within the first few minutes of the game, the Catania Elephants scored to only be countered by us with a beautiful kickoff return that was ran into the end zone. Back and forth, back and forth; every time they scored we match them with a touchdown. We entered half time behind, by two touch downs. The Rhinos came out firing the second half and with a nice drive, the Rhinos made the score 28-21. Defense did a great job stopping Catania their first drive in the second half, but we could not capitalize because of the controversial pass interference that was not called on 4th down, ending our momentum to tie the game. The game ended with one more touchdown for each team ending the game 35-28.

*Back to Lauren*
This is where I should say: we made it back to Milan after a long day and a hard game and got straight to bed for a much needed goodnight’s rest……….. but we’re in Italy! There were two planes scheduled to get the team back to Milan. The first flight would leave literally right off the field and go straight to the airport and run on to the plane. They would then fly to Parma (3 hours away from Milan) and board a bus in Parma that would then go to the Linate Airport in Milan and then they would drive home from there. The second plane would enjoy a nice dinner in Sicily and leisurely make it back to the Airport for an 8pm flight straight to Milan. Sounds easy right? And Brock and I are on the second flight… until we were informed by the owner that the Airport messed up our flight and I (just ME) needed to leave NOW and get on the first plane! I tried to get my husband’s attention and let him know what was going on and I caught his eye just in time. We said our “goodbyes” and he gave the boys strict instructions to watch out for me. Everything went smoothly on my end; the boys did look after me; the only girl who was with the group, and the flight and bus ride was somewhat enjoyable and relaxing. It was hilarious travelling as the only girl and it was obvious the boys didn’t know what to expect. Like, me having to use the potty. Remember I was sick and I hadn’t been able to keep anything down in several days. During the bus ride we stopped for some food but before we got back on the bus I, the only girl, needed to make a little pit stop at the potty. One of the coaches waited outside for me and walked me back to the bus where I found the boys waiting. I was greeted by hoots and whistles and they cheered my arrival back from the bathroom… I was a little embarrassed.

To make a long night short, my original disappointment turned around real quick when I found out that the second flight home was delayed until 10pm; which meant I was curled up in bed when Brock finally returned home after 1:00am. In hindsight, I probably shouldn’t have gone as sick as I was. Our marathon day wore me out! Oh but those laughs!

The next morning; bright and early, we met my sister and her boyfriend Jake at the Cadorna Train Station and we have a whole fun, adventure packed week and a half ahead of us! First things first, for their initiation dinner and Brock’s post game meal; we went to our favorite Pizzeria. We are both so happy to have our family here and spend some time with them showing them around.



The Offensive Line reviewing during the delay.

The football players "interacting" during the flight attendant's safety instructions.

Traditional Pizzeria dinner after football! YAY Christina and Jake are here!!!

Rhinos vs Dolphins

This Saturday's game against the Ancona Dolphins was a shut out! 35-0! The Rhinos were on both offensively and defensively. This victory brings the team even closer to playoffs. With only 3 games left, this win fuels the boys with steam to keep charging ahead for a well deserved chance to play in the post season. If they win all 3 of their next games, they will surely make home field advantage for the playoffs. Even winning 2 of the 3 games, chances are still in their favor.

After the victory, the team went out to celebrate at a local Pizzeria and we met up afterwards at the traditional post game spot; Honky Tonks.

Next Sunday we will be flying to the island of Sicily for another game against the Catania Elephants.


Here's a clip of my T.V. debut at the Milano Rhino's last game against Bergamo.
"MILANO ROCKS!"

When in Rome

This became a popular phrase during our trip; mostly by Brock, who in my opinion overplayed it! So, I thought of some of my own “When in Rome…” phrases. When in Rome, give Brock a new saying. When in Rome, you wait in line for the Vatican for 4 hours. When in Rome, your apartment is above a monastery. When in Rome, you see nuns and priest enjoying gelato at a local Gelatoria talking about the religious problems of the world. When in Rome you wade through a crowd of thousands just to take a picture next to a fountain.

Our trip to Rome was quick and jammed back! We only had two days left of our vacation extravaganza and we knew we needed to walk briskly, snap quickly, and pray, pray, pray the lines weren’t too long. The first day we arrived we went straight to Vatican City where we saw the line (dun dun daaa) four hours long, wrapping around the entire city just to enter the museum that leads you through the entire Vatican; Sistine Chapel and St. Peter’s Basilica. Because we were pressed for time we skipped the Vatican that day and made plans to go first thing in the morning to get a head start on the line.

Our next stop was the Colosseum. On our walk across Rome (literally it was on the other side of where we were) we were able to see many other historical landmarks. We saw the Spanish Steps and enjoyed a nice break from our walk and we made our way to the Trevi Fountain where we waded through the crowd to throw in our coin and kiss for “lovers’ luck”. We used our Amusement Park like map, hitting all the major attractions and we finally made our way to the colossal Colosseum. We joined the last tour group of the night and walked through the most amazing historical arena with our tour guide who looked like he was training to be a Gladiator himself. In preparation for our trip to Rome, Brock had me watch the movie the Gladitor and I am so glad he did. I appreciated seeing the place in which the Gladiators trained, the arena where the fights too place, and the ruins of what once stood as the structure of the Colosseum.

