Venice

On Tuesday, my roommates (Courtney Bradley and Jessica Jenkins), one of our trainers (Axel Riegler), and I traveled to Venice, Italy.  We left around 9:30 a.m. or 10 a.m.  The drive was scheduled to take five hours, but some missed turns changed the road trip into about a seven- or eight-hour journey.  We had to pay nearly €50 in tolls because we turned around on the highway so many times and went through some of the same toll booths about three times each.  After the never-ending car ride, we finally made it to Venice!

We parked the car at a nearby parking garage and started walking around Venice.  The smell of salt water reminded me of home!  The first thing on everybody's mind was food, so we decided to eat at an Italian restaurant overlooking the Grand Canal.  We probably should have looked at the prices on the menu before sitting down at our table.  I ordered a small bottle of wine, of course.  That was one of the main "To-Do" items on my list: try Italian wine.  For a small bottle of wine, which is two glasses, it cost €17.  The bottle ended up being more expensive than my actual meal.  It was nice to see seafood on the menu because in Austria, there is no seafood, unless it is frozen section of the market.  As a girl that grew up near the beach, I love seafood!  I ordered Spaghetti alle vongole (Spaghetti with white clams).  It tasted really good but I feel I could make a better version of the dish.  It definitely was not worth the money.  Jessica ordered a pasta dish with tomato sauce, while Axel ordered pizza.  Courtney, the one of the family that doesn't try anything new, ordered Gnocchi with Gorgonzola.  I had a taste of her dish and it was delicious!  Courtney liked it as well, which seemed surprising to all of us at the table.  After we ate, we got our bill and it was €104.  That first meal killed our wallets and I don't think we were planning on going back there again.

After dinner, we walked around Venice some more and went into all the little shops.  We found that nearly everything was expensive.  Once the sun started going down, we were determined to find a place to stay for the night.  We searched around Venice for the cheapest hotel that would accompany a group of four people.  After failing several times, we finally found a place that had a quad-room vacant.  Once we paid for the room, we had to walk all the way back to the car to grab our luggage.  After we walked back to the hotel and put our luggage in the room, we decided to go walking and get some drinks.  We bought some beer and wine and then we went to a little bar known for making fresh fruit frozen drinks.  Jessica ordered a Bloody Mary and I ordered a Pomegranate Vodka frozen drink.  Axel showed how tough he was as he ordered a Piña Colada.  We returned home around midnight or 1 a.m.

The next morning, I got up early to run around Venice.  I was hoping that the tourists had not already packed the streets, but I was wrong.  It was difficult running in Venice as I had to dodge so many people.  After my run, I returned to the hotel to wake up my children (Courtney and Jessica).  They did not like my way of waking them up because I ripped open the curtains of our windows and shined the morning sunlight in their faces.  Once everyone was ready, we went downstairs of the hotel to eat breakfast.  After the meal, we began our adventure around Venice at 10 a.m.  We walked and walked...and walked.  I was determined to see the Basilica di San Marco, but it was a challenge to find it since we did not have a map.  We took a break at 1 p.m. to have lunch at another local Italian restaurant, but this time, we looked at the prices before we entered.  Jessica and I ordered pizza.  Axel ordered Gnocchi with mixed cheeses, similar to what Courtney ordered the night before.  Courtney ordered a Bolognese pasta dish.  We spent at least an hour or so resting at the restaurant as we were trying to post-pone the rest of our walk to the Basilica.

After asking several people along the way, we finally made it to the Basilica.  It was a crowded area and we were all very tired from our long walk.  There were a lot of pigeons everywhere.  Jessica and I thought it would be fun to interact with these pigeons so we held bread out in our hands.  All of sudden, a swarm of pigeons landed on our hands, arms, and shoulders.  Jessica and I were both praying that none of the pigeons would leave any "gifts" on our clothes.

After visiting San Marco for awhile, we decided to head back to the hotel, but we didn't know exactly where our hotel was located.  This made it difficult to ask locals for directions.  We just knew that our hotel was north of where we were.  Using the compass on Axel's iPhone, we continued walking in a northern direction.  On our way, we ran into another Venice attraction, the Rialto Bridge.

After observing the bridge, we proceeded to walk home.  Suddenly, we approached a bridge that we walked across as we entered Venice on the first day.  Smiles came over all of our faces and a sigh of relief was seen in our body language.

