Wow (is all I have to say)

Me, by the statue of the heroic Archduke Karl

(Taken on March 15, 2011)

Hitler visits Vienna

Picture TAKEN MARCH 15, 1938!!!

"Valking" in Vienna can "Vear" You Out.

Today, after a little film study, I set out to find another historical site. The Augustiner Kirch is a church built in the late 1300s. Napoleon wed his Austrian bride, Maria Louisa, there AND the hearts of 4o plus Austrian Emperors are contained in urns within the confines of the cathedral.

After a trip on the U Bahn that included a stop near a Vapiano (that I resisted; momentarily) at the Herrengasse stop. I was headed toward where I thought the church was when I encountered an attraction that is near to the heart of my parents in Freedom, Ok. What I have always known as the Lippenzaner Stallions. These internationally equine residents of the Hofburg are trained and pampered in a courtyard in part of the Hofburg. I also stumbled across the gift shop and purchased some "goodies" for the folks back in Freedom.

The stallions were just chillin' in their stalls today. About a dozen "horse-keepers" attended to their needs.

After leaving the famous equine residents of Austria, I encountered a group that turned out to be congregated around the entrance of the Augustiner Kirche. I was amazed that there was no admission fee and went in. I was impressed with the architecture and the reverence oozed from its 700 year old walls. I sidled up to some tour groups in order to overhear some tidbits of info and was reminded that I don't speak German. I began to take pics when the camera batteries expired. I got the following and a couple with my phone. I will publish more later.

The view from the back. Napoleon's wedding was held in the front.

(I was late and missed it)

From the hushed tones spoken around this part of the church, I gathered that this was where the urns containing the hearts of over 40 Austrian Emperors were interred. I am unsure where the rest of the Emperors are.

Augustinerkirche; the hearts of Emperors reside within.

Upon leaving the church, I was drawn back to the Hofburg. I passed through the "Heroe's Gate" guarded by 7 sculptures of Hercules and was reminded that this place never gets old for me to view. I am constantly impressed by the age and of the city and the efforts put forth over the centuries.

Flo Seidl informed me that Austrian statues featuring riders mounted on horses with one foot in the air, died in battle. I surmised that from all that I saw, Austria lost a lot of leaders in battle. I tend to agree with General Patton when he suggested that one should make the OTHER guy die for his country.

This leader must have met a really violent end. Both feet off the ground.

View toward the Hofburg from the in the Museumquartier. I never get tired of this area.

Whoa! D#mnit!!!

My attention turned to Vapiano and then the old Austrian traditional establishment, STARBUCKS! Austrians actually HATE Starbucks. They don't really say why except to say that American coffee is like dirt in water. I haven't informed them that the coffee I buy from Starbuck's is from Kenya (not yet added to the American Empire as of this writing)

Coffee and Chocolate Turtle cake at Starbucks. Across the street from the Imperial Palace (Hofburg)

I visited the Naschmarkt again and again, no pictures. I think the vendor's food is too distracting. My feet were really hurting after all the walking that is entailed from my wanderings (from being lost, mostly). I decided to return home but as Am Shoepwerk station approached, I decided I wanted to see the Danube. I reversed the direction back toward the north and rode about a dozen and a half stops till I reached Nue Danue (or something like that). I walked down the well maintained walkway to the well maintained bike path (one of thousands of mile of them). I enticed a little old lady who had taken a break from her nordic walking to take my picture. Without the benefit of English. I finally got the request across and afte several attempts, I got my picture at the Danube.

By the Danube.

Evening on the banks of the Danube. (Slightly more water than inthe Red River between Altus and Vernon, Tx.)

I arrived about 6 hours after embarking on my adventure. Saw a lot of sights. Walked a ton of miles. My feet are reminding me of the latter statement. It can "vear" you out when you "valk" on the "vest" side of Vienna.

P.S.

