Tales From Turin: An Olympic Journal Archive by Date

My Official Perfect Final Moment of the Olympics

If you don't like sap, don't read this one. Seriously, stay far away. And don't hold this against me. Anyhow, careful readers of The Washington Post or washingtonpost.com will have read Libby Copeland's story about shopping with Johnny Weir. Some...

By Dan Steinberg | February 26, 2006; 4:34 PM ET | Comments (14) | TrackBack (0)

Final Cheese!Of!The!Day!: Robiola di Roccaverano

It's made from cow's, goat's and sheep's milk; the one I bought was very young and very moist. It is one of many, many robiolas available in this area; this one is name protected, which ensures uniformity in the production...

By Dan Steinberg | February 26, 2006; 3:01 PM ET | Comments (4) | TrackBack (0)

Shopping, and pin hatred, and nonsense words

I was going to go watch the Fellini-inspired Closing Ceremonies tonight. I have an accreditation and everything. But I already had my Official Perfect Final Moment of the Olympics (which I'll post in a few more minutes), and I'm not...

By Dan Steinberg | February 26, 2006; 2:39 PM ET | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)

On Mike Wise eating dog food, curling and EU language statistics

On Mike Wise's palate, from a friend: Mike Wise's cheese comments shouldn't count towards C.O.T.D. I've witnessed him tasting a Milk Bone before! Wise's response: It's true, I ate it. It wasn't bad. On the Potomac Curling Club's open house...

By Dan Steinberg | February 26, 2006; 7:53 AM ET | Comments (3) | TrackBack (0)

Cheese!Of!The!Day!: Torta di Noci (Not a real cheese)

Libby and Aimee and I stopped in the Alpine Hut of Cheese for what will probably be the final time. Angela and Teresa and I posed for photos. Angela showed me a plastic sleeve in which they were keeping color...

By Dan Steinberg | February 25, 2006; 4:45 PM ET | Comments (5) | TrackBack (0)

Hail to the ginger-flavored hazelnut-accented chocolate truffle

Loose end No. 1: the chocolatier and Washington Redskins fan mentioned in the Miami Herald way back when I first started. As I should have guessed, his shop is EXACTLY DIRECTLY NEXT DOOR to the Alpine Hut of Cheese. The...

By Dan Steinberg | February 25, 2006; 3:43 PM ET | Email a Comment | TrackBack (0)

On goats

After I finally left the Holland House last night, the utter lack of cabs in this city meant I stood on the corner and talked to some Dutch folks for 30 minutes in a cold drizzle. I told them I...

By Dan Steinberg | February 25, 2006; 2:54 PM ET | Comments (4) | TrackBack (0)

Dutch Curlers, the end

The "Dutch Curling Team" research continued all night. There were more explanations about the "younger generation" and its feud with the national federation, and the problems of the Dutch system, and the problems within the team. "You shouldn't be writing...

By Dan Steinberg | February 25, 2006; 2:13 PM ET | Comments (3) | TrackBack (0)

Dutch Curlers, the middle

As mentioned earlier, when Baltimore Sun columnist Rick Maese and I walked into the Holland House last night, the first woman we saw said, "Oh, we're definitely letting this guy in." I should have mentioned that I had received some...

By Dan Steinberg | February 25, 2006; 12:44 PM ET | Comments (3) | TrackBack (0)

Dutch Curlers, the beginning

I had no desire to socialize last night, but I was getting obsessed with the Dutch Curling Team, and whether they were real or fake. I wouldn't have been able to sleep. So we went back to the Holland House,...

By Dan Steinberg | February 25, 2006; 11:04 AM ET | Comments (2) | TrackBack (1)

One more thing

Those guys who may or may not have been Dutch and may or may not have been curlers gave me one red Dutch Olympic glove last night. Just the right one. I'm not sure why. I've been wearing it today,...

By Dan Steinberg | February 24, 2006; 4:26 PM ET | Comments (3) | TrackBack (0)

Our last wild night in Turin, the End

Ok, I've got to get to the end of this story. It's taking longer than 10,000 meters of speedskating. So after Wise's concert, I went back downstairs to hang out with what I thought was the Dutch curling team. Several...

