Archive for November, 2009
Crazy Small Streets, and a Private Villa
Nov 30th
November 29, 2009
The steets are small in Sicily. Super small. Today we thought it would be nice to visit Piana degli Albanese. John’s has a friend, Paul. Turns out his family is from Piana Degli Albanese so John checked out where it was on the map in comparison to where we were staying. This small town can’t be found on any Sicily map, or in any guide book. It wasn’t a destination spot. John asked if I’d like to check out this really small town since it was (what seemed to be) just centimeters away on the map we had. Of course I wanted to check it out. What we didn’t know, but soon found out that although only centimeters away from where we were, it was many miles away- just in an upwards direction.
Our garmin said that it was about 8.5 miles away and had us heading up a mountain. We seriously went up for 8.5 miles. As if that wasn’t scary enough, the street we were on was barely big enough for our car- and it was a two way road! I have NEVER seen anything like this in my entire life. Cars were heading down the mountain on the same road we were heading up the mountain. Either we, or they- had to pull as far over as they/we could to let the other car through. The funny thing was, I never saw the other car flinch. It’s just their way of life. To me, it’s a seriously stressful way of life. Homes were so close to this road that people’s front doors were open and could have been easily taken off by a car driving by.
We finally made it up to the top of the mountain where we found the very cute village of Piana Degli Albenese. All we saw were locals, and they all saw us with strange looks. Like, how on earth did these two people with a Nikon camera find us!? John had heard that this small town was most known for their cannoli so after finding parking- we headed right to a pastry shop where we had our first official Sicilian cannoli. Very good! The two women who served us the cannoli couldn’t have been nicer. They had no idea what we were saying, but were so helpful in trying to figure it out.
After discovering Piana Degli Albenese for a little while, we headed to Palermo. That wasn’t as easy as we thought it would be as going down the mountain was even harder than going up it!
When we finally got to Palermo, we tried to find a few lunch spots that John had in mind but because it was Sunday we missed the boat on the timing of those spots. The whole city seemed to have shut down on this Sunday. The streets were quiet. We found a nice little lunch spot where we sat outside and I was able to access the internet to update this blog. (thanks to all who are reading!) I also used that opportunity to call home. Pretty nice I can use my iphone, connected to the internet by using Skype to call home.
We planned on dinner at Villa Cefala but it wasn’t too easy to get back to our villa. We still aren’t sure what was going on, but we were at a standstill for over an hour- we tried a lot of different ways out, but they all led us to the same place- stopped. We found out later that the shopping centers were offering good deals and people were out Christmas shopping. Just like in the US- but worse! We finally made it to Villa Cefala and had a nice 5 course meal. We started with artichoke capinada, 2nd-dried fava bean fennel soup, 3rd- giant rigatoni with wild boar ragu 4th was a very rare done veal with radicchio, balsamic, aromatic sea salt, and 5th was a version of a cassata cake and a cream puff.
Villa Cefala is what’s called a Agriturismo. An agriturismo is an inn on a working farm. The food that is served is from their land. John and I have been the only guests at this villa since we arrived here. It’s pretty strange (and cool) to have an entire villa to ourselves. John keeps telling me he rented out the place for me.
So that’s our day today! Oh yeah, and I melted my curling iron. Whoops.
Loving Sicily!
Nov 29th
It’s 8:30pm and we are the only people in the restaurant. In fact, we are the only people in the entire villa that we are staying at. When we arrived at 5:30pm to quiet Villa Cefala (after driving up and down ss113 45 times trying to find it) we weren’t exactly sure where to check in.
We learned very quickly that things work a bit differently in Sicily compared to the United States. While walking around the grounds, looking for someone- anyone, we heard noise coming from what looked like a restaurant. As we entered we were greeted by two very friendly (and slightly intoxicated Sicilian men) The younger man shook our hands and pointed to the other man introducing him as “chef.â€Â I pointed to John and introduced him as the same. He took us to a locked up “registration†building and showed us the way to our room in the villa. The villa that apparently we had all to ourselves. The smell of burning olive leaves was intoxicating and John and I could not wait until the next morning to see the Villa Cefula in the bright Sicilian sun.
