PAGE 20

November 2005

Journey of a Lifetime: ODP Players Take Soccer To Prague

(continued from previous page)

a no frills utilitarian building by the com-

Everyone there was so loud and excited.

large and dangerous feet. Happy Easter!

After church we ate lunch and pre-

munists for the Communista in the mid-

Europeans take their soccer much more

pared for our game against FC Motolet-

dle of their occupation. The rooms were

important because this is mostly a

seriously than Americans. I loved it!

but, the A team as originally promised.

like prison cells!!

Catholic country and St Peter is the head

After the game we had time to walk

The game was better competition, but

On that note - good night.

guy in the Catholic Church. When all the

around town and ate at a very good steak

we still won 2-0. I scored on a set play

Apostles have marched by, a golden

house. This was the best meal I have had

corner kick that was knocked down that

DAY 7 - 3/26/05

rooster (the cock) crows and the hour is

so far! Also we saw Wenceslas Square,

I tapped in. After the game we had a

chimed by a bell toll for each hour telling

I woke up at the usual time and had

also known as "Wenzel Platz" where

farewell dinner in the city where I was

about what time of day it is. When I was

my standard breakfast. Hard sourdough

there is a huge statue of King (and Saint)

awarded the honor of being named

there it was only about 3 minutes off.

bread with some mustard smeared on it

Wenceslas on a horse. Wenceslas and

Defensive Player of the Tour! From din-

The most awesome thing about this

and two little sausages inside. The choic-

Wenzel are interchangeable in Czech

ner we were back to the hotel to pack

clock is that after Jan Hanus built it, the

es they have on the buffet are not typical

language. My Dad always told us we

up for our early morning departure.

city council was so proud of the clock

of what an American would eat for

were from royalty... hmm, now I just

I have had the trip of a lifetime.

might believe him! Little did I know but

my parents were staying in Wenceslas

Day 9 - 3/28/2005

Square! I only saw my parents 3 times for

Ouch. We were out of bed at 4:00

a quick hello after the games. It was a lot

am which is bad enough--but remem-

of fun people watching in Wenceslas

ber, we lost an hour for "springing for-

Square and also people got a kick out of

ward" so it was really only 3 am. This

my teammates and me juggling a soccer

was brutal, especially when we were

ball in the middle of a busy city. The

goofing around with the packing and

National Museum was at the end of the

farewells until late. The last I looked at

street behind the huge statue. Both were

the clock before finally shutting my eyes

all lit up. It was incredibly beautiful. In

it was 1:30, so I was a zombie heading to

Prague, every building, every corner,

the airport.

everywhere you turn your head there is

We took off from Prague Airport at

a statue of something or someone. I also

7am for our 1 hour return flight to

really liked the Gargoyles on some of the

Frankfurt. I got in the plane, closed my

buildings.

eyes and next I knew it was time to get

off the plane! We then had a 2 hour lay-

Day 8 - 3/27/2005

over in Frankfurt, where we grabbed

Today we were given the choice of

something to eat for breakfast.

watching a B League game, or going to

We left Frankfurt at 10:20 am

Easter Service. I chose the Easter Service

Monday, March 28th, and landed in Los

in St. Vitus' Cathedral. St.Vitus Cathedral

Angeles at 11:45 am on March 28th.

is where Good King Wenceslas has his

and it's magnificence that they plucked

breakfast. Lots of cheeses and meats,

Amazing!! I somehow "lost" an entire

tomb. The Cathedral took over 6 hun-

out Jan's eyes so he could never build as

pickled vegetables, and hard rolls. My

day! I napped on the plane and watched

dred years to complete! It is magnificent.

beautiful of a clock anywhere else in the

parents said it was the same at their

a video. Dozed some more and talked

world. Wicked! It is amazing that some-

The Priest who performed the Easter

hotel which unlike my communist com-

with some of my friends. When we got

thing so complicated could keep work-

service welcomed everyone in 6 differ-

pound, was a 4 Star! They rated mine as

to L.A. we picked up our luggage, went

ing and only be a few minutes off over

ent languages. He is one of the guys who

a 2 star, although I would give it a 3... as

through customs, etc. Brooks and I now

500 years later.

in THREE THUMBS DOWN!!

is being considered as the next Pope! St

had a 6 hour layover before we left for

After we had time to explore more

After breakfast we loaded up into

Vitus Cathedral sits up on a hill and is

Seattle. Brandon was also left with us

in Stare Mesto we also ate lunch while

our bus and were off to Terezin

part of the Prague Castle grounds. It tow-

before he flew off to Portland. Somehow

we were out. I grabbed some sausages

Concentration Camp. Originally Ther-

ers over the city like a fairy tale castle

we entertained ourselves. We hung out,

from a street vendor; they were sort of

esienstadt was built under Emporer Josef

and inside it holds the crown jewels of

called friends since our cell phones were

like a bratwurst. I was really enjoying it

II to protect Bohemia during the

the Czech Republic. It is Gothic archi-

now operational, juggled the soccer ball

until I saw what else he was serving up.

