As this incredible European Tour comes to a close, we would like to thank all the donors and people who helped to make this trip possible. Without them at the beginning of the planning process, this trip would not have come to fruition and be the great experience that it was for all of us. I would like to thank Brown Athletic Director, Michael Goldberger, for allowing the Brown women's soccer team to continue its tradition of the European Tour and agreeing to the need for a soccer/cultural/international experience for our young student-athletes.
I would also like to thank all of the Athletic Department staff, who helped in the preliminary stages of our trip, with field use, uniforms & equipment, transportation, lodging and meals, and making certain that we were in compliance with everything.
Also, a big thank you to everyone at the Brown Sports Foundation, Executive Director Steve King, but especially the two individuals who played a very important role in the planning of this trip during every step of the financial planning, Nicole Peters and Laura Almeida.
Thank you to my staff, Mandi Risden, Luis Faria, and Athletic Trainer Shelley Lundin, who during the trip assured that everything ran smoothly, and lastly to Jeanne Carhart, who set up this blog, wrote articles, and posted photos, sometimes under not too ideal internet connections, to ensure that the fans, alumni, parents, and friends of Brown women's soccer made a connection with the team while in Europe and felt a part of this special experience.
I would also like to send a special thanks to Dream Team Italy and its owner, Ivan Moltini, for putting together a great itinerary that kept us busy throughout the two weeks and allowing us to have his best tour leader, Elena, along with two tremendous bus drivers, Marco and Stefano.
Thank you again to everyone who made this journey such an unforgettable experience that I know the players and staff members will remember for a life time!
Phil
Thursday, June 21, 2007
Thank You!
Traditions - Old & New
A new tradition was born in Italy, 30 years after another tradition of the Brown Women's Soccer program began - one that continues today. During Phil's first year as the head coach of the team in 1977, a parent of one of his players gave him a ceramic container with the phrase "Geev'um" on it. This parent was from Hawaii and in Hawaiian Pidgen (a creole language based on English and used by some residents of Hawaii) Geev'um means to "Go for it." Since that first season in 1977, in the pre-game huddle before every single contest, the players shout "Geev'um Bruno!"
While in Europe, the team's true superstitious side came out. In many of the cities we visited, each of the local guides would inform us of a tradition that would bring a person good luck or guarantee them of a return trip to the city if they:
- threw a coin with their right hand over their left shoulder (at the Trevi Fountain in Rome)
- rubbed the feet of a statue of Jesus (at St. Peter's Basilica in Rome)
- rubbed the nose of a boar (outside of a market in Florence)
- touched the head of two separate lions outside of the palace where the King of Bavaria once lived (in Munich)
- Put the heal of one leg onto a mosaic on the floor of the galleria (in Milan) - recognized as the first mall in the 19th century - and spun around for one rotation
I think nearly every single person on the team wasted no time in running over to whatever it was make a wish or hope for a piece of good fortune.
It was in Milan, after many members of the team spun around in a circle with the heal of one foot in a part of the mosaic that is so worn down the painting is gone and it is a grey circle in the middle of all the color, that Phil tasked some players with finding something to represent Brown women's soccer that could be used for a new tradition - something that could be touched for good luck prior to games just as the many statues that we touched while in Europe will bring us good luck.
In one of the three biggest shopping cities in the world, Lindsay Cunningham, Alex Michael, Paige Reidy, and Steffi Yellin had little trouble in finding this special something. They found a sterling silver statue of a bear that has carved out hair all over its body ... with the exception of the top of the head - the place the team decided they would rub before every game for good luck. Standing in front of their bench, and prior to shouting "Geev'um Bruno!", the entire team rubbed the head of the sterling silver bear before posting a 1-0 win over the team from Como - and thus a new tradition was born.
The Brown Team still needs to name the bear and decide when this new tradition is to take place. Will it be mounted in the locker room and be used for home games only? Or will the bear travel to away competition and be used at both home and away games? Only time will tell!
While in Europe, the team's true superstitious side came out. In many of the cities we visited, each of the local guides would inform us of a tradition that would bring a person good luck or guarantee them of a return trip to the city if they:
- threw a coin with their right hand over their left shoulder (at the Trevi Fountain in Rome)
- rubbed the feet of a statue of Jesus (at St. Peter's Basilica in Rome)
- rubbed the nose of a boar (outside of a market in Florence)
- touched the head of two separate lions outside of the palace where the King of Bavaria once lived (in Munich)
- Put the heal of one leg onto a mosaic on the floor of the galleria (in Milan) - recognized as the first mall in the 19th century - and spun around for one rotation
I think nearly every single person on the team wasted no time in running over to whatever it was make a wish or hope for a piece of good fortune.
It was in Milan, after many members of the team spun around in a circle with the heal of one foot in a part of the mosaic that is so worn down the painting is gone and it is a grey circle in the middle of all the color, that Phil tasked some players with finding something to represent Brown women's soccer that could be used for a new tradition - something that could be touched for good luck prior to games just as the many statues that we touched while in Europe will bring us good luck.
In one of the three biggest shopping cities in the world, Lindsay Cunningham, Alex Michael, Paige Reidy, and Steffi Yellin had little trouble in finding this special something. They found a sterling silver statue of a bear that has carved out hair all over its body ... with the exception of the top of the head - the place the team decided they would rub before every game for good luck. Standing in front of their bench, and prior to shouting "Geev'um Bruno!", the entire team rubbed the head of the sterling silver bear before posting a 1-0 win over the team from Como - and thus a new tradition was born.
The Brown Team still needs to name the bear and decide when this new tradition is to take place. Will it be mounted in the locker room and be used for home games only? Or will the bear travel to away competition and be used at both home and away games? Only time will tell!
Sunday, June 17, 2007
Heading Home
Yesterday was our last day in Europe and we enjoyed a tour of Milan before free time to go shopping in one of the top 3 fashion cities in the world (the other 2 are New York & Paris). We left Milan at 2:45 to head back to the hotel and grab anything we needed for going to the final game.
The event was a mini tournament, hosted by Como 2000, and consisted of two 45-minute games. Our first game was against Como 2000, which we won 1-0. Kellie Slater '10 scored her third goal of the tour late in the game, while Steffi Yellin '10 had 2 saves to pick up the win. Lindsay Cunningham '09 fed the ball across the box and Kate Ashforth '08 fired a shot on net that was blocked by a player. Slater knocked the rebound past the goalie for the victory. Because of the win, we now had a break while Como 2000 played Tourino immediately after. Como took a 1-0 lead, but Tourino scored two quick goals to earn a 2-1 win.
At 7:00, Brown battled Tourino with the winner of that game claiming first place in the tournament. The Bears fought hard and had numerous chances to score, but Tourino slipped one past Brenna Hogue '10, who finished with 6 saves, early in the game on a beautiful header off a cross.
Following the game all three teams were awarded trophies and every player from each team was presented with a medal. We left the field at around 8:30 to go to a local pizzeria for our farewell dinner. The food was delicious and everyone got to pick their own individual pizza, which could have easily fed two people. Following our meal, the waitstaff brought out tiramisu in a cake pan with a sparkling candle in it. We were actually in the same room as two different groups celebrating birthdays who had gotten desserts with candles in them. We all sang Happy Birthday (in English) along with them, and when they brought out our tiramisu, both of those groups sang happy birthday to us ... it was pretty comical.
