SOMETIME SHORTLY AFTER THANKSGIVING I GOT A CALL FROM "COS" TO COME JOIN HIM COACHING AN ITALIAN FOOTBALL TEAM I BERGAMO, ITALY...WITH KNOW LITTLE ELSE I SIGNED ON.
I DID SO WITH NO CONTEMPLATION..WITH NO DISCUSSION...WITH NO DISCUSSION OF DETAIL..I JUST NEW IT WAS SOMETHING I HAD TO DO..SO I AM HERE
THE ONLY PROBLEMS THAT HAVE ARISED FROM THAT WHIMSICAL AND KNEE-JERK REACTION IS THAT EVERYONE ELSE I KNOW ALSO FEL IN LOVE WIT THE IDEA..SO MUCH SO THAT EVERYONE I KNOW SEEMINGLY WANTS TO COME OR STOP IN FOR A VISIT...THE MORE THE MERRIER!
UNLESS THEY ALL DECIDE TO COME
AND THEY ARE ARRIVING...TWO ARRIVED THIS WEEK...MY AMICO FROM AUSTIN, TEXAS, DR. BOB SHOWED UP THURSDAY NIGHT, AND THE OLDEST DAUGHTER OF "COS", KARI ARRIVED FRIDAY AFTERNOON..FRIEND AND FAMILY.
DR. BOB IS A WORLD TRAVELLER AND HAS BEEN ON A LIFELONG PILGRIMMAGE SINCE HIS HIGH SCHOOL EXCHANGE PROGRAM DAYS WHEN HE WENT TO SCHOOL AD PLAY SOCCER IN BRAZIL FOR A YEAR...FLUENT IN FADO PORTUGESE DR. BOB LOVES A GOOD CHALLENGE
HIS CHALLENGE ON THIS TRIP WAS FOR HIM TO ARRIVE N MILAN AND FIND HIS WAY TO OUR APARTMENT IN TONY BERGAMO...WELL HE DIDN'T FIND THE EXACT APARTAMENTO, BUT HE DID SKYPE ME 2 HOURS AFTER TOUCHDOWN FROM ACROSS THE LA STRADA AT BOOM PIZZERIA..AMAZING!
HE THREW HIS BAGS IN THE APARTMENT AND JUMPED IN HIS RENTED MACHINA AND CAME TO PRACTICE WITH US THAT NIGHT
KARI'S VISIT WASN'T AS SMOOTH..SHE HAD NEVER STEPPED FOOT OUTSIDE THE BORDERS OF THE CONTINENTAL UNITED STATES..THE INCENTIVE, HOWEVER, WAS STRONG..HER FATHER "COS", THE HEAD COACH IS HERE AND HER BOYFRIEND, ANDREW IS HELPNG ME COACH TE OFFENSVE LNE
SO SHE PACKED AND BOARDED A FLIGHT THAT TOOK HER FROM SACRAMENTO-TO-SEATTLE-TO-PARIS/CHARLES DE GAULLE-TO-MILAN..A COUPLE OF BREAKDOWNS ALONG THE WAY..BAGS WERE ONLY CHECKED TO PARIS AND NOT ALL THE WAY TO MILAN..THAT CAN MAKE A FIRST TIME ITERNATIONAL TRAVELLER DIZZY.THEN SHE MISSED HER CONNECTION IN PARIS AND HAD TO WAIT 3 HOURS FOR THE NEXT FLIGHT TO MILAN WITH AN AIRPORT FULL OF CHEERY FRENCH PEOPLE...UGH!!!!
BY TIME SHE ARRIVED IT WAS TIME TO MANGIA..LA CENA WOULD BE AT A BERGAMASCO SPECIALTY LA CASA, GIOP' E LA MARGI'
DINING AT THIS PLACE IS WORK...AS YOU ARE SEATED THE FIRST PLATES OF ANTIPASTA ARRIVE COMPLIMENTED BY A SWEET SPARKLING WINE TO ENHANCE YOUR APPETITE...BRUSCETTA, VEGETABLES, OLIVES, PROSCIUTTO, SALAMIS, AND FORMAGGI ARE WHISKED AROUND THE TABLE LIKE IT IS THE BEGINNING OF THE "LAST SUPPER"...ACTUALLY IF IT IS ONE'S FINAL MEAL...YOU WILL GO TO HEAVEN SMILING, HAPPY, AND FULL.
THAT WAS FOLLOWED BY LOCAL BERGAMASCOS PASTAS...TAGLIATELLI, RAVIOLIS, AND GNOCCHIS ATTACK YOU FROM EVERY ANGLE..THERE IS NO ESCAPE..BUT AFTER THE PRIMI PIATTI, THE MENU ARRIVES FOR WHAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO ORDER..ALL IN HEALTHY SUPPLY
PORTIONS OF RABBIT, PORK, STEAK AND VEAL WERE ON THE TABLE BEFORE YOU CAN ESCAPE..SOME DID, AS THEY WERE LOOKING FOR AIR AND A WALKABOUT, ONLY TO BE CAPTURED BY THE FOOD POLICE...THE SECONDA PIATTI WAS COMPLIMENTED BY VARIOUS VEGETABLES AND SAUCES
WITH US AT DINNER WERE OTHER COACHES AND OUR NEW PLAYER FRANK WHO REALLY WANTED TO VENTURE ACROSS THE STREET FOR A McITALY BIG MAC HAPPY MEAL..NO SUCH LUCK ON THIS NIGHT
THE LA CENA WOULD BE CAPPED OFF BY LA DOLCI, ESPRESSOS, LIQUORS AND CHEESES
WHEN WE FINISHED WITH OUR TALL TALES OF LAUGHTER AND MANGIATO.WE SAID OUR BUONA SERAS AND WERE PREPARED FOR OUR AFTERLIFE..
ONE MORE STOP AFTER A REFRESHING WALK FOR A NIGHTCAP AND WE WERE ALL READY TO CALL IT A DAY..I THINK OUR AMICI AND FAMIGLIA WERE WELL TENDED TO AND ENJOYED THIER OPENING HOURS IN ITALY.
AGAIN THE PROBLEM ON THE HORIZON IS THIS WILL CONTINUE THROUGHOUT THE FINAL DAYS OF WINTER AND THEN INTO LA PRIMAVERA..EXHAUSTING WORK THIS ENTERTAINING THING IS.ITS ALL PART OF THE JOB
COACHING FOR CANOLIS IS THE EASY PART OF THIS ASSIGNEMNT!!!
No comments:
Post a Comment