By Dan Steinberg | February 24, 2006; 3:57 PM ET | Comments (4) | TrackBack (0)

Pin diplomacy (SPOILER ALERT)

This is when you know it's time to leave: when some poor Italian volunteer comes into the media center office and asks for a pin and you scream at him. Gosh, that was bad. I just don't understand. They're pins....

By Dan Steinberg | February 24, 2006; 2:32 PM ET | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)

Our final wild night in Turin, Part IV

Area Cafe, like several downtown Turin spots, has lamps provided by "Burn Energy Drink," but I'd already had quite enough energy fuel during these Games. Before I settled in at the Area Cafe, I saw this Australian guy that I...

By Dan Steinberg | February 24, 2006; 1:59 PM ET | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)

An interlude, offering a free pin and some genuine Olympic spirit

There are only three days left of blogging, and I have at least four pins that I don't want, so I'll give away two right now. The first person and the fifth person who answer this question correctly will be...

By Dan Steinberg | February 24, 2006; 11:44 AM ET | Email a Comment | TrackBack (0)

Our final wild night in Turin, Part III

Anyhow, blog groupie Sena explained a little bit about the Olympic Party scene, which, based on my experience, draws crowds nearly as big and as enthusiastic as the Olympic Games themselves. "This is good, this is good," she said of...

By Dan Steinberg | February 24, 2006; 10:47 AM ET | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)

Our final wild night in Turin, Part II

I said before that going to the Holland House was like going to a high school dance, and I'll stick with that description. But imagine that it was a high school dance whose decorating committee decided that everything should be...

By Dan Steinberg | February 24, 2006; 9:59 AM ET | Comments (4) | TrackBack (0)

Our final wild night in Turin, Part I

Wow, the blog got boring for a few days, but no more. This'll be good. Teaser: at 5 a.m. last night/this morning we were hanging out with the Dutch curling team in downtown Turin, and they made a dramatic revelation....

By Dan Steinberg | February 24, 2006; 8:26 AM ET | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)

Cheese!Of!The!Day!:Murazzano

The cheese tasting frequency has plummeted. I blame figure skating. Today's cheese is Murazzano, a sheep's milk disk that I bought a full week ago. Italianmade.com gives us this description, plus a recipe for stuffed chicken with Murazzano, which I...

By Dan Steinberg | February 23, 2006; 5:02 PM ET | Comments (4) | TrackBack (0)

Yikes

Remember when skeleton fanatics Bob and Linda said they gave up the sport because it was too dangerous? They weren't kidding. A U.S. slider broke his back today....

By Dan Steinberg | February 23, 2006; 5:01 PM ET | Email a Comment | TrackBack (0)

Sneaking out of the figure skating universe, to the tune of Romeo and Juliet

I can't believe I didn't incite any manic figure skating fans into writing angry missives. I guess they're all watching the skating live. I was always told that figure skating fans were the easiest to incite. Very disappointing. If I...

By Dan Steinberg | February 23, 2006; 4:24 PM ET | Comments (7) | TrackBack (0)

Pub No. 2, yet again

More on figure skating in a minute, but I forgot to post yet another Pub No. 2 adventure. (Figure skating is on the TV here, but apparently the early competitors don't matter at all, so I'm not watching. As for...

By Dan Steinberg | February 23, 2006; 2:30 PM ET | Comments (13) | TrackBack (1)

My first figure skating experience

I know you all are very excited about the ladies' free skate, which began just a few minutes ago local time and will air in the United States on Tuesday. So I thought I'd explain why figure skating is the...

By Dan Steinberg | February 23, 2006; 1:40 PM ET | Comments (6) | TrackBack (0)

If a car blows up in Turin...

You should immediately head in that direction. At least, that's what I did. No, no, mom, it's ok, you don't have to call. This is what happened. I was walking back from my failed attempt to hide in the figure...

By Dan Steinberg | February 23, 2006; 12:15 PM ET | Comments (2) | TrackBack (1)

Peja

As so many of these nights do, this night ends with a curling story. As I was leaving the cross-country sprint course, I again ran into Swedish curling skip Peter "Peja" Lindholm. The 35-year-old, as I've often mentioned, is a...