Also, it is official, this time my sight-seeing trip was lacking my best friend who lived up to her commitment to her students and returned to the states. I can enjoy this only so much while she is NOT with me. I hope the students, parents, teachers, and administrators appreciate her decision and this year, as for me, now more than ever, I can't wait till school's out for summer.

I am grateful to and proud of the Altus Teacher of the Year.

Victory in Vienna

Pictures of the game are available on Natascha Wallner's photo page. Check them out, they are great!

See them at:

http://football-pics.jimdo.com/

Our first game signaled a good start and another milestone in this season and my experience. After holding our own with two top-level AFL teams, we mauled an outmanned, out-coached, team in our division called the Hall Red Lions who had traveled nearly 5 hours to endure the beating. The Red Lions team is a very likable bunch and as we shook hands following the contest, I saw guys that just love the game and cared little about the outcome. The outcome was probably not to their liking and they played to win, but they played hard, they never quit, they seemed to be a 'family", and they had no looks of discouragement as they passed through the line during the post-game handshake.

We began the game on defense and early in the first series, the team we expected to destroy, completed a pass, got a first down, and was threatening to be more formidable than expected. Then, one thing on which we constantly preach and work occurred. Just like we practice. The ball came loose. Fritz Limbeck alertly performed the "Scoop and Score" to perfection. After Raphie Hackl kicked his first of 9 PATs we were up 7-0. One defensive goal accomplished. Score on "D".

The next series began after an untimely turnover that gave the Red Lions the ball back in fairly good field position. We held and then Andy Reiter fielded the punt (on the 1 yard line!) and returned the ball nearly 6o yards before being knocked out of bounds by a heroic effort by the punter. He would later return another punt for the same big time return. It was evident that our punt return team was working efficiently. We also had two kickoffs recovered by our own kicking team, one by Max Boder.

Defensively, we had a number of tackles for losses and adjusted well to most every situation we encountered. The screen pass probably hurt us most of all, but we adjusted to it also. Interceptions were made by Markus (the birthday boy) Bernas, Mike Gratz, Andy Reiter, and Fritz Limbeck. Armin Schneider and Franz Koloshar provided veteran leadership and bone-jarring tackles when they got through the line of Ronnie Haebler, Max Boder, and Manske Zott. The "Rhino" package that included Drago and Felix Schildorfer provided the boost that produced takeaways that led to quick touchdowns in the closing minutes of the first half. It goes without saying that we got plenty of work on our Kick-off and extra-point teams.

After scoring our 35th point, the Austrian "mercy" rule came into effect and the clock ran continuously, shortening the contest. TDs from Andy Krammer, Lars Gabler, Stefan Postl, and Robert Holochler (to name a few on the list, if I missed someone, I am sorry) inflated the score to a 63-0 final. There were many more heroics performed by our players and to try to list them all would be futile. I apologize in advance for leaving out obvious and notable contributions. My excuse is my age and the onset of memory loss. We have film to help me remember, I just haven't watched it thoroughly enough yet.

The "pageantry" (for lack of a better word) before and after the game was notable.

One of the first things during warm up was the mandatory lining the entire team up while the referee performed a "face-check". Each player was called out and the ref checked the id of the player (his picture) with the player that stepped out upon hearing his name called. This was done on both team's sidelines.

Prior to the game (and after the teams ran in), the beginning offense and defense was announced individually, a moment of silence for the tragedy in Japan (nice touch), a team chant, and finally, kickoff.

During the game, the speakers that were pointed at the crowd from in front of the bleachers were a constant barrage of stadium hits. Bits of "We Ready" and "Tonight's gonna' be a Good Night" and a hundred other sound bytes played. Filling up all the time between plays. After each score, Austrian teams have a "touchdown song". Ours was something that included "Yankee Doodle" as part of it. Don't really know why. But anything they play after we score is my favorite. Johnathan noted that the "DJ" who ran the sound was probably the most prepared of all the people with responsibilities for the game in the stadium that day.