We arrived near our hotel around 7 p.m., so we decided to have dinner at a local restaurant.  With a tight budget, we chose a place that had pizza and other little snacks.  We all ordered kebabs and walked toward the back of the restaurant where there was outside seating.  The room was filled with these large, lit-up lily pads, some bar stools and bar tables.  We pulled a bar table up to the lily pad and set our food on the table.  We used a bench located under the lily pad to step up onto the lily pad itself.  We enjoyed our kebabs on our lily pad seats and watched the Italian news channel on a TV on the wall.  As people gathered into the room to enjoy their own meals, Courtney, Jessica, and I looked around us.  People we were sitting on the benches that were located under the lily pads and they had their food placed on the lily pad, which we discovered was a table.  We must have looked silly sitting on the table!  We were three Americans (Well, one American and two Canadians) sitting on the table in an Italian restaurant, eating kebabs, and watching the Italian news channel, which we had know idea what the news was saying!  After our faces grew red of embarrassment, we slowly crept down from the lily pad table and proceeded to sit on the benches like all the other Italian locals surrounding us. 

At the end of the night, we decided to return home to Austria the next day.  We did not plan how expensive Venice would be, actually we didn't particularly plan the trip at all.  I think for our next trip, we will plan better and not eat at such an expensive restaurant the first night...and we will try not to sit on the tables at the next city we visit!

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Gösser Kirtag

Yesterday, my roommate, Jessica Jenkins, and I attended the Gösser Kirtag, a festival held every Thursday after the first Sunday in October in the town of Leoben.  It originated in 1836.  First, Jessica and I had to get outfits for the event.  Our team manager, Margret, took us to get these Austrian outfits called dirndl.  A dirndl is a type of traditional dress worn in Austria, based on the historical costume of Alpine peasants.  A dirndl consists of a bodice, blouse, full skirts and apron.  We went to Wernbacher Trachtenmode to try on some dresses.  We picked out two dresses for ourselves and returned home.  We went to ice hockey practice later that day.  Afterward, we got ready and dressed in our dirndls.

We drove to Leoben for the Gösser Kirtag.  Music and market stands filled the streets.  The smell of beer and sweet treats, like gingerbread hearts and pretzels (or brezel in German), lingered in the air.  These are just a few things that make the Gösser Kirtag one of the most traditional and popular events in Leoben.  Overall, Jessica and I had a great time at the festival as we enjoyed drinking Austrian beer and wearing our dirndls!

For more pictures from the Gösser Kirtag, click here.

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"My Hour Strikes After Midnight"

My Hour Strikes After Midnight

"On Sunday, I traveled to Klagenfurt for my first time and found that it was warm enough to wear flip flops!  We played DEC Dragons Klagenfurt and pulled out a 6:0 victory.  The game was rougher than I imagined as Dragons’ players slashed you in the arm everytime you skated by.  After the game, we enjoyed a healthy post-game meal at McDonald’s.  I was surprised to see beer on the menu because American McDonald’s don’t sell any alcoholic drinks.

After the meal, we continued on our bus ride back.  In my past four years playing ice hockey at Quinnipiac University in Connecticut, USA, I have always used bus rides back to call my family and friends and tell them how the game went.  In Austria, it has been extremely difficult communicate with my family and friends back home.  The time difference and the long distance seems to separate me from  people in America.  As I watch my Austrian teammates SMS or call their family and friends on the bus, I patiently wait until the clock strikes a good time to contact my parents.  Usually, if I want to talk to them, I have to wait until they get home from work, around 6 p.m. in USA’s Eastern Standard Time.  With a six-hour time difference, I have to stay up until midnight or later just to video-conference with my parents over the computer.  It’s a challenge to communicate with people thousands of miles away, but I can’t wait to see them face-to-face in person, and not on the computer!"

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Highlanders Light Up Dragons

photo courtesy of neuberg-highlanders.at

In a 6-0 victory, the Neuberg Highlanders defeated DEC Dragons Klagenfurt in Klagenfurt on Sunday.  In the second minute of play, I scored the first goal to give my team a 1-0 lead.  My roommate, Courtney Bradley, scored the second goal.  Her shot was deflected and lifted high in the air.  The Dragons' goaltender could not set eyes on the puck.  From in the air, the puck landed softly behind the goaltender's back and into the net.  Anna Johann and I assisted on the play.  The Highlanders completed the first period with a 2-0 lead.