By Dan Steinberg | February 22, 2006; 6:50 PM ET | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)

Cheerful stuff

I've put all the Shani-Hottie stuff and the people telling me I'm a blind boring liberal idiot in the past. Now, we're on to the fun stuff: more stories about killer toy claw cranes of death and destruction. Reader Andrew:...

By Dan Steinberg | February 22, 2006; 5:32 PM ET | Comments (5) | TrackBack (0)

From Piero

Who apparently knows everything, writes brilliantly and chimes in at least once a day to tell me I'm an idiot: He writes: For once, you are not wrong. Just a bit inaccurate - as with some of the cheese stories,...

By Dan Steinberg | February 22, 2006; 5:30 PM ET | Email a Comment | TrackBack (0)

WEDNESDAY WEDNESDAY WEDNESDAY, in a slight Scandinavian accent

http://www.ckov63.com/news.php?day.20051208The music selection at cross-country sprinting races ranges from the bizarre to the more bizarre. They played some Red Hot Chili Peppers, some Fat Boy Slim, a techno remix of the "Nessun Dorma" aria from the end of "Turandot," and...

By Dan Steinberg | February 22, 2006; 4:53 PM ET | Email a Comment | TrackBack (0)

Video: Bandaradan

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By Chet Rhodes | February 22, 2006; 4:30 PM ET | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)

Olympic spirit

Sara posted this link in a comment, about a Norwegian coach helping a Canadian skier win a medal. I did get a few angry e-mails this week, asking why The Post hadn't yet written about this incident. So here it...

By Dan Steinberg | February 22, 2006; 2:14 PM ET | Comments (5) | TrackBack (1)

Important news

Three exciting pieces of news in my inbox. 1) I've been invited to be a guest on "Nine to Noon," New Zealand National Radio's flagship news and current affairs programme. They're doing a segment on the Kiwi Curlers Friday morning....

By Dan Steinberg | February 22, 2006; 1:44 PM ET | Email a Comment | TrackBack (0)

Bandaradan

The members of Bandaradan, providing entertainment during a break in today's cross-country skiing. So as I wandered the cross-country venue this morning in Pragelato, I came across just a few Americans, including diehard Nordic skiing fan Terry from Minnesota....

By Dan Steinberg | February 22, 2006; 1:14 PM ET | Email a Comment | TrackBack (0)

Shani vs. the Hottie, the Common Ground

I've gotten some more anti-Shani and anti-Hottie e-mails, but also a whole lot saying both guys were to blame, so I might as well let that side have its say. I'm not quoting from the comments below, because there are...

By Dan Steinberg | February 22, 2006; 12:44 PM ET | Comments (4) | TrackBack (1)

Shani vs. the Hottie, the Press Conference

Since there's so much interest, here's what actually happened at the end of the speedskating press conference yesterday. Mike Wise was involved. Seriously. Here's Mike's story in today's paper. Mike would also like to give a public assist to master...

By Dan Steinberg | February 22, 2006; 12:14 PM ET | Comments (6) | TrackBack (0)

This is still not controversial, but there will be more

Our blogger in a fake wig from Finland. (Introductory note: Last post before the Shani-Hottie feud resumes. If you're an East Coast office worker type, check back at lunchtime. I'm sure you'll find something that'll make you spit out...

By Dan Steinberg | February 22, 2006; 11:14 AM ET | Comments (4) | TrackBack (0)

We'll get back to Shani and the Hottie in a minute

(Introductory note: If you're only here to read people write mean things to each other about Shani Davis and Chad Hedrick, bear with me for a few minutes. I'll post more angry e-mails soon. For now, you'll have to be...

By Dan Steinberg | February 22, 2006; 10:24 AM ET | Comments (8) | TrackBack (0)

Shani vs. the Hottie, Take Two, With Passion This Time

I'm starting to see why sports talk radio exists in its current form. You're sitting here in Turin, trying to get a little reader interaction, and then all of the sudden you drive the cheese bus past the blue mold...

