Coaching the Prague Lions in the Czech Republic

During my time in Prague, I have linked up with an American football team called the Prague Lions.  I have been able to help out a bit with coaching wide receivers while I've been here.  I haven't made it to as many practices as I would have liked to because I've been so busy with my TEFL language course.  The Lions have a Czech head coach, and Americans coordinating the offense, coaching the offensive line, and also an American who coaches the defensive line.  It is very unusual to have 3 American coaches on a European team.  I have also met 5 different Americans who have played in games and/or practice with the Lions.  A few of these Americans are here doing a study abroad program in Prague.  The other Americans are paid imports who are earning a salary and benefits like housing, food, insurance, etc.... to play for the Lions.  The team has been a lot of fun to work with, and I've enjoyed my brief time with them.  They are a hard working bunch of guys, who are very eager to keep learning the game.  The team is 3-3 on the season, with two regular season games left on the schedule.  Below are a few pics of some practices and games.  The Lions compete against teams from the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

       The Prague Lions begin practice warm-ups

  An American QB drops back to throw during                   offensive skelly session

Pre-game on the road vs. Pribram

Lions Off. Coordinator Zach Harrod (from Wisconsin)

Pribram got the best of the Lions in this one

The Trnava team (from Slovakia) traveled to Prague to play the Lions

The big Slovakian QB looks over the Lions defense

                                     The Prague Lions won a close       game  over the Slovakian team 28-26.



                                                              Lights out.

30 Hours in a Greek Paradise & Asses on the Island of Hydra

                                                Welcome to Hydra

I had the opportunity recently to visit 3 Greek islands.  All 3 islands were within a 2 hour high speed ferry ride from Athens.  Hydra was my favorite island that I visited.  The other two (Poros, and Aegina) were beautiful as well.  However, Hydra just really stood out for me.  It has friendly locals, beautiful scenery.... where mountains and the sea meet to form a sublime landscape.  The island has plenty of sun, low humidity, some of the most pristine, secluded, and gorgeous beaches that I've ever seen.  Throw in a quaint harbor, views of Sparta in the distance, amazing fresh Greek food, and you have something fairly close to paradise.  There is plenty of great hiking and areas to explore on the island, and there are 0 cars on the island.  To get around, people use their feet, or their asses!  Quite literally, this is true.  With no cars on the island, donkeys are the main way of transporting things and people on the island.   It took me about 10 minutes on the island to realize that if ever given the chance again, I'll be back.  During my 30 hours on the island, (yes I left one day and then went right back the next day), I swam in the Aegean Sea, hiked high into the mountains, shared conversation with locals, ate lots of fresh Greek food, and generally just fell in love with this amazing island.

As I mentioned above, one of the unique aspects of Hydra is the fact that there are no automobiles of any kind allowed on the island.  Basically, if you want to get somewhere, you must walk, or find a reliable ass to get you there.  The donkeys, or asses as I will refer to them in this bit, are lined up all along the port entrance as you arrive.  Upon arriving on the island, I was immediately intrigued by the notion of using an ass instead of a car to get around.  Forgive me for a moment, while I indulge in the contemplation of how this might work out.  (Readers note:  Every time you see the symbols **, just substitute the word ass.)

So as I arrived at the port of Hydra just a few short weeks ago, I wandered over to one of the ** caretakers.  I asked him about the benefits of using your ** to get around.  For one thing, he said, we don’t have any crazy ** drivers on this island.  Good point, I thought.  Next, I inquired about the procedure for renting a good, strong **.  He suggested that I pick my own **.  I asked him about finding a smart **, and he said there were plenty to choose from.  I thought there could be nothing worse than relying on a lazy ** or hard ** who doesn’t want to listen to anybody.  I also wanted to avoid the possibility of choosing a dumb ** who might end up getting me lost.  Next, I wanted some advice on how I might deal with a stubborn **.  He admitted that it could be a problem if I couldn’t get my ** moving.  When dealing with a difficult pain in the **, he suggested that I consider a good ** whoopin.  I assured him that I didn’t want to beat his **, but I realized it might be a consideration if I was unable to get my ** in gear.  Ultimately, I chose a simple **, and as I prepared to straighten my ** out, the young man handed me a bottle of water.  He said this would help to cool my ** down if it got overheated.  We both agreed that a hot ** could present all kinds of problems.  Eventually, I paid the man, climbed on, and shifted my ** in the saddle.  It ended up being a great day.  Even though my ** is still a little sore today, I would certainly recommend the ** whole experience.