Prussian-Austrian wars in the 18th centu-

tecture and has slender flying buttresses

in the airport, and ate some food; the

A charcoaled pigs head sat about 10

ry. But during WWII, the Nazi's took it

that surround the outside allowing for

time passed fairly quickly. It was almost

inches in front of me. It was huge and

over and fooling the Red Cross they

high, lofty, vaulted insides. The ceiling

9:00 when I landed and Mrs. Jacka

disgusting and I completely lost my

called it a Spa, while they transported

was really, really tall. The stained glass

picked me up from the airport since my

appetite! We were back at the hotel to

thousands of Jews out of Prague and to

was amazing; nothing like I have ever

brother Micah had a soccer game for

change for the game, and then quickly

the camp. Terezin did not have a gas

seen before in my life. And the natural

Bellarmine and my parents were still in

off to Lesany which was about 45 min-

chamber and was not a death camp.

acoustics are amazing. The sound was

Prague until Wednesday. After waiting

utes away by tour bus.

Instead it was used for forced labor,

SO awesome as the music played. One

for my bags and the drive home I walked

My parents missed my game!

when the workers became too weak to

thing though--it was very cold inside,

in the door close to 10 pm. This would

Somehow they thought the game time

work, then they were shipped to

much colder inside than out. By the time

be 8 am in Prague--so 28 hours after

was changed and when they called

Auschwitz to die. It was very sad and

the Mass was done my toes were numb!

waking to leave for the airport with only

Peter, our translator for directions, he

sort of numbing to walk around Terezin.

I'm not sure what language the service

cat naps on the plane. Arriving home, I

told them they had missed it. Peter is

Our team manager Jack Rosenhan who is

was in, if it was Czech or Latin but even

ate a big bowl of cereal and played with

also as of today no longer our translator.

Jewish, explained more about it to us

though I understood nothing said except

my dogs. I checked my emails and

His Grandmother went to the hospital so

and I felt very bad to think that humans

the English greeting, I will never forget

instant messaged a couple friends before

he needed to get someone different as a

could do that to other people.

this Easter.

climbing into my own bed for the first

replacement and spend time with her

After we left Terezin we were

Speaking of Easter, this reminds me

time in 10 days... Heaven. s

before going back to college. Peter was

cheered up when we went to the 2006

of a funny Czech tradition that had its

cool, and was a sophomore at Lancaster

World Cup qualifier game between

origin in pagan times but was incorpo-

University in England. His replacement

Czech Republic and Finland. It was heck

rated into their Easter tradition as people

was a nerdy girl. Anyway, we easily won

of tight! The atmosphere was so differ-

were converted to Christianity. Every

yet again in the 4th game versus Sokol

ent! And for some reason they had it in a

Easter, everywhere you look people are

Lesany. The score was 4-0. But surprise -

very small stadium that only held less

walking around with these woven sticks

we found out that we now have another

than 18,000 people. (Especially since

braided together with festive ribbons at

free unscheduled game on Sunday

they have the Sparta Prague Stadium that

the end. The tradition was that the hus-

because the competition has been so

seats 200,000). Going into the game

bands could beat their wives with the

awful. After the game we came back to

Finland was in first place, and Czech was

braided sticks on Easter morning to

our hotel for pizzas and a free evening.

in fourth. It was a do or die match for the

make them fertile! You see them every-

Oh, and a quick word about my hotel. I

Czechs who pulled it off with a 4-3 over-

where. Oh, and they don't have the

was so excited when I first heard about

time win. Police were in their riot gear,

Easter Bunny, they have the Easter Hare.

it. Two Towers, 600 plus rooms, indoor

and the Finns were protected in their

A bunny conjures up thoughts of cute

bowling alley, etc.--then when we saw

roped off separate small seating area as

and cuddly, but a hare is a large over-

it, it was a complete dive! It was built as

(naturally)  a  small  riot  occurred.

grown rodent that will box you with his