Following the game, the "greet the crowd" portion previously mentioned in an earlier blog was carried out and then players met their friends and family at the rail behind the team box. No spectators went onto the field.

I saw nobody berating the officials (though, Heaven knows they needed it). No one was griping at the coach because their son didn't play. I heard no one complaining about the coaches or the play calling and so far today, no administrator has asked if everyone played and checked to see if my language was pristine enough during the game. Following the game, I had no laundry to do. No post game interview. I don't have to request a bus, meals, or fill out a loss of school time form, or wait on the list in order to check eligibility for the next contest and I don't have to worry that the Ag boys are digging a trench across the practice field. Nobody turned in their helmet because they didn't play as much as they wanted. No one ran out of the locker room because a teammate threatened him with a rubber snake either.

All in all, it was a victory in Vienna.

Now it's over and it's time to concentrate on the next game.

Baden and the Gleichweit

On Tuesday afternoon, following a short visit to the Naschmarkt (more on that later), we joined Johnathan and jumped on a train (the Weasel) to a town just south of Vienna called Baden (bawd'-un). Historically, the first record of Baden goes back to 50 a.d. when the Romans discovered a natural spring of "healthy water". It became a favorite "spa" site for royalty and the rich and remains. to this day, a popular resort. It also boasts the largest casino in Europe. I couldn't enter the casino as it was not open yet and I was not dressed formally enough (both things would NEVER keep anyone out of a Vegas casino).

Waiting on the Weasel

Our hosts were the family of Raphael Hackl, our Spike linebacker/strong safety. Raphie had played in Texas as a foreign exchange student and still flies an American flag at his house. A lifelong resident of Baden, Raphie gave us a short driving tour and then we met his mom, Johanna, for some coffee. After coffee, we went down a narrow street to an outdoor cafe, met some more family members and had a taste of the local wine. Following this relaxing stop, we went on a walking tour of the shops along the now-familiar narrow, cobblestone streets. More amazing sweets, chocolates, and sights.

We arrived at a beautiful area with an orchestra stage and a hill lined with shrubbery and places where flowers will soon be blooming. Up a winding path we made our way till we reached a "temple" dedicated to Ludwig von Beethoven. Beethoven spent much time in Baden, partly because of his various health problems, seeking relief from the medicinal properties of the baths. One of the highest points around the clear day allowed us to scan the entire area for miles. As the twilight descended, we stopped at yet another cafe to again sample some more refreshments. It became apparent that the people in Baden know how to relax, socialize, and enjoy each other's company.

Susan and I; from the Beethoven Memorial. Behind us is Baden, Austria.

Johnathan and Baden

Raphie Hackl (on the tackle!) and Me.

Composer, meet Nashville songwriter.

After the previously mentioned stop, we arrived at the restaurant owned by family members close to Raphie. In a building dating back to 1691, we were directed to a large corner booth where we would be joined by other friends, team member Mike Gratz, and family members. Everywhere we went, the Hackls were known and warm conversations always included our introduction. This friendly treatment has been afforded us in EVERY situation we have encountered on our trip. Soon, I plan to list the many acts of gracious kindness we have been lucky enough to enjoy. It will be a huge list.

I ran schnitzel consumption count up to 12 as I ordered for Susan and myself. It was an amazing traditional Austrian meal. I was enjoying my schnitzel when Raphie insisted that I try a bite of his meal. Knowing of what his meal consisted, I tried to politely resist. The meal, blutwurstel, is basically sausage made of blood. That's it. Blood. Yummy, right? After realizing that I wasn't going to avoid this encounter, I grudgingly tasted a morsel of it. I wish I could report that it changed my mind about eating blood and I will now be replacing schnitzel as my new favorite Austrian dish. Nope. Not happening. I appreciate the offer, but I can't get the idea out of my head. No more blood sausages for me. Now I have tried them.