We got back to the hotel after midnight and had some time to pack before our flight home today. We leave for the airport in about 15 minutes so this will be my last post from Europe. I will try to post some more pictures when I get home either tonight or tomorrow.
Ciao
The event was a mini tournament, hosted by Como 2000, and consisted of two 45-minute games. Our first game was against Como 2000, which we won 1-0. Kellie Slater '10 scored her third goal of the tour late in the game, while Steffi Yellin '10 had 2 saves to pick up the win. Lindsay Cunningham '09 fed the ball across the box and Kate Ashforth '08 fired a shot on net that was blocked by a player. Slater knocked the rebound past the goalie for the victory. Because of the win, we now had a break while Como 2000 played Tourino immediately after. Como took a 1-0 lead, but Tourino scored two quick goals to earn a 2-1 win.
At 7:00, Brown battled Tourino with the winner of that game claiming first place in the tournament. The Bears fought hard and had numerous chances to score, but Tourino slipped one past Brenna Hogue '10, who finished with 6 saves, early in the game on a beautiful header off a cross.
Following the game all three teams were awarded trophies and every player from each team was presented with a medal. We left the field at around 8:30 to go to a local pizzeria for our farewell dinner. The food was delicious and everyone got to pick their own individual pizza, which could have easily fed two people. Following our meal, the waitstaff brought out tiramisu in a cake pan with a sparkling candle in it. We were actually in the same room as two different groups celebrating birthdays who had gotten desserts with candles in them. We all sang Happy Birthday (in English) along with them, and when they brought out our tiramisu, both of those groups sang happy birthday to us ... it was pretty comical.
We got back to the hotel after midnight and had some time to pack before our flight home today. We leave for the airport in about 15 minutes so this will be my last post from Europe. I will try to post some more pictures when I get home either tonight or tomorrow.
Ciao
Friday, June 15, 2007
Day 12 - Como & Bellagio
Today was our first day without a wakeup call and almost everyone took advantage by sleeping in. We had free time to enjoy Como on our own until 2:15 when we met back at the hotel to walk to the lake for our private boat ride to Bellagio. In the morning, some of us went shopping, some just walked around town, and some took advantage of the free bikes at the hotel to ride around Como.
The weather was cloudy and rainy for most of the day and it started to pour just at the time we were leaving to walk to the boat. We stopped about halfway there to figure out what we were going to do under a covering to try to stay dry and see if the storm passed. Jill Mansfield decided to take a lap around a small flower bed in the rain and soon after about 10 of the girls were out in the rain, jumping in puddles and splashing each other. It was truly a site to see as they enjoyed some of the simple things in life.
The rain finally stopped and we continued down to the lake, where we boarded a small boat and drove for about and hour and a half. Elena, who lives in Como and is also a local guide in Como, pointed out several villas including the Versace villa, the George Clooney villa, the villa that was used in Ocean's 12, and the villa used for the wedding scene in one of the Star Wars movies. We made it to Bellagio at about 4:15 and only had until about 5:00 before we had to meet at the dock to go back to Como, which took just about 40 minutes.
Elena had arranged for Stefano to pick us up, but by the time we got back the rain had subsided and almost everyone decided to walk back to the hotel. Dinner at the hotel consisted of salad, lasagna, and pork with an apricot tart for dessert. But the real treat was Phil taking everyone out for gelato about a 5 minute walk from the hotel.
Tomorrow is our last full day in Italy and the last game. We leave for Milan at 9:00 and will return to the hotel in the afternoon before heading to our final game. We play a 45 minute game at 5:00 and then if we win, we play another 45 minutes at 7:00. If we lose, gametime is at 6:00. Afterwards, we are going to a local pizza place for a farewell dinner.
The weather was cloudy and rainy for most of the day and it started to pour just at the time we were leaving to walk to the boat. We stopped about halfway there to figure out what we were going to do under a covering to try to stay dry and see if the storm passed. Jill Mansfield decided to take a lap around a small flower bed in the rain and soon after about 10 of the girls were out in the rain, jumping in puddles and splashing each other. It was truly a site to see as they enjoyed some of the simple things in life.
The rain finally stopped and we continued down to the lake, where we boarded a small boat and drove for about and hour and a half. Elena, who lives in Como and is also a local guide in Como, pointed out several villas including the Versace villa, the George Clooney villa, the villa that was used in Ocean's 12, and the villa used for the wedding scene in one of the Star Wars movies. We made it to Bellagio at about 4:15 and only had until about 5:00 before we had to meet at the dock to go back to Como, which took just about 40 minutes.
Elena had arranged for Stefano to pick us up, but by the time we got back the rain had subsided and almost everyone decided to walk back to the hotel. Dinner at the hotel consisted of salad, lasagna, and pork with an apricot tart for dessert. But the real treat was Phil taking everyone out for gelato about a 5 minute walk from the hotel.
Tomorrow is our last full day in Italy and the last game. We leave for Milan at 9:00 and will return to the hotel in the afternoon before heading to our final game. We play a 45 minute game at 5:00 and then if we win, we play another 45 minutes at 7:00. If we lose, gametime is at 6:00. Afterwards, we are going to a local pizza place for a farewell dinner.
Day 11 - Zurich
Well, I don't have access to the internet with my laptop so I don't know if I will be able to post anymore photos from this point on. I will see if I can find an internet cafe that will let me plug my computer in, but I don't know if I will.
Yesterday was a relatively light day. We left our hotel for the center of Zurich at about 9:30 and met our tour guide, Patricia, at 10:00. She took us for a tour of part of the city that lasted until about 11:15 and then we had time on our own until about 2:30, at which point we began our journey for Como.
The city of Zurich is extremely clean and very safe. The equivalent of their president (there are 7 of them) can walk around the city at any time without the need for a body guard or the secret service. The canal leading towards Lake Zurich was so clean you could see to the bottom of it. There are a ton of fountains in the city and the water coming out of them is actually so safe you can drink right from the fountain. On part of the tour, we were on a hill top that overlooked the canal, Lake Zurich, with the Swiss Alps as a backdrop. We had ample opportunities for team photos, spending roughly 20 minutes in the park. Some of us even drank some water out of the fountain that was at the park.
With the free time, most of us did some shopping along Bahnhastrauss, which is lined with store after store - some chains, but a lot of watch/jewelry stores and chocolate shops.
After getting on the bus, we headed south through Switzerland for the Swiss Alps and Como, Italy. The ride was long, but provided some fantastic scenery. For most of the drive, we were on winding and narrow mountain roads that brought us around, up and down the Alps with steep cliffs below us during some of the ride. We also drove through many tunnels that went through the mountains, some as short as 30 seconds, others as long as five minutes. We had beautiful weather - blue skies, white puffy clouds - on the first side and then we came out of one of the longer tunnels to grey skies and pouring rain. It was cloudy & rainy the rest of the drive, all the way into Como.