We woke up the next morning bright and early. We enjoyed breakfast at our apartment we rented for the night and then we made our way to the Vatican. The Vatican didn’t open until 9am so we figured getting in line by 8, we shouldn’t have to wait. Wrong! Although the line was nowhere close to being as long as it was the day before, we still waited for an hour and a half (in the rain) before we made our way to the ticket office and went inside. Our tour started with the Museum of the Vatican; the Egyptian Room, Tapestry Room, Map Room, room after room of amazing paintings and frescos, beautiful statues and sculptures of religious figures and historical Roman figures, and then we finally entered it. The Sistine Chapel. When you first enter, you are taken back by the sea of people looking up to the ceiling and the guards yelling “SHHH! No pictures.” You couldn’t help but be in awe of the beautiful paintings in the Chapel, especially on the ceiling, and you realized how long you were looking up by how sore your neck began to get. Another breathtaking painting, that still leaves us changed today, is the painting of the Last Judgment. Around the walls and ceiling of the Chapel, Biblical stories were painted all around and you could see the presence of God come and go throughout the artwork.

After we enjoyed the Chapel, we made our way inside St. Peter’s Basilica where we witnessed our first Italian Mass. The last stop of the day was the Forum and the Palatino Hills. We walked through these ruins with a book that showed us what we were looking at and then a transparency that covered it and showed us what it once was. At first I was skeptical, “There is no way I will understand what all these rocks were.” But it surprised me. Once I was standing where the Emperor lived and where all of the temples and churches stood, I began to see the city of Rome and I appreciated ancient Rome for what it used to be.

When in Rome… we enjoyed our time and we were beyond grateful for the opportunity to witness pieces of history that we got to see. We were amazed at how the structures still stood, how the Churches and Cathedrals were still as breathtaking as the day they were first built, and to learn about how the history of the Empire and how Rome once was and how it became to be what it is today.



Trevi Fountain



St. Peter's Basilica

"Oh Capri, She's Beauty..."

Day 3 of our big trip started off by walking to the Naples port to take a Ferry to Capri (as the locals say it: KAH' pree) bright and early. The walk from our hotel in Naples to the port was a little "sketchy." Like we've said before, we were warned about Naples, but walking in the early morning, on a Sunday, we thought it would be safe... Brock and I both felt very uncomfortable and we were on our guards!

Once we boarded the Ferry setting sail to Capri, the chilly ride was only about an hour. And once we arrived on the island of Capri we hit the ground "running"... or in my case, speed walking because I did not have proper foot attire. :]

Brock had done his research and he had so much planned for us to do! The first "sight" on our list was the Blue Grotto. We had to take the Funicular up to "Capri Town" and then take a bus to AnaCapri where we would then take another bus that took us to the grotto. This was a tourist attraction indeed, but from all of our research, from people's advice, and from Rick Steves' of course, it was well worth the money and travel time. We had to wait quite some time before it was our turn to board a small row boat, but once we were in the water, heading toward the small 3 foot opening of the Grotto, it was so worth it! The water was beyond crystal blue, it was an electric blue that lit up the whole cave. It was one of the coolest things Brock and I have ever seen. We kissed inside for good luck and made our way back to land after enjoying 5 minutes inside and paying 25 euros.

We were starving from starting our day early and not stopping for food! Since we have been in Southern Italy we have been enjoying eating the "new" cuisine. My family is from Southern Italy and there are some foods that I remember having growing up. When I arrived in Italy (Northern Italy), I mentioned these foods and NO ONE knew what I was talking about! When Brock and I choose the place we were going to have lunch, and I spotted on the menu Spaghetti Pie and Pizza Frit (which is fried pizza dough) I about cried! The rest of the day in Capri all I could think about was my Mom, Aunt Deb, Grandma, Grandpa Tony, and my Noni. This lunch alone truly made my experience in Capri the best moment ever!

We explored AnaCapri and we walked around the shops and beautiful hill top island. Rick Steve's suggested to take the chair lift up to the top of the town and hike back down. The views from the chair lift were beyond breath taking. As the chair lift lifted you higher and higher the water got bluer, the cliffs looked bigger, the seagulls were eye level, and the town of white villas got smaller and smaller. Once we were at the top I knew I didn't want to leave and I became uncertain about our plans to make the hike down since we were so far up. We took our pictures and started the hike since our time in Capri was so limited. It only took an hour but it could have gone a lot quicker if: I didn't wear sandals and we didn't keep stopping to take pictures.

The rest of our stay in Capri was very relaxing once we got our tourist attractions out of the way. We leisurely made our way down to Capri Town and explored some more. Brock had us venture out onto a very unbeaten path. Skeptically I followed; even though all of our travelling guides did not mention this area. We made our way through a public garden and followed a path that led us right about to the most beautiful view of the water and small villa neighborhoods that overlooked the cliffs and coast. We spent some time taking pictures and soaking up the sun and sadly made our way back to Capri Port to set sail to Sorrento for dinner.