The dining experience in Austria is somewhat foreign to the average American. They eat, and talk, and drink, and talk, and have desert, and talk, and laugh, and talk, and have more to drink, and, well you get the idea. Fast food is NOT the norm. People enjoy each other's company, discuss everything under the sun, and linger around the table for longer than this American is accustomed. It is something with we need to re-acquaint ourselves.

As the evening seemed to be coming to an end, we were invited to tour the family wine cellar. The family produces their own wine (which is AMAZING) from their own vineyards. We descended down a narrow stairway to a cellar built in 1691 (fyi: the FIRST settlement in American was Jamestown in 1607) We observed casks with aging wine, bottles stacked and waiting to be individually turned and cases of ready to serve wine. The darkness and close quarters took their toll on my claustrophobic nature and although I was greatly impressed with the wine cellar, I was glad to return to the ground floor (after a few pics).

In the wine cellar, circa. 1691 (the cellar, not me)

Another pic of the wine cellar

As the evening came to a close, precipitated by the fact that the last Weasel would be leaving town in a few minutes, we said our goodbyes after yet another Austrian tradition of ending the evening with a toast at the bar before leaving.

The night ended with a ride back to Vienna and a U Bahn trip to our stop. A night that was good in Baden.

First Visit to the First District.

Tuesday morning I awakened Susan and asked her if she wanted to go for a walk. She just threw on some warm-ups thinking the walk would be around the neighborhood. Boy, was she mistaken. We got the word from Coach Weinberger that he would be working from home and we would have the day off. So with that news, we decided to jump on the U Bahn and visit the First District.

Vienna's first district is the cultural center of old Vienna. The Emperor had the defensive walls torn down, allowing a "Ring" to form around the Imperial Palace. In this historic area can be found: the Opera House, St. Stephan's church, the Museum Quarter, and many other government and cultural treasures. Armed with the tourist book given to me by Lynsey and Andrew, we exited the U Bahn subway near the Opera and sought adventure.

Before leaving the Subway however, I heard the strains of orchestra music. I looked around and discovered the ultimate; The Opera TOILET! Who wouldn't want to be serenaded by Mozart's greatest hits as they created their own masterpiece? I deposited the coins and entered a WC complete with the standard expected equipment AND a piano. Thousands of pictures of the opera, performers, and composers adorned the walls as familiar strains of orchestral bliss cascaded from the strategically placed speakers.

Opera Toilet: MIT MUSIK!

Although no cultural experience could match the trip to the Opera Toilet, we vowed to continue our trip through the streets of Vienna. Upon exit from the Subway station we ascended into a glorious Austrian day. A bright, clear, robin's egg blue sky; calm and just warm enough for a light jacket met us. A vibrant combination of sounds and sights greeted us from the first step out of the station and came in a steady stream as we strolled. The steeple of the old St Stephan's church attracted us even as McDonald's and Burger King signs competed with more unfamiliar European businesses along the canyons of buildings that adorn the "Ring". Outdoor cafes that were in the sunlight got the most business from those having sweets, coffee, and conversations. Workmen scurried around scaffolds of renovation projects that included the church. School groups are herded along by harried teachers. Men in Baroque costumes hawk concert tickets for the night's various performances (little do they know, I have ALREADY been serenaded in the Opera toilet). Horsedrawn carriages await to clip-clop their way along, carrying tourists from all points of the globe. Street after street beckoned us and soon, I had no clue where we started or where to go next. My answer? Eat! We ducked into a Nordsee (similar to a high end Long John Silver's) where we ate and consulted the Fodor's Guide to Austria. After obtaining our bearings, we realized that we were near the Hofburg. The Imperial Palace. (Not to be confused with Schonbrunn, which is the SUMMER palace)

The Hofburg. (Cars actually drive through the entrance in the center)

Part of the original Palace defense. This remains intact. A narrow tunnel at the base of the original wall.