ATTENTION READERS:  PLEASE KEEP THE WISE ** COMMENTS TO A MINIMUM!!!

                                                            Lights out.

Fabulous Food/ Tastes of Europe 2014

                                                   Traditional English fare-- Fish 'N' Chips with Mushy Peas

                             Slab of weinerschnitzel over spaetzle in Vienna, Austria

 
                                           Iced Nescafe in Athens, Greece

                     Macedonian Chick-Pea Salad with Greek Extra Virgin Olive Oil

                             Greek Souvlaki-- Mixture of Beef, Pork, & Chicken Over Vegetables

                             Traditional Greek Salad with feta Cheese on top

                      Traditional Greek Gyro-- covered with fries ($ 2.00 street food)

                                                      Czech Pastries            

                            Goat cheese & Tomato Quiche with salad in Prague

Blend of Italian & Czech in Prague- Glazed Pork with Gnocchi in a Cheese Sauce

                                          

                                                     NEED I SAY MORE?


                                                            Lights Out.

                                     

Ancient Greece--The Cradle of Civilization (Day 1)

 

 

The effort to get to Greece was extensive as I flew from London to Oslo, Norway and then on to Athens.  It was a long day and a lot of flying, especially considering the fact that only 28 hours earlier, I had just flown 7 hours from Philadelphia to London Heathrow.  The scenic route to Athens was quite a bit cheaper for me, and I really didn't mind the brief stopover in Norway.  I have been to Norway a few times before, so I didn't feel like I was missing much by only stopping for a short while at the airport.  Considering the fact that 2 small pieces of pizza cost me about $ 20 in U.S. dollars, I wanted to get out to Athens ASAP.  My first day in Greece was spent getting my bearings and really just settling in.  I strolled through the streets near my hotel, got oriented with the local metro and bus system, and then spent the rest of the morning and early afternoon browsing through the local markets.  In the early afternoon, I decided to visit the Acropolis Museum.  This was a wise choice for me.  The museum contains an amazing assortment of Greek artifacts, pottery, statues, and also a number of the actual structures from several monuments located a top the Acropolis.  While visiting the museum, I decided to stop in the local cafeteria for a quick lunch.  I felt a bit hesitant to eat my first meal in Greece in a museum cafeteria, but I was hungry and I heard the food was good.  About ten minutes into my meal, there was some commotion a few tables down from where I was sitting.  The Greek secret service was arranging a table, and creating a security perimeter just 20-30 feet from where I was sitting.  The next thing I knew the Prime Minister of Greece was walking by and then sitting down at a nearby table to conduct a meeting.  I was amazed to literally run into the leader of  Greece on my first day in the country.  It reminded me of a few years back when I was wandering the streets of Rome.  I made my way to the Vatican City on that particular day, and ended up seeing the Pope entering St. Peter's Square.  I hung around that day and listened to the Pope give a brief sermon.  It goes to show that you never quite know what you'll see when you're traveling.

 

 

 

                                                                                  

                                                                        Artifacts of ancient Greece in the Acropolis Museum

                                                                                       Zeus, Apollo, and Aphrodite  (I think ? )

                                                                                 
                                                             More images from the museum (Think they've lost their minds)

                                                                               Greek secret service agents doing their duty

                                            The leader of Greece conducting a business lunch
                                                                                      Wonder what they are talking about??




                                                                                                                         Lights out.