We had about 10 minutes after checking in before heading to the dining room for dinner. Now back in Italy, the dinner was four courses with salad, pasta, meat, and dessert, which was a cup of fruit. But, before the fruit was served, our waiter delivered an apricot tart big enough for the group with a single candle in it for Shelley's 30th birthday. We all sang happy birthday to her and then each had a taste of the tart.
We were able to sleep in a bit today, with no wake up call for the first time since arriving in Europe. We have free time in Como until 2:15 when we will meet for our private boat cruise to Bellagio. Tonight will be another early night with dinner at 7:30
Yesterday was a relatively light day. We left our hotel for the center of Zurich at about 9:30 and met our tour guide, Patricia, at 10:00. She took us for a tour of part of the city that lasted until about 11:15 and then we had time on our own until about 2:30, at which point we began our journey for Como.
The city of Zurich is extremely clean and very safe. The equivalent of their president (there are 7 of them) can walk around the city at any time without the need for a body guard or the secret service. The canal leading towards Lake Zurich was so clean you could see to the bottom of it. There are a ton of fountains in the city and the water coming out of them is actually so safe you can drink right from the fountain. On part of the tour, we were on a hill top that overlooked the canal, Lake Zurich, with the Swiss Alps as a backdrop. We had ample opportunities for team photos, spending roughly 20 minutes in the park. Some of us even drank some water out of the fountain that was at the park.
With the free time, most of us did some shopping along Bahnhastrauss, which is lined with store after store - some chains, but a lot of watch/jewelry stores and chocolate shops.
After getting on the bus, we headed south through Switzerland for the Swiss Alps and Como, Italy. The ride was long, but provided some fantastic scenery. For most of the drive, we were on winding and narrow mountain roads that brought us around, up and down the Alps with steep cliffs below us during some of the ride. We also drove through many tunnels that went through the mountains, some as short as 30 seconds, others as long as five minutes. We had beautiful weather - blue skies, white puffy clouds - on the first side and then we came out of one of the longer tunnels to grey skies and pouring rain. It was cloudy & rainy the rest of the drive, all the way into Como.
We had about 10 minutes after checking in before heading to the dining room for dinner. Now back in Italy, the dinner was four courses with salad, pasta, meat, and dessert, which was a cup of fruit. But, before the fruit was served, our waiter delivered an apricot tart big enough for the group with a single candle in it for Shelley's 30th birthday. We all sang happy birthday to her and then each had a taste of the tart.
We were able to sleep in a bit today, with no wake up call for the first time since arriving in Europe. We have free time in Como until 2:15 when we will meet for our private boat cruise to Bellagio. Tonight will be another early night with dinner at 7:30
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
Day 10 - Dachau & Game #5
This morning started at 9:00 again and we headed over to Dachau Concentration Camp, about 20 minutes away from Munich. The weather was a bit overcast, as it has been since arriving in Austria on the 11th. We had an hour to tour the Concentration Camp on our own, listening to hand-held battery powered guides with pre-recorded information. We all had maps to follow and at various points along the way pressed a coordinating number and learned about what we were viewing.
It was an extremely emotional experience that I felt was compounded by the gray sky above. I would have liked to have had more than an hour as I did not see several areas of the Camp, but we had a four-plus hour drive to Switzerland ahead of us and had to be on the road by 11:30. And even though it was brief, it was still a tremendous learning experience.
We drove for about two hours before stopping at a rest area for lunch and then we continued along to Switzerland. Switzerland is the only country of the ones we are visiting that is not a part of the European Union. It does not use the Euro, but the Swiss Franc. In addition, when crossing the boarder we had to go through a check point, which lasted all of a few minutes, unlike traveling from Italy to Austria and Austria to Germany where we simply passed into the next country. In Switzerland, there are also four languages spoken – Germany, Italian, French, and another that is based on Latin and only spoken by a small percentage of the people.
We hit some traffic as we got closer to Zurich and instead of checking into the hotel, we continued on to the site of game #5, against FCC Zuchwil. We arrived at around 6:15 for the 7:00 game and ended the 90:00 with a 1-1 tie. This team was extremely talented in all facets of the game and gave Brown a great match and a lovely post-game dinner at the restaurant at the field.
Zuchwil won the first half, scoring on a beautiful shot from about 30 yards out on the left side that nailed the top corner of the net and bounced in off the crossbar. Minutes later, Julie Wu ’10 nearly tied it for Brown, but her shot form almost the exact same spot hit the crossbar and bounced over the net.
Down, 1-0 at the break, the Bears controlled the second half, finally breaking through when Kellie Slater ’10 fired a shot from the left side that Zuchwil’s goalie saved. Andrea Pagnanelli ’08 was streaking in on the follow through and one-timed the rebound into the back of the net just before the goalie could scoop up the ball.
Both teams had ample scoring opportunities during the final 15 minutes, but both teams’ defenders and goalies made great stops to keep the game tied. Brenna Hogue ’10 and Steffi Yellin ’10 each made five saves.
Following the game, both teams enjoyed a dinner consisting of salad, pasta, and chicken at the restaurant next to the field. The game ended just before 9:00 and the sun had just set behind the mountains, creating a picturesque background for the meal.
We left the field at around 10:00 (it was still somewhat light out!) and headed to our hotel just outside of Zurich. Tomorrow, we tour the city and then have about three hours of free time before making what will probably be an exciting drive through the Swiss Alps and back into Italy.
It was an extremely emotional experience that I felt was compounded by the gray sky above. I would have liked to have had more than an hour as I did not see several areas of the Camp, but we had a four-plus hour drive to Switzerland ahead of us and had to be on the road by 11:30. And even though it was brief, it was still a tremendous learning experience.
We drove for about two hours before stopping at a rest area for lunch and then we continued along to Switzerland. Switzerland is the only country of the ones we are visiting that is not a part of the European Union. It does not use the Euro, but the Swiss Franc. In addition, when crossing the boarder we had to go through a check point, which lasted all of a few minutes, unlike traveling from Italy to Austria and Austria to Germany where we simply passed into the next country. In Switzerland, there are also four languages spoken – Germany, Italian, French, and another that is based on Latin and only spoken by a small percentage of the people.
We hit some traffic as we got closer to Zurich and instead of checking into the hotel, we continued on to the site of game #5, against FCC Zuchwil. We arrived at around 6:15 for the 7:00 game and ended the 90:00 with a 1-1 tie. This team was extremely talented in all facets of the game and gave Brown a great match and a lovely post-game dinner at the restaurant at the field.
Zuchwil won the first half, scoring on a beautiful shot from about 30 yards out on the left side that nailed the top corner of the net and bounced in off the crossbar. Minutes later, Julie Wu ’10 nearly tied it for Brown, but her shot form almost the exact same spot hit the crossbar and bounced over the net.
Down, 1-0 at the break, the Bears controlled the second half, finally breaking through when Kellie Slater ’10 fired a shot from the left side that Zuchwil’s goalie saved. Andrea Pagnanelli ’08 was streaking in on the follow through and one-timed the rebound into the back of the net just before the goalie could scoop up the ball.
Both teams had ample scoring opportunities during the final 15 minutes, but both teams’ defenders and goalies made great stops to keep the game tied. Brenna Hogue ’10 and Steffi Yellin ’10 each made five saves.