By Dan Steinberg | February 22, 2006; 9:51 AM ET | Comments (19) | TrackBack (1)

Shani vs. the Surly Hottie Hedrick

The readers chime in, pretty much unanimously against the Surly Hottie. Wait until you hear what happened at the end of today's press conference. Good stuff. Read Mike Wise Wednesday in The Post. And let me know what you think....

By Dan Steinberg | February 21, 2006; 7:29 PM ET | Comments (14) | TrackBack (0)

Beating the second person into submission

This is what happens on the eight millionth night of the Olympics: You try to go to the women's figure skating short program, just because it seems like a big deal, but you need to have a ticket and your...

By Dan Steinberg | February 21, 2006; 5:35 PM ET | Comments (5) | TrackBack (0)

A dinner with Mike Wise

Last night's meal was in trouble as soon as Mike Wise tried to give his order to our waitress. "I want to order," he started, before correcting himself. "I want you to sit down at this table and eat with...

By Dan Steinberg | February 21, 2006; 3:29 PM ET | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)

The weirdest night of my life, No. 11, Part IV

Anyhow, back to the ceremony. If you can watch the video below, please do. If you can't watch the video, the Kiwis entered waving their flag, the fans cheered, some guy spoke for a long time in Italian and they...

By Dan Steinberg | February 21, 2006; 2:59 PM ET | Email a Comment | TrackBack (0)

Video: The Singing Americans

I saw part of the rabid "USA" chanting fan base heading into the curling arena in Pinerolo Monday afternoon. I've often mentioned their songs in this blog. I am forbidden from posting video from inside the arena, so I asked...

By Chet Rhodes | February 21, 2006; 1:49 PM ET | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)

Watch This

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By Chet Rhodes | February 21, 2006; 1:44 PM ET | Comments (5) | TrackBack (0)

Watch This, Explained

If you're unable to watch video while working at your boring government job, please remember to watch this when you get home. So the Kiwi Curlers, their family members and I leave the food-and-beer tent and head next door to...

By Dan Steinberg | February 21, 2006; 1:43 PM ET | Email a Comment | TrackBack (0)

Guest blogger

Not wanting to be left out of the world of bus-riding disasters and 2,000-word blog entries, loving roommate Les agreed to tell you all about his Monday night adventures, allowing me to forward post a few things and run off...

By Dan Steinberg | February 21, 2006; 1:22 PM ET | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)

More trivia madness

The last two contests are over. I can't remember who won. There's an 80 percent chance that none of you ever get your prizes, due to administrative incompetence. But let's press on regardless. And I've got to try to start...

By Dan Steinberg | February 21, 2006; 12:59 PM ET | Email a Comment | TrackBack (0)

Enrico

Take this, NBC. Italian speedskater Enrico Fabris just topped feuding Americanos Chad "Surly Hottie" Hedrick and Shani Davis in the 1,500 meters. High drama. Davis was ahead of Enrico's pace for much of the 1,500, but flagged late. Still, Davis...

By Dan Steinberg | February 21, 2006; 12:29 PM ET | Comments (4) | TrackBack (0)

The weirdest night of my life, No. 11, Part III

The Kiwi Curlers have this habit of picking up hangers-on at every tournament they go to. Like Washington Post bloggers, for example. Or Italian-based Kiwi-born rugby coaches, like Jeremy, who went to his first curling match last week in order...

By Dan Steinberg | February 21, 2006; 11:59 AM ET | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)

Yet more cheese-eating Olympic watchers

From reader Jon: I don't know if this counts, but while reading your blog and watching ice dancing (did I say ice dancing - I meant hockey...) I was stricken with an overwhelming desire for cheese. All I had in...

By Dan Steinberg | February 21, 2006; 11:14 AM ET | Email a Comment | TrackBack (0)

Cheese!Of!The!Day!: Seras del Fen

German skip Andy "No, Really" Kapp displays the remains of the Cheese!Of!The!Day! This, by rights, could be included in the "Weirdest life of my night, No. 11" series, but for consistency's sake we'll call it a C!O!T!D! If you...

