June 13, 2007
I thought we got a great opportunity to connect with each other and grow our relationships through some of our favorite activities besides basketball! That was our #1 goal.
Basketball wise, everyone played a lot and got some valuable feedback on where they are at as a player and what they need to do to continue to improve. Of course, this was especially helpful for Sybil and Lauren since they had not competed for over a year in real games.
We came away from the trip realizing that "talent is never enough!" We all need to keep working hard to get better, stay hungry, and be mindful that the difficulty of not only repeating but building on last year's success is incredible ... and will only be achieved with immense sacrifices.
I am excited because I believe we are up to the task.
As for our tour of the country...
Milan - the fashion capital of Europe. A cathedral as big as a city block surrounded by cars as small as shoeboxes. We climbed atop the Duomo de Santa Maria and had a marvelous view of the city. Below us an Italian film crew was recreating a scene from WWII. The marble steps were worn concave from the footsteps of thousands of tourists before us. We got our first taste of real Italian gelato. We learn to ask for water "Naturalemente" - otherwise we end up with carbonated mineral water - or "Frizze."
Lake Como - Simply beautiful. We rode the funicular (a trolley-tram up the side of a hill) to the top of one of the many hills that rim the city and overlook the lake. This gave us a spectacular view of the town with its cathedral and ancient narrow lanes. Our boat tour led us up from the town of Como to the quaint little village of Bellagio. (It looks nothing like the glitzy hotel in Vegas) Along the way we were treated to the sites of gorgeous estates, summer homes and manor houses that line the shore of this amazing lake. The little kids on the trip murmur out Oooohs and Aaaaahs of approval as we sail past the house where the wedding scene of Anakin Skywalker and Princess Padme' was filmed for one of the Star Wars movies. The bigger kids let out an even louder Ooooh as we sail by the four-house compound of actor George Clooney. We finish the tour by eating more gelato.
Florence - The statue of David and the priceless paintings in the nearby gallery are simply amazing. Our tour leads us through the main piazza (plaza) where we see the Cathedral of Florence and the adjourning buildings dating back a thousand years. Once again we are reminded that our country is barely a teenager when compared to the ancient societies of the European continent. We finish the tour with shopping and yes - more gelato. Our hotel is a converted manor house that gives some of our kids the creeps with its long winding corridors and centuries old design. The rooms however, are quite modern and very comfortable. The walls of the corridors are lined with photos from the city's history including some of the darker periods during WWII. Our breakfast in the hotel is on the top floor providing us with a fantastic view of the city and its narrow patchwork of streets and alleys.
Pisa - The Leaning Tower is absolutely unreal and a bit of a shock to see for the first time. The building itself is in a large courtyard with a small cathedral and surrounded by a large ancient wall. Apparently it began to tip as it was being built hundreds of years ago. It wasn't until recently that engineers were able to stabilize it so it wouldn't fall over entirely. As luck would have it, the tower re-opened a few years ago allowing tourists a chance to climb to the top. All of our kids had a wonderful time making the trip up the narrow spiral staircase which led them to a beautiful - although slightly askew - view of the surrounding countryside. Afterwards, we all took turns posing for the obligatory "Look! I'm holding up the leaning tower of Pisa" photograph.
Rimini - One of the largest beach resorts in all of Europe. Located on the Eastern side of the country, we took a nice bus ride across the middle of the country as we left Pisa and Florence. It was also the hometown of our tour guide, Sara. One of the highpoints of our trip, Sara took us to her father's pottery making studio where the kids all got to take turns on the pottery wheel making their own special souvenirs. Of course we all found ourselves singing the song from "Ghost" as Jill Noe hammed up her best Demi Moore impersonation as she sat down to spin the potter's wheel. The rest of our time was spent on the beautiful white sandy beaches of Rimini.
Venice - The city is magical and even better than we had imagined. The boat ride through the Grand Canal took us through the heart of the ancient city to the Famed St Mark's Cathedral. Some of the kids stopped to take photos with the myriad pigeons that fill the square who seem to pose along with every tourist's photo opportunity. A gondola ride took us into the more narrow waterways and past dozens of curio shops and cafes. Our trip to Venice was highlighted by a trip to the world famous Murano Glass making factory where we are all treated to a glass blowing demonstration. The showroom is filled with precious glassware and chandeliers worth hundreds or thousands of dollars. Husband Will makes sure the little kids are kept on a very tight leash as we carefully weave our way through the display cases. Talk about bulls in a china shop! Our day is wrapped up with strolls through the narrow streets and shopping for mementoes before the boat-ride back to our bus.
Padova and Verona - Padova is a classic college town - however, this is one of the few who had the likes of Leonardo DaVinci regularly walking it's hallways. We spend our time there looking through the cathedral and touring portions of the university, Verona is the home of the famed Juliet's Balcony from Shakespearean fame. The courtyard is covered with the signatures of other star-struck lovers from around the world who have made the journey to see this icon of romance.