Following the game, both teams enjoyed a dinner consisting of salad, pasta, and chicken at the restaurant next to the field. The game ended just before 9:00 and the sun had just set behind the mountains, creating a picturesque background for the meal.
We left the field at around 10:00 (it was still somewhat light out!) and headed to our hotel just outside of Zurich. Tomorrow, we tour the city and then have about three hours of free time before making what will probably be an exciting drive through the Swiss Alps and back into Italy.
Day 9 - Munich or "Munchen"
We awoke relatively late this morning, departing the hotel at 9:00 for the center of Munich, where we were to meet our tour guide for the bike tour, Taylor. Taylor took about 15 minutes to explain to us some of the history of the city. Taylor, who is originally from ... Austin, Texas, was extremely entertaining and kept us on our toes with sarcasm and wit throughout the tour.
I think everyone had a good time on the bike tour and I know it was nice to just have a chance to see the city without being on our feet for six hours. Though we did get rained on, briefly, the worst of the rain came while we were in the English Garden covered by trees and watching some locals surf in waves created by a drainage system.
It was readily apparent that the city is extremely accommodating to bikers – they are all over Munich just as mopeds are all over Italy. There is a separate sidewalk for bikers that sits between the pedestrian sidewalk and the roadways. In some parts of the U.S., I think having a group of 30 people riding through city streets on beach cruisers would be a bit less safe. Even with the rain, it was an enjoyable experience for all.
One thing that is unique about Munich is the architecture of the buildings. You could have several buildings all in a row with different styles of architecture. One pre-war, one post war, and one more modern.
We ended the tour around noon and then separated into groups to enjoy the city on our own, before meeting at 2:45 to head back to the hotel. By the time we got back at 3:30, we had about a half hour to gather our belongings for the fourth game of the tour, in Ragensburg, which is about 1:40 to the Northeast of Munich.
Brown improved its record to 3-1 with a dominating 7-1 victory over S.C. Ragensburg, a club founded in 1928. The Bears scored early and often, building a 3-0 halftime lead. After Ragensburg scored early in the second half to come to within 3-1, Brown scored four straight goals to earn the win, outshooting its opponents, 22-3.
Mollie Mattuchio ’08 got Brown on the board, scoring from about 30 yards out after collecting the ball from Kathryn Moos ’07 in the midfield. Shortly after, Paige Reidy ’10 took a corner kick from the left side and Kiki Manners ’10 headed the ball past the Ragensburg keeper for a 2-0 lead. Just moments later, Bridget Ballard ’10, Moos, and Melissa Kim ’10 combined on a beautiful transition run that led to Kim scoring, but the goal was called back after Brown was called offsides. But, the Bears would get the third goal before the end of the half after Kim fired a rocket from the left side that was saved, but Kellie Slater ’10 knocked the rebound in.
Ragensburg had a strong start to the second half, controlling the flow of the game and getting into a solid rhythm, which resulted in them getting on the board less than five minutes into the half. However, Kim increased Brown’s lead to 4-1 when she sent the ball back on net from 25 yards out after Alex Michael’s ’09 attempt was saved by the keeper.
Second later, Kate Ashforth ’08 nearly put Brown up 5-1 heading the ball on another Reidy corner kick, but the ball caromed off the cross bar to hold the score at 4-1. Manners continued her strong play in the midfield, setting up Michael for Brown’s fifth goal and then Lindsay Cunningham ’09 converted two crosses, one from Jill Mansfield ’07 and the other from Moos, into goals for the 7-1 final.
The defensive corps did a tremendous job in limiting shots from Ragensburg as Steffi Yellin ’10 and Brenna Hogue ’10 each recorded just one save. In the back during the first half were Meg Robinson ’10, Julia Shapira ’08, Bridget Ballard ’10, and Julie Wu ’09. In the second half, Mansfield, Reidy, and Caitlin Gorham ’10 also saw time in the back in addition to the four starters.
We left the game and headed to the sports club, where we had a dinner consisting of salad and a pasta & pork dish. It was a long day for all after getting back to the hotel shortly after 12:30. We actually stopped at a rest area about a 1/2 hour from the hotel and the bathrooms had a great feature I think we should bring to the U.S. You had to pay 50 Euro to use the bathroom, as is common in Europe. But, the bathroom (Water Closet) was immaculate. And the toilets even had a cleaner attached to the back, which the seat rotated through to get cleaned while the toilet was flushing.
Tomorrow, we depart Germany for Switzerland. Before leaving for Switzerland, we will travel about 20 minutes away from Munich to make a stop at Dachau Concentration Camp, which was the first concentration camp and the training ground for the other camps. It should prove to be an extremely moving experience.
I think everyone had a good time on the bike tour and I know it was nice to just have a chance to see the city without being on our feet for six hours. Though we did get rained on, briefly, the worst of the rain came while we were in the English Garden covered by trees and watching some locals surf in waves created by a drainage system.
It was readily apparent that the city is extremely accommodating to bikers – they are all over Munich just as mopeds are all over Italy. There is a separate sidewalk for bikers that sits between the pedestrian sidewalk and the roadways. In some parts of the U.S., I think having a group of 30 people riding through city streets on beach cruisers would be a bit less safe. Even with the rain, it was an enjoyable experience for all.
One thing that is unique about Munich is the architecture of the buildings. You could have several buildings all in a row with different styles of architecture. One pre-war, one post war, and one more modern.
We ended the tour around noon and then separated into groups to enjoy the city on our own, before meeting at 2:45 to head back to the hotel. By the time we got back at 3:30, we had about a half hour to gather our belongings for the fourth game of the tour, in Ragensburg, which is about 1:40 to the Northeast of Munich.
Brown improved its record to 3-1 with a dominating 7-1 victory over S.C. Ragensburg, a club founded in 1928. The Bears scored early and often, building a 3-0 halftime lead. After Ragensburg scored early in the second half to come to within 3-1, Brown scored four straight goals to earn the win, outshooting its opponents, 22-3.
Mollie Mattuchio ’08 got Brown on the board, scoring from about 30 yards out after collecting the ball from Kathryn Moos ’07 in the midfield. Shortly after, Paige Reidy ’10 took a corner kick from the left side and Kiki Manners ’10 headed the ball past the Ragensburg keeper for a 2-0 lead. Just moments later, Bridget Ballard ’10, Moos, and Melissa Kim ’10 combined on a beautiful transition run that led to Kim scoring, but the goal was called back after Brown was called offsides. But, the Bears would get the third goal before the end of the half after Kim fired a rocket from the left side that was saved, but Kellie Slater ’10 knocked the rebound in.
Ragensburg had a strong start to the second half, controlling the flow of the game and getting into a solid rhythm, which resulted in them getting on the board less than five minutes into the half. However, Kim increased Brown’s lead to 4-1 when she sent the ball back on net from 25 yards out after Alex Michael’s ’09 attempt was saved by the keeper.
Second later, Kate Ashforth ’08 nearly put Brown up 5-1 heading the ball on another Reidy corner kick, but the ball caromed off the cross bar to hold the score at 4-1. Manners continued her strong play in the midfield, setting up Michael for Brown’s fifth goal and then Lindsay Cunningham ’09 converted two crosses, one from Jill Mansfield ’07 and the other from Moos, into goals for the 7-1 final.