In the second period, Julia Willenshofer added another tally to the scoreboard, 3-0.  Bradley scored another goal, advancing the Highlanders to a 4-0 lead to end the period.

Bradley put another puck in the net in the third period, contributing her second hatrick of the season.  At the final buzzer, I made a pass to Sabrina Schlauer who shot the puck at the net.  The puck trickled past the goalie in the final seconds of the match.  Bradley led the Highlanders with three goals.  Willenshofer and I had one goal and two assists each.  Schlauer scored one goal and had one assist in the match while Johann contributed two assists.  Bianca Tendl and Lisa Marchl were credited with one assist each.

In the same day, two other matches in our league, the DEBL (Damen Eishockey Bundesliga), were completed.  EHV Sabres Wien II beat HDK Maribor, 9-1.  HK Triglav Kranj defeated Gipsy Girls Villach, 7-3.

The Neuberg Highlanders lead the league in points with 12.  EHV Sabres Wien II place second in league standings with nine points.  HDK Maribor and HK Triglav Kranji are tied in third with six points each.  Gipsy Girls Villach fall below them with three points.  DEC Dragons Klagenfurt and Team Turkey finish last in the standings with zero points each.

DEBL_Statistikinformation_6_02_10_2011

The Neuberg Highlanders return to action as we play Gipsy Girls Vallach on Oct. 26 at home in Kapfenberg.  The puck is scheduled to drop at 16.15, or 4:15 p.m.  That is 10:15 a.m. in USA's Eastern Standard Time!

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Article #3 for Kleine Zeitung

Flip-Flops in the Ice Rinks, on the Road

"I consider myself to be a summer girl.  My hometown, Chesapeake, Va., is nearly 20 minutes from the beach and the Athlantic Ocean.  The weather in Virginia can get hotter than 100 °F, or about 38 °C, in the summer.  I am a warm weather kind of person and Austrian weather is something I need to adjust to, especially when winter comes.  It doesn’t even snow back home, so walking around in flip flops during winter is not considered that crazy in Virginia.  In Austria, people still stare at me when I walk into the ice rink in Kapfenberg wearing flip flops.  One of my teammates’ parents said he never sees me without flip flops on my feet and a beer in my hand.  As winter approaches, I need to learn how to put away my summer shoes and wear some real Austrian footwear.

I even wore flip flops to our last game in Slovenia on Sunday, but once I got there, I knew I made the right choice of wearing flip flops.  Some teammates were complaining about how hot it was when we went walking around Marburg before the game.  After the walk, we got ready for the game.  This team was more talented and skilled than our last opponent, but we pulled out a 5:2 win on the road.  I can’t wait for our next road trip as we play DEC Dragons Klagenfurt on Sunday.  Hopefully, it is warm enough to travel in flip flops!"

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Abenteuerwelt (Adventure World) Mautern and Gösser Brewery

Grüss Gott!  On Wednesday, Neuberg Highlander teammate Evelyn "Eve" Hochegger took my roommates (Courtney Bradley and Jessica Jenkins) and I to Abenteuerwelt (Adventure World) Mautern, a wildlife park in Mautern.  I experienced riding on my first ski lift, although I didn't have skis on my feet and there wasn't any snow on the ground.  With my nerves on edge, I attempted getting into the moving chair.  Once we approached the end of the lift, I sprinted from the chair and headed off the platform.  I was afraid the chair might run me over, but I made it to the top of the mountain safe and sound!

Once we arrived at the top of the mountain, we started touring the wildlife park.  There was a trail that guided us through the park.  Working our way down the mountain, we saw an array of different animals: Luchs (lynx), Wölfe (wolves), Bären (bears), Alpaka (alpaca), Mähnenspringer (Barbary sheep), Bison, Yak, Damwild (fallow deer), rotwild (red deer), as well as several other animals.

