O.K., here they are! The snapshots from my point and shoot digital camera. That's why there are technical difficulties with many of them, i.e. focus...

Phil at the NBC Toady Show set in Torino. We didn't get on T.V., but Katie Couric came over and chatted for a while.

Italian cop who "insisted" that I give him my last small American flag.

The Tahoe race crew from Squaw, the only Americans allowed to help with the preparation of the skiing slopes. This is at the refreshment tent at the Curling venue in Pinerolo.

Me at the Curling, USA was playing that day, tix were available for USD$24. Definitely a drinking game - watching or playing.

Squaw crew at the "Fur Bar" in Sestriere, where most of the ski events were held. 

Dick and Annie Banfield.

Nick and ?

...more Fur Bar.

Zane and his harem.

Me and the nice Canadian who sold me his extra ticket for the CAN vs GER hockey.

Hockey fans, eh!?

Jodi and Janet's Food Olympics. The Piemontese area has great everything!

Me John, and Janet.

John, Jodi, and Janet, we all shared many great meals and fine wines together.

The girls at the Men's SuperG.

My rig using my carbon fiber avalanche probe, people loved the "Kepp Tahoe Fast" banner.

Part of the Tahoe posse.

The hospitality tent crew who kept us fed, full of beer, and jacked up on caffe!

They were being paid $40 per day for 16 hr. shifts. Ouch. 

Phil and Philipe in the tent. Most bars in Italy do not have T.V.s, so if you wanted to watch an event you had to go to this tent which was set up with several.

Truckee-ites James and Sara at the Team Jumping event. Skiers were landing at the very bottom here! A Dutch man saw my flag and approached us because he could not use his USA/RUS hockey tickets! He was kind enough to sell them to us at face value - $48 each.

There's a jumper about halfway down the hill, the longest went to the 140 red line which is lined up with the stars on my hat..

In this shot Jame's caught the jumper coming over the top (if you look closely - he is in red!)

These shots are from a cutlery shop which had a replica of the "Ice Man" (found frozen a few years ago in the Alps) in which they portray him as a hockey player.

Rita explains the menu to Phil.

Rita shows us the menu in the kitchen...

Moma Mia!?

Phil and Russians before the hockey game.

Doug Weight's kids. He's a NHL player who was playing for USA.

After Phil's first hockey game. But Team USA lost to the Russians.

Finns, I think.

Suomi!

Our pensione kind of sucked, but it was cheap($30/nt). But the Chinese Restaurant the same people had was excellent. The interior was exceptionally appointed, including wall carving.

Jodi at it again! Salute!

Bistro.

Meat Market in Pinerolo, which was the town that was hosting the Curling events. It was like a smaller version of Torino.

Backside of Duomo.

Typical Old Town walkway.

Pinerolo.

The main square is behind the white tower, which was where the local market would set up every Weds./Sat..

Lot's of bell towers and tile.

Deli items.

Produce

Formaggio

Pastas

Chinsone Valley, on the way from Pinerolo to Sestriere, where the ski events were.

Bizarro condo tower redecorated for the Olympics.

More Sestriere, the slalom course can be seen in the background.

The nice Canadians who gave me a free ticket to the slalom.

Men's Slalom

You'll have to see the video, but this is from a local festival in Pinerolo on our last Sat. night which culminated in a spectacular fireworks display at midnight.

Pinerolo on a sunnier day.

The Gold medal hockey game. I was given a free ticket from an African American sporting a Team USA sweatshirt, the ticket showed a value of zero dollars and I was seated in the "Athlete's" section!? He looked a lot like the speed skater won had won Gold the day before. The game had already started when I had told him I was looking for the Miracle ticket (less than $60 or so), but he said he didn't want to sell it but he had to do something else, so he gave it to me. I was in  in plenty of time for the 2nd and 3rd periods.