The defensive corps did a tremendous job in limiting shots from Ragensburg as Steffi Yellin ’10 and Brenna Hogue ’10 each recorded just one save. In the back during the first half were Meg Robinson ’10, Julia Shapira ’08, Bridget Ballard ’10, and Julie Wu ’09. In the second half, Mansfield, Reidy, and Caitlin Gorham ’10 also saw time in the back in addition to the four starters.
We left the game and headed to the sports club, where we had a dinner consisting of salad and a pasta & pork dish. It was a long day for all after getting back to the hotel shortly after 12:30. We actually stopped at a rest area about a 1/2 hour from the hotel and the bathrooms had a great feature I think we should bring to the U.S. You had to pay 50 Euro to use the bathroom, as is common in Europe. But, the bathroom (Water Closet) was immaculate. And the toilets even had a cleaner attached to the back, which the seat rotated through to get cleaned while the toilet was flushing.
Tomorrow, we depart Germany for Switzerland. Before leaving for Switzerland, we will travel about 20 minutes away from Munich to make a stop at Dachau Concentration Camp, which was the first concentration camp and the training ground for the other camps. It should prove to be an extremely moving experience.
Monday, June 11, 2007
Day 8 - White Water Rafting
More Photos
This morning we were checked out of the hotel by 9:00 and drove about 20 minutes down the road to the place for our white water rafting trip. After about a half-hour to get into our wet suits, life jackets, and helmets, we loaded the bus with four rafting guides and drove for about another 20 minutes to the beginning of our journey. We had about a 15-minute mini lesson in rafting and then loaded the rafts in the water for the start of our trip down the river.
The water was about 7 degrees (C), but with the wet suit on it actually felt refreshing at first. Some of the later parts of the river were a bit colder, but it was not unbearable. Right off the bat, almost everyone jumped in off a floating dock to get wet before getting into the boats. We had three boats, with two rafts of 8 people and one of 9. It was an absolutely thrilling experience and every single person had an enjoyable time. We rafted on class 3 rapids, which is mid-level - parts of water where you could paddle slowly and then parts where you had to work hard to get through the rapids and avoid tipping the raft or falling out. Everyone was in the water at some point and I think not one of us went in by accident. We all jumped into the water at some point along the way.
All three of the guides made the entire day fun for everyone, engaging all the rafts in splashing wars, having one person try to balance at the front of the boat, while the rest paddled to spin the boat, jumping off a rock, and letting us swim alongside the boat when the rapids were smaller. Towards the end of the experience, our guide had us all get into the back of the raft and then he tied the oars up at the top with the safety line, before getting the raft into a position where it was perpendicular to the water. At the end of the day, most of the players and staff even jumped off a bridge that was about 20-30 feet high into the river below.
After getting off the water, we all showered and put dry clothes on before heading back to the center of Innsbruck for about an hour. We had just enough time to grab some lunch because we had to be back on the bus by 3:45 to begin our trip to Germany.
We arrived in Germany by 6:45 and checked into our hotel, which is simply amazing. Everyone had time to relax before our 8:00 dinner on the outskirts of Munich. The hotel is brand new and is beautiful. It is only rating ***, but everyone has made at least one comment about how nice it is. The beds in all of the hotels we have stayed in so far have been twin beds, but this hotel has two giant beds in each room so I am sure everyone will be glad to have a bit more room.
We ate dinner at a place called Wirtshaus Zur Brez'n and the food was delicious. The meal started with salad and ended with dessert. For the main course, they brought out two platters for each table that consisted of green beans wrapped in bacon, potatoes au gratin, and steak. It was the first but of substantial meat that was served during the trip. Even though we had been eating meat the entire time in Italy, most of the portions were small because of the traditional two course serving. The vegetarian meal was sort of a macaroni & cheese with onions. It too was very good.
Our bus driver, Stefano, provided us with about a 1/2 hour driving tour of the city, before we made our way back to the hotel for the night.
Tomorrow is another late morning as we leave the hotel at 9:00 for our guided bike tour of the city. Following the tour, we have about 4 hours of free time before our fourth game of the trip in Regensburg.
wiedersehen
Sunday, June 10, 2007
Day 7 - Venice & Trip to Austria
We had another early wake-up call this morning and had a relaxing day of travel to Austria, which I know a lot of us used to catch up on some much needed sleep. Marco and Stefano had the bus ready to go at 8:30 this morning and at some point had rearranged our luggage neatly below the bus. We left the hotel in Padova shortly after 8:30 and headed for Venice where the tourist bus fee to enter the city is 240 Euro - that is just to pay for a 10 minute drive from the check-in point to the parking area where all of the ferries leave!.
With today being a Sunday, we hit a little more traffic than expected, but still made it to the private boat for 9:45. The ride was extremely relaxing and we were able to just sit and enjoy the scenery. We docked shortly after 10:00 and walked over to the Piazza San Marco to meet our tour guide, Paolo. We followed Paolo through a one-and-a-half our tour of the city. At the end of the tour, went to the Murano Glass factory, where we saw a short presentation of one of their best artists blowing a piece of glass. Afterwards, we went into the shop, where we were able to purchase some of the glass items - jewelry, vases, glasses, trinkets for a special price they give specifically for large groups. At the conclusion of our visit at the glass factory, we broke into small groups for free time in the city until our meeting at 3:30 to head back to the parking area.
The city was one of the most beautiful places I have visited and I think I liked it so much because there were not cars. Just people (and pigeons) milling about, sight seeing, shopping, eating.
Venice is built on an archipelago of 122 islands formed by about 150 canals in a shallow lagoon. It sits on tons of wooden piles above marshy ground and the islands are connected by about 400 bridges. On interesting statistic is that there are actually more pigeons that inhabit the city than people.
We departed Venice at around 4:00 and began our four-hour drive through the Italian Alps to Austria. Marco had started the day behind the wheel of the bus, but when we boarded at 4:00, it was Stefano who would get us through the twists and turns of the mountain roads. Most of us slept for the first part of the trip until we made a brief stop about two hours in. I think almost everyone remained awake for the rest of the journey, gazing out the windows at some of the most picturesque setting I have every seen. I don't think words can desribe the mountains, some of which had snow on them, or the views as we were getting into Austria with the sun creating shadows and an orange glow in the clouds behind the mountains. I will try to post some photos in another gallery tonight.
We arrived at our hotel around 8:30 and immediately went to the dining room for dinner, where we had our first meel since arriving in Europe that did not consist of pasta. Tonight's dinner was a salad to start with and then pork, potatoes, and green beans, followed by cake. I ended up eating a plate of vegetables and some of the other vegetarians had fish in addition to potatoes and green beans.
We have another somewhat light day tommorrow with an 8:00 wake up for our white water rafting trip on Class 3 rapids. We should have some free time in Innsbruck, before heading to Germany, where we will spend the next two nights.