The building the man brought us to had an enormous door. He spoke English about as much as we spoke (and by we I mean John) spoke Italian. He explained that one key was for the gate to get into the property, one key was for the enormous door that led us to our room. Our room at Viia Cefala is great. It’s actually two rooms, one with a desk, and bathroom, and the other with a bed, tv, and closet. Everything is clean and the ceilings are made of log cabin like wood. The windows have shutters- much like you see in old Italian movies.
Jet lag was hitting both of us pretty hard so we decided to take a two hour nap before dinner. Both men who greeted us needed to know what time we would be down for dinner. We soon discovered the reason why- We would be the only couple in the restaurant. I’m not sure if the young man who introduced us as the “waiter†and showed us to our room was too drunk to actually serve us, or if he needed to be in the kitchen helping the chef. Either way, our first dinner experience in Sicily was perfect.
We were served by the chef, who spoke just enough English and understood just enough of John’s Italian to make our meal very memorable. He took the time during each of the courses to explain what it was, and why it was special. The first course was an antipasto: house preserved tuna with caponata which had almonds, pine nuts, and honey. The vegetables in the caponata were grown on the premises. The second course was a soup. Zuppa di fave. (Dry fava bean soup) with fennel and olive oil, smoked sword fish, and croutons. The third course was whole grilled branzino (wild sea bass) with grilled persimmon and prickly pear with lemons that are grown on the premises. Also included with this dish was a trio of flavored sea salts: vanilla, celery, and aromatic spices. You could tell the chef was excited about the salts as he brought out the containers, and a sticky note pad for John to note what kind of salts he used.
Also included with dinner was a great bottle of Sicilian wine. We waited for the check to come after the meal was over but it never did. We are still a bit confused as to how to pay for the meals eaten at Villa Cefala. Maybe they will charge our room. We are confused as to what the tipping policy is here as well. We always offer, sometimes it’s refused, sometimes it’s accepted. We will continue to offer.
This trip to Sicily began on Thanksgiving Day of 09. John and I flew from Chicago to Washington D.C. on United at 10:30am. We had quite a layover in Washington D.C. and wasn’t sure what we would do for the 3.5 hours we had to spare. When we landed, we thought we should find something to eat so that if the airplane food wasn’t tasty (if) we wouldn’t starve on the way to Rome.
We ended up finding Vino Volo in our terminal. It really had everything we would want in a layover spot: good food and great people. As soon as we entered the wine bar we were greeted by two young men who asked me if I knew how old Ashley Simpson was. They were googling her for unknown reasons. One of the guys said to sit anywhere, but it would be more fun at the bar. So that’s what we chose. Turns out our waiter/chef was a TV personality. His name is Shane Tallant and hosts a show on HGTV called Designed to Sell. He was super friendly and we could both see why he would be a successful TV host. The crew at Vino Volo made our 3.5hr layover  fly by. We really enjoyed our time spent there talking to Shane and his collegues. Check out Shane’s website at www.shanetallant.com and, look for him on HGTV!
Our flight to Rome was about 7 hours and although I slept most of it (shocker) John did not. We watched 3.5 episodes of 24 together- until my computer battery died. When we got to Rome I was a bit groggy as I had just woken up. We were able to check our luggage all the way to Palermo which was awesome considering we didn’t fly the same airline. United has a baggage agreement with Alitalia. When we got to Rome, we just needed to check into our flight at the Alitalia counter. We checked in, got some great Pizza, and headed to our last leg of the trip. The 1.5 flight to Palermo flew by as we both do not remember any of it. We both woke up to the sound of the plane wheels landing on the Sicilian pavement.
Our first view of Sicily was surprising: mountains! And the sea! It was a beautiful sight. The sun was shining and countryside looked peaceful. Our bags made it with no problem. We decided to rent a car here since we would be staying for 12 days and travelling to places all over the island. It’s the first time we have ever rented a car in another country. Turns out if you don’t drive manual, you are going to pay A LOT more for automatic. Like, double. At least we were able to rent a Mercedez. Not our chose- it’s what was given to us. We brought our Garmin from home programmed with Sicilian maps. (thanks Eric!!)