By Dan Steinberg | February 21, 2006; 10:44 AM ET | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)

The weirdest night of my life, No. 11, Part II

Kiwi Curler Hans, left, and German skip Andy "No, Really" Kapp feel the love in a Pinerolo food-and-beer tent. When I arrived at the downtown Pinerolo food-and-beer tent, the tables inside the pavilion were filled by three Kiwi Curlers,...

By Dan Steinberg | February 21, 2006; 10:14 AM ET | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)

The weirdest night of my life, No. 11, Part I

After their Olympic tournament ended, the Kiwi Curlers had told me that they were headed toward a somewhat-hard-to-find food-and-beer tent in downtown Pinerolo. I gave them a head start, then set off for Piazza Vittorio Veneto. Pinerolo is a city...

By Dan Steinberg | February 21, 2006; 9:44 AM ET | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)

Executive summary of what you've missed

This morning, East Coast time, I will launch into an extended analysis of last night's weirdness. In the meantime, for those of you bored government worker types who did not read the blog during your outrageously long three-day weekend, here's...

By Dan Steinberg | February 21, 2006; 9:14 AM ET | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)

The weirdest night of my life, No. 11

Like most journalists covering these Olympic games, I found myself tonight in a downtown Pinerolo beer tent, sampling gourmet Piedmontese cheeses with the New Zealand and German curling teams. Those two teams then renewed their rivalry on the spot, courtesy...

By Dan Steinberg | February 20, 2006; 4:54 PM ET | Comments (5) | TrackBack (0)

More cheese-eating Olympic watchers

1) Liza from London: Here in London I have been tasting some garlicky goat cheese in front of curling and ice dancing. The cheese helped to console me for our women's curling team not making the semifinals. The same place...

By Dan Steinberg | February 20, 2006; 4:30 PM ET | Email a Comment | TrackBack (0)

Concessions Part II

The Kiwis conceded to the Germans just before 4 p.m., local time. It was 10-1. They hugged and waved and walked off the ice. Skip Sean Becker tossed his broom to the ground. Thirty seconds later, hipster Joel conceded to...

By Dan Steinberg | February 20, 2006; 10:58 AM ET | Comments (7) | TrackBack (0)

On addictions

I guess this is what an addiction feels like. You tell yourself you're done. You try to fill your life with other things. But then it's morning, and you're staring at the bus schedule, trying to figure out what time...

By Dan Steinberg | February 20, 2006; 8:50 AM ET | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)

Cheese!Of!The!Day!: Bra

Before we get to Bra, some Mike Wise cheese stories. The past few days, he's noticed an odor in his Verolengo dorm room. He thought there might have been a problem with the vents or a dead animal. Finally, he...

By Dan Steinberg | February 19, 2006; 7:07 PM ET | Comments (3) | TrackBack (0)

More television

My run through the television. Obviously the concept is completely ripped off from, among other people, our own Norman Chad, who sent me this message tonight: "Hope you're enjoying Turin -- the IHOP just off of Main Street is pretty...

By Dan Steinberg | February 19, 2006; 5:19 PM ET | Comments (3) | TrackBack (0)

Norwegian TV

This morning I found myself drawn into the Norway-New Zealand curling game, which was being shown on what I think was Norwegian TV in my dorm room. This is why it was compelling: 1) I know the Kiwi Curlers. 2)...

By Dan Steinberg | February 19, 2006; 12:48 PM ET | Comments (5) | TrackBack (0)

Olympic Nights

Sure enough, everyone in the world besides you headed into downtown Turin last night for the Olympic Nights. Haven't seen an estimate of the number of people yet. This preview story says thousands. My own rough estimate is 800 billion....

By Dan Steinberg | February 19, 2006; 10:40 AM ET | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)

Video of Loyal Blog Reader Gianluca Bertone

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By washingtonpost.com | February 18, 2006; 6:39 PM ET | Comments (7) | TrackBack (0)

My cell phone and I are gloriously reunited

When I found out that I needed to take a train north of Turin to an Alpine village called Susa in order to reclaim my lost Italian rental cell phone from a mysterious bus company employee named Matilde, I figured,...

By Dan Steinberg | February 18, 2006; 5:22 PM ET | Comments (4) | TrackBack (0)

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