With today being a Sunday, we hit a little more traffic than expected, but still made it to the private boat for 9:45. The ride was extremely relaxing and we were able to just sit and enjoy the scenery. We docked shortly after 10:00 and walked over to the Piazza San Marco to meet our tour guide, Paolo. We followed Paolo through a one-and-a-half our tour of the city. At the end of the tour, went to the Murano Glass factory, where we saw a short presentation of one of their best artists blowing a piece of glass. Afterwards, we went into the shop, where we were able to purchase some of the glass items - jewelry, vases, glasses, trinkets for a special price they give specifically for large groups. At the conclusion of our visit at the glass factory, we broke into small groups for free time in the city until our meeting at 3:30 to head back to the parking area.
The city was one of the most beautiful places I have visited and I think I liked it so much because there were not cars. Just people (and pigeons) milling about, sight seeing, shopping, eating.
Venice is built on an archipelago of 122 islands formed by about 150 canals in a shallow lagoon. It sits on tons of wooden piles above marshy ground and the islands are connected by about 400 bridges. On interesting statistic is that there are actually more pigeons that inhabit the city than people.
We departed Venice at around 4:00 and began our four-hour drive through the Italian Alps to Austria. Marco had started the day behind the wheel of the bus, but when we boarded at 4:00, it was Stefano who would get us through the twists and turns of the mountain roads. Most of us slept for the first part of the trip until we made a brief stop about two hours in. I think almost everyone remained awake for the rest of the journey, gazing out the windows at some of the most picturesque setting I have every seen. I don't think words can desribe the mountains, some of which had snow on them, or the views as we were getting into Austria with the sun creating shadows and an orange glow in the clouds behind the mountains. I will try to post some photos in another gallery tonight.
We arrived at our hotel around 8:30 and immediately went to the dining room for dinner, where we had our first meel since arriving in Europe that did not consist of pasta. Tonight's dinner was a salad to start with and then pork, potatoes, and green beans, followed by cake. I ended up eating a plate of vegetables and some of the other vegetarians had fish in addition to potatoes and green beans.
We have another somewhat light day tommorrow with an 8:00 wake up for our white water rafting trip on Class 3 rapids. We should have some free time in Innsbruck, before heading to Germany, where we will spend the next two nights.
Saturday, June 9, 2007
Trip to Bergamo & Third Game
Photos from first few days
We departed Pisa by 11:45 and began our four-hour journey to Bergamo. About an hour into the trip, we stopped for lunch at another Autogrill. We then made a very scenic trip through the Alpini Mountains, a range that spans through the center of Italy.
From this point of the entry, I am posting in real time, at 2:00 a.m., after arriving at our hotel around 1:15. We finally are at a place that has internet that is easily accessible and unfortunately we are leaving here tomorrow morning at 8:30. I hope to have similar luck at our next hotel. I am glad I have been writing entries in Word on our long bus drives, which has made it easier to post all of the previous updates. So, while we hope to update you daily, tomomrrow may be another struggle as we have a full day in Venice before making a four+-hour drive to Innsbruck, Austria.
We arrived at the outside of Bergamo shortly before 5:00 and met our other driver, Stefano, who will be with us until we return to Italy on the tail-end of the trip. Stefano drove us to the game, which was played in one of the most beautiful settings I have ever seen. We traveled up a mountain, twisting and turning around curves that Phil says will seem like nothing once we get to the Swiss Alps. We all had no idea where we were going to find a soccer field in the middle of all of these mountains, but sure enough about 15 minutes later, we came to a field that was surrounded by mountains.
We played one of the top teams from the region, Atalanta, which plays in the same league as the team from Florence, which we played last night. It was the second game in a row, but the team continued to play aggressively and came back from a 1-0 deficit to win a 2-1 game in the final minutes. Atalanta scored with just five seconds left in the first half. Kellie Slater ’10 scored her second goal of the trip with about 10 minutes left to play to tie the game and then Melissa Kim ’10 scored on a direct kick from about 20 yards out with under two minutes remaining for the win. Steffi and Brenna were solid again in net with 7 saves combined.
After the game, we headed back down the mountain for dinner at a local pizzeria, where we were treated to salad, pasta, steak (an omelet for me), and fruit for dessert. We did not leave until close to 11:00 and then boarded the bus for the two-hour drive to our hotel.
We departed Pisa by 11:45 and began our four-hour journey to Bergamo. About an hour into the trip, we stopped for lunch at another Autogrill. We then made a very scenic trip through the Alpini Mountains, a range that spans through the center of Italy.
From this point of the entry, I am posting in real time, at 2:00 a.m., after arriving at our hotel around 1:15. We finally are at a place that has internet that is easily accessible and unfortunately we are leaving here tomorrow morning at 8:30. I hope to have similar luck at our next hotel. I am glad I have been writing entries in Word on our long bus drives, which has made it easier to post all of the previous updates. So, while we hope to update you daily, tomomrrow may be another struggle as we have a full day in Venice before making a four+-hour drive to Innsbruck, Austria.
We arrived at the outside of Bergamo shortly before 5:00 and met our other driver, Stefano, who will be with us until we return to Italy on the tail-end of the trip. Stefano drove us to the game, which was played in one of the most beautiful settings I have ever seen. We traveled up a mountain, twisting and turning around curves that Phil says will seem like nothing once we get to the Swiss Alps. We all had no idea where we were going to find a soccer field in the middle of all of these mountains, but sure enough about 15 minutes later, we came to a field that was surrounded by mountains.
We played one of the top teams from the region, Atalanta, which plays in the same league as the team from Florence, which we played last night. It was the second game in a row, but the team continued to play aggressively and came back from a 1-0 deficit to win a 2-1 game in the final minutes. Atalanta scored with just five seconds left in the first half. Kellie Slater ’10 scored her second goal of the trip with about 10 minutes left to play to tie the game and then Melissa Kim ’10 scored on a direct kick from about 20 yards out with under two minutes remaining for the win. Steffi and Brenna were solid again in net with 7 saves combined.
After the game, we headed back down the mountain for dinner at a local pizzeria, where we were treated to salad, pasta, steak (an omelet for me), and fruit for dessert. We did not leave until close to 11:00 and then boarded the bus for the two-hour drive to our hotel.
Our Bus Driver Marco
I also want to mention our bus driver, Marco, who in addition to Elena, is with us for the entire trip. He is a master at driving the bus through the crowded streets of Rome, getting us into and out of extremely tight parking areas. After our first game, he had to back out of the parking area and through a gate a tiny bit wider than the width of the bus and with cars parked on both sides of him. On our way to our second game in Florence, he had to maneuver through a tight gate again and around several cars. We all got off the bus and wondered how we were going to get out after the game because we had pulled into a small parking area with a building on our left and the road (with a retaining wall) on our right. While the girls were playing, he was busy turning the bus around and by halftime he had it facing out. In Montecatini, he also had to drive the bus through an alley with buildings on both sides. I am amazed at the places he has taken the bus. He has also been a huge help with loading and unloading all or our luggage. When we arrived at the hotel on Tuesday afternoon, he had the entire bus cleared out and the luggage neatly placed on the street next to the bus before we were all even off.