Since it was early, we decided to drive through Palermo on our way to Santa Flavia, where we would be staying. We found out quick what all the tour guides meant by “crazy driving†in Palermo. Uh, we were very taken back by the drivers, motorcycles, and very small roads we were on. Doesn’t seem to be many road rules here in Sicily- if you fit, you can go- Lot’s of honking. We didn’t know exactly where we were in Palermo but we did stop to check out a food market and John ran in to get a local pannelle (chick pea sandwich) at a store on our way out to Santa Flavia.
November 28, 2009
We woke up at 9:00am and headed down to have breakfast. We weren’t surprised when we were the only people in the restaurant again. A table was already set for us with fresh squeezed orange juice from the Villa Cefala orange trees, yogurt, and fresh strawberry jam for the pastries. John and I spent the entire morning checking out the property at Villa Cefala. We did somewhat of a hike up the mountain where their lemon and olive trees were and kept walking until we couldn’t go anymore. A few hours into walking we ended up where we started with some great photos of our hike past the olive trees, cactus, and lemon groves.
We decided to head to a small town called Cefalu today. Upon arrival, we noticed how very busy the streets were of young students. To our surprise, about 20 mins after we arrived on the busy streets, you couldn’t find a soul. We figured out that here in Sicily that the quiet time from about 1pm until 4pm, is a “siesta†time for all businesses. Everything closes, and everyone apparently goes home. We were the only people on the streets of Cefalu. We found a trendy lunch spot called La Galleria which was an art gallery/bookstore very close to the historic Duomo. After walking around Cefalu we decided to go back to Villa Cefala to rest up.
Since we had such a great dinner the night before we were excited to join our friend “the chef†for dinner at Villa Cefala. But this night was different. The young man who saw us to our room, and helped the chef the night before was there, dressed in a tuxedo. White glove and all. He was our waiter and mid meal, wanted to move our table across the room next to the fireplace that was on. We said it wasn’t necessary and appreciated the thought. (it was a bit weird, however) Tonight’s dinner was just as nice as the previous night. First course was raw and cured fish (tuna, swordfish, and salmon) with olive oil, lemon and poppyseeds. Second course was spaghetti with scampi, eggplant and tomato. Our third course was a large piece of poached grouper. Dessert was fresh prickly pear and a reeeallly good persimmons.
Tomorrow: More Palermo!
Appearancessss
Nov 29th
I’ve had quite a few great appearances in the last few months. I’m grateful for everyone who invites me to their city to speak, or expand their bowling knowledge. It’s a humbling experience that never gets old. I feel honored each and every time.
October 16-18: Bowl Like the Pros in Danbury, CT
Thanks to Toney Nelson, Norm Duke, Mike Fagan, Tommy Delutz, Wes Malott, Bob Learn and myself traveled east to conduct a clinic. I came in a day early, thanks to Doug Riehl to speak to two youth leagues on Saturday morning. I spoke to them for about 15 minutes and then visited every pair signing autographs and answering questions. After I had signed an autograph for everyone, I held a short on lanes bowling tune-up class that lasted about an hour. Everyone was so anxious to learn.
Sunday brought Bowl like the Pros. It was a very successful event. We had two squads and not much time to eat between the squads. Everyone left happy, with a better understanding of how their bowling game could be better.
November 1: The Next Revolution Bowling Clinic
Jason Belmonte and I held a Next Revolution clinic after a fun Halloween night. Jason doesn’t know Halloween like we know it here in the states so it turned out to be a very entertaining night. The clinic on Sunday brought out about 50 eager bowlers wanting to know more about what Jason does and how he does it. The clinic began with a match between the two of us. I, of course, let him win. It wouldn’t have looked good if I beat him at his own clinic. 
We spent a good deal of time from pair to pair making sure we were able to get to everyone in the quick 1.5 hours. After the coaching was complete, we had a Q&A session where everyone had an opportunity to write in questions.
The clinic was a great success. Thanks to the USBC, Brunswick, Stefanie Nation, Valerie, and Bryan O’ Keefe for putting together such a successful set of Next Revolution clinics throughout the states.