With just enough time to do nothing before our Ferry departed, the port was right next to the beach. We went over and laid out and Brock took a little dip. We boarded the Ferry very satisfied and sun kissed from our day in Capri. We enjoyed a delish dinner in Sorrento and explored the high end town that reminded me some of Naples, Florida. Later that evening, after dinner we boarded our train back to Naples, Italy and went straight to bed because tomorrow in Rome was going to be an even bigger day.



Part of the island you see as soon as you arrive off the Ferry.


Inside the Blue Grotto


The view from the top of the island




I would like to apologize for not posting as many pictures/collages as I normally do. Our internet is very slow and at every attempt it fails to upload our large picture files. If you have facebook visit our page. I will continue trying to add the pictures from our previous days.

Positano

Positano was a postcard. We had to take a train from Naples to Sorrento, then a bus from Sorrento to Positano but all the travelling was worth it.

From the moment we stepped on the black pebbled beaches of Positano our relaxation had begun. The beach was filled with tourists and locals. Brock and I found ourselves surrounded by a college “study abroad” group of students who were vacationing in Positano for the weekend. It was nice to be surrounded by English speakers, but the romantic feel went fleeing when we heard the college students talking about hook ups, Kegers, and the latest gossip. We consulted our Rick Steves’ travel book and took his advice and hiked to the locals’ secluded beach.

The views were amazing. At any given moment we could look to either side and see the most beautiful crystal blue water sparkling in the sunlight. Sail boats set sail and tropical flowers were the brightest of colors blooming all around us. Cute, Southern style, Italian villas overlooked the beach and the quaint cliff side town brought us the best cuisine. In the slow pace lifestyle on this beach off of the Amalfi coast, there is so much that is offered. Cliff diving, boating, snorkeling, and hiking are just some of the things you can do to enjoy the environment around you. For Brock and my agenda, being alone, soaking up the sun, and laying out was all we had planned.

We enjoyed day 2 of our mini vacation adventure laying out and playing in the water. If anyone is looking for a romantic get-a-way in the most beautiful kept secret of Southern Italy…GO! From the words of my husband, “Positano is the place to be!” He even promised that we would one day return and spend a lot more time enjoying this Southern Italian beach.

Naples & Pompeii

This trip was a “marathon” trip; as Brock and I like to call it. Six places in five days; we had our work cut out for us. We tried to cram more locations, sights, and time for relaxation than was possible… but we did it and we enjoyed every second of it.

Our first stop was Naples. Being from Naples, Florida, I just had to say I was in Naples, Italy. We hadn’t been in Southern Italy and it was on our “list” since that is the region where my family is from. As soon as we got off the train in Naples, we knew we would be experiencing a different type of “Italy” than we had before.

Our hotel was literally a hidden gem within the crowded, dirty, unwelcoming, city of Naples. People had warned us about this city; “it’s dirty” and “not safe,” but we stayed for two reasons. Reason one, my desire to say I was “in Naples” and reason two, we already booked a great deal and it was a central point for travelling to Pompeii, Positano, Sorrento, Capri, and Rome.

After feeling overwhelmed and “anxious” to escape the streets of Naples, we did what any tourists would do. We had an authentic Italian Ice, enjoyed a true Italian Pizza (Naples is the birth place of pizza), suggested by Rick Steves’ Italy book and we boarded a local train and headed to the ancient city of Pompeii.

Pompeii was very interesting and it was amazing to see the remnants of structures that were left after the tragic Volcano, Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79 A.D. As we entered the town, my husband made me laugh. “I can’t believe I’m actually in Pompeii!” I thought, WOW! How sweet, my husband is seeing something that he is truly interested in; the history and ruins must have been something he has always wanted to see. “My brother and I always went of this ride called Escape from Pompeii at this Amusement Park when we were little and we loved it! Clint would think this is so cool!”

Pompeii was founded in 600 B.C and became a booming Roman trading city. The morning of August 24, 79 A.D, the people, having no idea they were living below an active Volcano, Mount Vesuvius blew, sending ash, dust, cinders, and rocks twelve miles into the air. It erupted for 18 hours straight. The white grey ash settled like snow in Pompeii and it collapsed roofs and floors but it left the walls intact. 2,000 of the town’s 20,000 residents were entombed under 8 feet of fine powder. The next morning the Volcano's upper portion collapsed, picking up speed as it fell to the Earth and the red hot avalanche sped down the mountain at nearly 100 miles an hour. It buried Pompeii in over 60 feet of hot mud and as it cooled into stone it froze the moment into time.

We travelled with the Rick Steve’s Italy book and we did his walking tour of Pompeii. As we walked the town of ruins we were able to picture what once stood as “whole” structures that were now represented by pieces of brick, columns, and boulders. We stood where the people of Pompeii lived, used public restrooms, took public baths, ate at ancient “fast food” restaurants, and baked at one of the first original bakeries.


Our first day started with a setback in Naples due to expectations being far too high. To be honest, I think I pictured being in the Naples I call home all the way in Italy. Pompeii saved the day and it ended our first day with a high. We couldn’t wait to head back to our hotel, take a nice hot shower, and enjoy another sunny day on the beaches of Positano.