We wondered around the palace courtyard and out the entrance through which we could see cars pass. Through the arched doors we passed. As we walked through, massive doors eight inches thick and reinforced with iron sat on huge hinges. I realized that these doors were NOT for show and that they actually were designed to provided defense for the inhabitants against invaders.

Through the palace gates, we encountered an large park complete with a panoramic view of virtually dozens of structures, buildings, and statues. Each amazing in it's own right. I was overwhelmed and realized that many more trips would be needed to do each site the justice that it historically deserved. So I will close for now and continue the next blog with the remainder of our day which included a trip to (and tour of) the historic city of Baden. Along with the tour, came the wonderful hospitality and dining experience at a traditional Austrian restaurant owned by the family of one of our players.

That is it's own story.

Pics of the First Visit to the First District.

" 'Stat u" standin' in front of that statue?

One of Hercules' feats depicted at the Hofburg.

Here, he is either killing a huge snake or waiting for a breaking ball thrown by Neptune.

Just outside the Palace gates.

The most beautiful sight in Vienna was actually imported from Oklahoma.

"Go Rangers Go!"

"Kick their a**!"

" Do it now!"

" Do it quickly!"

Time to prepare for the Hall Red Lions. See you at the game Saturday at 2 pm.

Let's talk real soon.

Rangers Visit Salzburg; No Bull!

Sideline

L to R: Coach Hepner, Felix Gassebener, Coach Hepner, Maximillian Boder

Got it?

Defensive meeting.

Beautiful setting.

The Rangers took an Altus-like (in length) journey today. The 3 1/2 hour trip westward to the beautiful city of Salzburg was long, but very scenic. Scenes that can only be rivaled by the Rockies arose to meet us as we wound our way through snow-capped peaks and past mountain lakes, convents, and mountain hamlets.

In Austria's fourth largest (and possibly most beautiful) city, the Rangers unloaded the bus

with a very small contingent of players to take on the Salzburg Bulls of the AFL. Mountains stood watch over the reasonably warm day that was made a little uncomfortable by the wind. One would think that getting halfway around the world, one could escape Oklahoma-like wind. Not really.

We arrived a little late and the Bulls were in full warm up mode as our players hurried to take the field.

Soon we were playing defense (missing both starting DEs and two LBs) that resulted in ZERO TOUCHDOWNS for the AFL team. They were missing their starting QB (an import that played at Tulsa and various JCs around the midwest) but our guys flew around and played pretty good technique. We got 6 turnovers, scored 2 times on Defense and tackled well. Could have tackled better. Could have gotten more people to the ball. But we have shown improvement.

On an interesting note (to me), Luki, our center, hurt his shin. He came out of the game and later, when I looked over to see how he was, he had an "pack" made of snow gathered from the sideline on his injury. Haven't seen that lately.

This coming Saturday, we play the Carinthia Red Lions here in Vienna. If you are worried that the NFL may not play this fall, this could be your football fix. Kickoff is at 2:00 pm Central European Time (9 am Central Standard Time). I'm sure it will be one of the ESPN channels!

I uploaded some pics that Susan took.

I was really glad that Susan accompanied us. For the first time in 32 years, she rode the bus with that football team I coached. She stood on the sideline and didn't have to hear one idiot yell about how bad the coaching was. Afterwards; McDonalds!!! Then a long bus ride home through the same beautiful countryside.

I have to say, it was a pretty good day.

Pics from the Palace

Post-Palace Schnitzel!!!

In the front courtyard.

Susan and I in front; Neptune and his party in the back.

Susan and I at the top of the climb.

My loyal subjects! Hearken thine ears unto my voice. I do address thee in this, thy country.

Let it be known that thou art to recognize only one football in thy land and that shall be..... Football American-Style!!!!

(And the Rangers shall rule over thee for ever!)

Susan from the top of the hill overlooking Schonbrunn Palace. In the background; the skyline of Vienna

Me, from the balcony of the palace. The pic of Susan was taken from the structure in the background. Yes, I walked up that incline.