Jason was able to hang out for a few days in Chicago after the clinic and before his next one in Houston, TX. John and I showed him Michigan Ave, Millennium Park, 10th row at the Bulls game, Second City, and a LOT of great restaurants. (The Publican, Old town Social, and Xoco)
November 7: Hall of Fame Banquet in Waukegan, IL
Dale Lehman, the coach of Robert Morris College in Chicago, has been asking me to speak at the local USBC Hall of Fame banquet for the past few years. The timing hasn’t worked out until this year. I travelled out to the suburb of Waukegan and enjoyed a nice night of honoring the new inductees and stars of tomorrow. I spoke about the lessons I’ve learned from bowling and how it was way more to me than just a sport. This was another great USBC Ambassador Appearance. Interested in having me in your city? Email Andrew Ewig at the USBC here: Andrew.ewig@bowl.com
November, 13-15: Appearance in Wabasha, MN and Lacrosse, WI
Parker Bohn III and I were asked at Bowl Expo in June if we would like to travel to Minnesota and across the border of Wisconsin in November. Although it seemed very far away, I accepted and said I would be grateful for the opportunity. Dick Zierke from Play-Mor Lanes in Lacrosse, WI had me at his center a year earlier to conduct a clinic for his youth bowlers. Jim O’ Reilly and I met years back at the Wisconsin High School State Tournament where I was there representing Brunswick and he was there representing Bob’s Business. Both, are two of the nicest men you could meet with a great passion for bowling- especially youth bowling.
Parker and I arrived into Minneapolis Airport on November 13th. Parker rented a car, and we drove a few hours to Wabasha where we would stay for the night. Jim O’ Reilly booked us a room at a VERY nice Bed & Breakfast right down the street from his bowling center. That night was spent at Jim’s bowling center while he was finishing up league. Everyone seemed happy that we were in their small town of Wabasha.
The morning of November 14th we went downstairs of the B&B and had a great breakfast cooked there by the great hosts of the Inn. We then headed to Lacrosse, WI where we would bowl in two pro-ams and talk to a new collegiate bowling program: Viterbo University. Parker stayed in Lacrosse to bowl a third pro-am that night while I was driven back to Wabasha to appear at a no-tap tournament. It wasn’t until after midnight that I left the bowling center. The next day was full of more pro-ams at the local youth tournament held at Jim O’ Reilly’s bowling center.
I left on the night of the 15th to fly back to Chicago. The next morning I would have to drive up to Muskegon, MI for a Pro Staff Camp.
November 16-19: Brunswick Pro Staff Camp
The entire Brunswick Pro Staff Camp gathered in Muskegon, MI from November 16-19 to test balls, conduct a photoshoot, and talk to the Research and Development team who designs all the great Brunswick balls. Carolyn Dorin-Ballard, myself, Brad Angelo, Sean Rash, Nathan Bohr, Jason Sterner and Parker Bohn III were all present. It’s an honor to be a part of such a small, elite pro staff.
The first day of the camp we spent working out all the balls that were drilled for us. I have never worked out 11 balls at the same time. You can imagine how long it took to work out the thumbs of 11 balls, and insert all the tape that was needed. Some of us require more time to work out their bowling balls- (Nathan) and some of us can get it done pretty quickly. (me)
We met with the heads of marketing at Brunswick, Bob Daniels, Nick Stickler, and Ron Addison as well as Eric Pope. This was a great opportunity to express our gratitude for the great job that they do for us and find out how we can do a better job as a part of the elite Brunswick staff. It really felt like a team meeting. I feel very fortunate to be associated with such great people.
November 17th was a full day of photo shooting. It might have been one of the coolest photo shoots I have ever been a part of. We spent time taking on lane photos as well as candid shots and close ups. I look forward to seeing what creative ways they will use these shots.
November 18th was a full day of bowling ball testing. The new balls are great and I’m so excited to compete with them.
We had one on one meetings today with Rick Benoit to discuss if anything was missing in our arsenal and what we did think was missing, we drilled for us immediately. My favorite ball that was tested was the Wild Card. For those that don’t have one: go get one! The ball is amazing. Be looking for my detailed opinions about the balls in blogs to come.
November 19th: more ball testing! It was interesting to test all the new balls up against one another. I kept a very detailed journal as to what each ball did, and how it was drilled. Thanks to Rick Benoit, and the R&D staff at Brunswick: Bill Orlikowski, Ray Edwards, and Aaron Koch for explaining more about the philosophy of each new ball.
I know that this camp will benefit the entire pro staff in the near future. It was a great experience to get together as a small team and learn and build from one another. Although we are all competitors, we also want each other to bowl well. We are teammates above anything else.