Our bus is also typical to those we would travel on in the U.S., with the biggest difference being the location of the bathroom. Instead of being situated at the rear of the bus and on the same level as the seating area, the bathroom is in the middle of the bus, about seven rows back from the front, and down 6-7 stairs (so it is on the same level as the luggage area below the bus).
Each time we enter a new city, the bus also has to stop at the city limits to pay a tour bus fee. We did not do this for Rome because Marco and Elena had paid the fee prior to picking us up at the airport, but we have had to pay it in both Montecatini and Florence. The fee in Montecatini was just 40 euro, in comparison to the 160 euro paid by the bus to visit Florence.
Our bus is also typical to those we would travel on in the U.S., with the biggest difference being the location of the bathroom. Instead of being situated at the rear of the bus and on the same level as the seating area, the bathroom is in the middle of the bus, about seven rows back from the front, and down 6-7 stairs (so it is on the same level as the luggage area below the bus).
Each time we enter a new city, the bus also has to stop at the city limits to pay a tour bus fee. We did not do this for Rome because Marco and Elena had paid the fee prior to picking us up at the airport, but we have had to pay it in both Montecatini and Florence. The fee in Montecatini was just 40 euro, in comparison to the 160 euro paid by the bus to visit Florence.
Day 6 - Pisa
We awoke early this morning to begin our long trip to the North. We delayed our 9:00 departure slightly – but for good reason. Last night after the game, Phil, Mandi, and Luis gathered the black uniforms to wash in the tub in Phil’s room. The uniforms were not dry in the morning so Phil and Mandi took them to a Laundromat around the corner from our hotel to dry them at 8:00 this morning. They were back at the bus by about 10 past nine with clothing that was still hot to the touch.
Our first stop was Pisa, which was about a 50 minute drive from our hotel. On our way, and about 15 minutes from our drop off point in Pisa, the bus was flagged down at a routine check-point for tour buses. Italian laws are extremely strict about bus drivers not going over their driving time constraints and get stopped randomly. The drivers must rest for nine hours between stopping and starting and must also stop every three hours. We found out while waiting that the bus also holds a CD of information that records when stops were made and how long there was between stopping and starting. They also check up to a week back to make sure everything checks out and Elena mentioned that sometimes they come on the bus to check things out. We did not have a police officer come onto the bus and had to wait for only about 10 minutes before Marco was given the go ahead and we were back on our way to Pisa. Elena did mention that on a prior tour, he bus got stopped and a different driver was over his driving time by just 20 minutes and the bus had to sit and wait for three hours before being able to continue on. She also informed us that because we will be doing so much driving over the next few days (since everything is more spread out), we will have two drivers with us so that we do not go over the driving time.
We have been in great hands with Marco and Elena!
After the small delay we transferred from the bus to a tram, which took us to the center of Pisa. In the Plazze del Miracoli was the Baptistery, the Cathedral, the city graveyard, and of course the Leaning Tower. The tower is actually the Bell Tower of the Church and was started in 1173 by one architect. He built the first three galleries and noticed that it was sinking and decided to abandon architecture. A new architect picked up the work and added the next two galleries before getting killed in battle. Finally, the final stages were added by a third architect and the Tower was completed in 1360. It is 53 meters high and contains 253 steps to the top.
In 1990, the Tower was closed for 11 years while a team of engineers examined and inspected the structure. It was decided that if the inclination of the tower continued (at a rate of 1 millimeter per year) it would eventually implode. So in 1992, steel support bands were added to both the inside and outside. Then, in 1995 600 tons of lead were added around the base of the Tower as another means of support. In 1999, engineers removed some of the soil underneath the high side to stop the inclination so that the Tower looks today as it did 200 years ago. The Tower reopened to the public six years ago, but visitors are limited by both the number of people that can go into the Tower and the frequency of admittance into the Tower. In addition to the Tower, the Cathedral is also sinking slightly as is the Baptistery.
Our first stop was Pisa, which was about a 50 minute drive from our hotel. On our way, and about 15 minutes from our drop off point in Pisa, the bus was flagged down at a routine check-point for tour buses. Italian laws are extremely strict about bus drivers not going over their driving time constraints and get stopped randomly. The drivers must rest for nine hours between stopping and starting and must also stop every three hours. We found out while waiting that the bus also holds a CD of information that records when stops were made and how long there was between stopping and starting. They also check up to a week back to make sure everything checks out and Elena mentioned that sometimes they come on the bus to check things out. We did not have a police officer come onto the bus and had to wait for only about 10 minutes before Marco was given the go ahead and we were back on our way to Pisa. Elena did mention that on a prior tour, he bus got stopped and a different driver was over his driving time by just 20 minutes and the bus had to sit and wait for three hours before being able to continue on. She also informed us that because we will be doing so much driving over the next few days (since everything is more spread out), we will have two drivers with us so that we do not go over the driving time.
We have been in great hands with Marco and Elena!
After the small delay we transferred from the bus to a tram, which took us to the center of Pisa. In the Plazze del Miracoli was the Baptistery, the Cathedral, the city graveyard, and of course the Leaning Tower. The tower is actually the Bell Tower of the Church and was started in 1173 by one architect. He built the first three galleries and noticed that it was sinking and decided to abandon architecture. A new architect picked up the work and added the next two galleries before getting killed in battle. Finally, the final stages were added by a third architect and the Tower was completed in 1360. It is 53 meters high and contains 253 steps to the top.
In 1990, the Tower was closed for 11 years while a team of engineers examined and inspected the structure. It was decided that if the inclination of the tower continued (at a rate of 1 millimeter per year) it would eventually implode. So in 1992, steel support bands were added to both the inside and outside. Then, in 1995 600 tons of lead were added around the base of the Tower as another means of support. In 1999, engineers removed some of the soil underneath the high side to stop the inclination so that the Tower looks today as it did 200 years ago. The Tower reopened to the public six years ago, but visitors are limited by both the number of people that can go into the Tower and the frequency of admittance into the Tower. In addition to the Tower, the Cathedral is also sinking slightly as is the Baptistery.
Day 5 - Florence or "Firenze"
We had a late start this morning, relatively speaking, leaving at 9:30 for Florence. But the day was extremely long with six-and-a-half hours in the city and then an hour drive to the pre-game meal, a game, and then a forty-minute drive back to the hotel, getting in at close to midnight.
We began the morning in Florence with a guided tour of the city that lasted about two hours. Our tour guide, Silvia, took us to most of the major sites in Florence and gave us a general layout of the city before breaking into small groups at around noon. We had until 4:30 to enjoy the city, whether it be shopping, site-seeing, the museums, or relaxing at the Botanical Gardens. Florence is known for both jewelry and leather among other things. The entire span of the Ponte Veccio Bridge is lined with jewelry store after jewelry store. The bridge was built in 1345 and is unchanged to this day. It is the only original bridge in Florence, surviving WWII, during which the other bridges were destroyed by mines. The shops along the Bridge once housed butcher shops, but the Emperor ordered that they sell only gold when he lived above the butcher shops. It has been lined with jewelry stores ever since.