(photo courtesy of Eve Hochegger)

"Sky Dive" (photo courtesy of Jessica Jenkins)

As we observed the animals, we came across another attraction, Erlebnispark, or an amusement park.  The amusement park was miniature and seemed meant for children, but that did not stop us!  Jessica joined me on the "Sky Dive," and then Eve attempted the ride after us.  Next, we ventured to the "Tower."  We all attempted to ride up the tower but Courtney could not make it to the top.  Her fear got the best of her, but Courtney found a love for the next ride, the "Unicorn Train."  She was the first to hop on the ride.  The ride was very slow and very safe - Courtney's kind of ride.  As she went around the track, she had a huge grin on her face.  Next, Eve joined me on the "Butterfly," which was a bit more thrilling than the "Unicorn Train."

After the children's park, we continued our way down the mountain.  We were all looking forward to another attraction in the park that would get us down the mountain at a quick pace, the toboggan run.  Unfortunately, the toboggan run was shut down for the day due to inclement conditions.  It was still wet from the morning.  We had to take the next best thing, the ski lift.  We rode the ski lift down until we arrived at where we started.

We left the park and began looking for a place to eat lunch.  We were unsure of where we should stop.  None of us knew a good place to eat.   We ended up stopping at a restaurant, Gasthof Eberhard, in St. Michael.  Courtney and Jessica ordered a mixed salad with wiener schnitzel.  Eve ordered a beef dish with potatoes and onions, and I ordered Wildstrudel (deer strudel).  It was venison in a puff pastry and fried with a salad on the side.  It was actually really good.  It tasted similar to hamburger meat that had been breaded and fried.

Jessica, me, Courtney (photo courtesy of Eve Hochegger)

After lunch, we decided to visit the Gösser brewery in Leoben.  Gösser brewery is considered one of the largest and most well-known Austrian beer breweries.  We were not allowed to take photos in the brewery, but here are some pictures of the brewery from the Gösser website.  Luckily, we were able to catch a tour of the brewery.  Apparently, you have to schedule a tour in advance, but Eve worked her magic and told the Gösser employee that we were American and Canadian tourists.  The employee put all four of us on our very own English-speaking tour within minutes.

We were escorted into a theater where we watched a film about the history of the brewery.  We learned about the process of brewing beer.  After the film, we walked to the brewhouse, which smelled like dog food.  We tasted the first step of the brewing process.  It tasted a little like corn, but I did not mind it.

We moved to the yeast cellar, fermentation cellar, and filtration room.  We were able to taste the final product of the brewing process.  Afterward, we went to the bottle hall where we watched thousands of bottles getting filled with beer and then sealed.

Jessica and me (photo courtesy of Jessica Jenkins)

It was an interesting tour, but the best part came at the end of the tour.  We were allowed to taste all the different kinds of Gösser beer, and there was no limit on how much you could have.  We also were given pretzels.  This entire tour, with the tasting included, was only six euros.  We stayed nearly two hours after our tour enjoying our complimentary beverages.  We eventually left but only because the brewery was closing.  I think a great deal of sadness came over all four of our faces.  After the brewery, we traveled to Kapfenberg because we had an hour and a half practice!  We all, of course, played flawless as we were well-hydrated from the brewery.

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Neuberg Skates Past Marburg

The Neuberg Highlanders beat HDK Maribor, 5-2 (or 5:2 in Austrian lingo), on Sunday, Sept. 25 in Marburg, Slovenia.  The victory concluded my first Austrian road trip.  It was a rather short road trip, two hours, compared to the road trips I took at Quinnipiac University.

Photo Courtesy of neuberg-highlanders.at

Marburg seemed way more talented than our last opponent, Team Turkey, as I was glancing across the ice at them during warm-ups.  They had more skill and more speed.  Both teams seemed evenly matched at the beginning of the first period.  I scored the first goal for the Highlanders, but Marburg came roaring back as it scored its first goal within seconds after mine.  The score remained even until my roommate, Courtney Bradley, popped one in.  My other roommate, Jessica Jenkins, scored the next goal.  Bradley sniped two more goals to produce her first hatrick as a Highlander.  Marburg added one more tally before the final buzzer.  For a full recap of the game, click here.

We return to action on Sunday, Oct. 2, as we travel to Klagenfurt, Austria to take on DEC Dragons Klagenfurt.  The puck is scheduled to drop at 12:30 p.m., or 6:30 a.m. in America.

bis zum nächsten Mal!

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