We met at 4:30 in front of the original site of the David, which is also where the original home of the Medici Family (who founded the city) lived. Today, the building houses the Government offices for the city of Florence. After everyone in the group arrived in front of the replica of the David, we made about a half-hour walk to our bus, before driving to a sports complex for our pre-game meal. At the complex, we met the President of the team that uses that facility, Ilerio. Ilerio arranged our game in Florence and his wife is the President of the Italian National Team. Again, we had salad, pasta, chicken and dessert. The meal was an A++ event, with both the Italian and American flags gracing the dining room and Ilerio presenting Phil with a token of his appreciation.
We followed Ilerio to the site of the game with just over an hour before gametime, which meant only about a half-hour warm-up for the team. The teams exchanged small gifts with each other prior to the start of the game and then after reading rosters for each team, the National Anthems of both America and Italy were played.
The team played another aggressive game and battled through to the final whistle, but fell to the team from Florence, an AI team, Gioiello Firenze, one of the top teams in the Tuscany Region, 1-0. The winning goal was scored with under two minutes left by a player who is also on the Italian National Team. Several of their players are also on the Italian National Team and the game was well-played on both sides with Brown narrowly missing a goal several times after their goalie came up with big saves. Both Steffi Yellin ’10 and Brenna Hogue ’10 played a solid game in net, with each making five saves.
Following the game, both teams were awarded trophies and then each player was given a small ceramic tile painted with a floral design. The head coach of the team from Florence was extremely complimentary of the Brown team, saying that the girls were both athletic and physical and that they also were strong technically.
It truly was a special night, as we also learned that the stadium we had just played in was the first field in the Tuscany Region, built by Mussolini in 1933.
Back at the hotel, we had some time to check our email quickly and get packed before our long trip tomorrow. We leave at 9:00 and head to Pisa, where we will stay for about an hour, before continuing to the North for Bergamo, which is about a four-hour drive. We have another game, in the early evening against another A1 League team, Atalanta, and then we will travel for about another two hours to check into our next hotel.
Montecatini didn’t have internet access in the rooms. There was one public computer, which was broken last night (I found out today it was only the mouse!). I hope to have some more luck at our next hotel so that I can update all of you with more regularity.
Ciao!
We began the morning in Florence with a guided tour of the city that lasted about two hours. Our tour guide, Silvia, took us to most of the major sites in Florence and gave us a general layout of the city before breaking into small groups at around noon. We had until 4:30 to enjoy the city, whether it be shopping, site-seeing, the museums, or relaxing at the Botanical Gardens. Florence is known for both jewelry and leather among other things. The entire span of the Ponte Veccio Bridge is lined with jewelry store after jewelry store. The bridge was built in 1345 and is unchanged to this day. It is the only original bridge in Florence, surviving WWII, during which the other bridges were destroyed by mines. The shops along the Bridge once housed butcher shops, but the Emperor ordered that they sell only gold when he lived above the butcher shops. It has been lined with jewelry stores ever since.
We met at 4:30 in front of the original site of the David, which is also where the original home of the Medici Family (who founded the city) lived. Today, the building houses the Government offices for the city of Florence. After everyone in the group arrived in front of the replica of the David, we made about a half-hour walk to our bus, before driving to a sports complex for our pre-game meal. At the complex, we met the President of the team that uses that facility, Ilerio. Ilerio arranged our game in Florence and his wife is the President of the Italian National Team. Again, we had salad, pasta, chicken and dessert. The meal was an A++ event, with both the Italian and American flags gracing the dining room and Ilerio presenting Phil with a token of his appreciation.
We followed Ilerio to the site of the game with just over an hour before gametime, which meant only about a half-hour warm-up for the team. The teams exchanged small gifts with each other prior to the start of the game and then after reading rosters for each team, the National Anthems of both America and Italy were played.
The team played another aggressive game and battled through to the final whistle, but fell to the team from Florence, an AI team, Gioiello Firenze, one of the top teams in the Tuscany Region, 1-0. The winning goal was scored with under two minutes left by a player who is also on the Italian National Team. Several of their players are also on the Italian National Team and the game was well-played on both sides with Brown narrowly missing a goal several times after their goalie came up with big saves. Both Steffi Yellin ’10 and Brenna Hogue ’10 played a solid game in net, with each making five saves.
Following the game, both teams were awarded trophies and then each player was given a small ceramic tile painted with a floral design. The head coach of the team from Florence was extremely complimentary of the Brown team, saying that the girls were both athletic and physical and that they also were strong technically.
It truly was a special night, as we also learned that the stadium we had just played in was the first field in the Tuscany Region, built by Mussolini in 1933.
Back at the hotel, we had some time to check our email quickly and get packed before our long trip tomorrow. We leave at 9:00 and head to Pisa, where we will stay for about an hour, before continuing to the North for Bergamo, which is about a four-hour drive. We have another game, in the early evening against another A1 League team, Atalanta, and then we will travel for about another two hours to check into our next hotel.
Montecatini didn’t have internet access in the rooms. There was one public computer, which was broken last night (I found out today it was only the mouse!). I hope to have some more luck at our next hotel so that I can update all of you with more regularity.
Ciao!
Montecatini Terme
We arrived in Montecatini shortly before 8:00 and had just enough time to drop our bags in our rooms before heading back down to our dinner, where we were first greeted to the hotel with a welcome reception. Again, the dinner was a preset meal with salad, pasta, meet (pork tonight) and dessert. The food was once again very good and the tiramisu was out of this world. I actually didn’t think I had room for it, but it looked delicious and I ended up clearing my plate. Every single place we have eaten has been extremely accommodating with the meal. I am a vegetarian, as are some of the other people in the group, and they have all made an effort to either give us a separate helping of pasta or fix another meal for the second course, which is usually a plain omelet.
It was pretty late after dinner, but the night was cool and beautiful (it had rained earlier in the day) and almost everyone went out to walk around the town and work off some of the meal. The word Terme means spa in Italian and Montecatini is a spa town that was founded by the Romans in the second century. It is a quaint town with lots of shops and cafes. The first thing I noticed when getting off the bus was the smell of flowers, which we think was honeysuckle. It smelled absolutely wonderful and fresh in comparison to the city smells of Rome.
Our hotel in Montecatini was the Grand Hotel Nizza e Suisse, which was a quant hotel in the center of Montecatini. The rooms had a cozy feel to them with two twin beds, a small desk area, and a bathroom. I stayed in a triple so we also had a day bed tucked away perpendicular to the two twin beds. The bathroom in this hotel was my absolute favorite. Our room had dark blue, light blue and yellow tile in the bathroom and the design looked like it could have come out of a magazine. The bathroom again contained a sink, toilet and bidet. What made our room different that some of the others, was that we actually had a shower. I heard from some of the other people in the group that they only had a tub, which we also had. The tub did not have a curtain or anything around it and did not have a shower head up on the wall. Instead, there was a shower head connected to a host that was connected to the faucet down where the tub and the wall meet. One last note about the bathroom, is that in both hotels, the towels have been enormous. I was expecting small towels like what we get a lot of times in U.S. hotels, but the towels so far have been more like bath sheets!
It was pretty late after dinner, but the night was cool and beautiful (it had rained earlier in the day) and almost everyone went out to walk around the town and work off some of the meal. The word Terme means spa in Italian and Montecatini is a spa town that was founded by the Romans in the second century. It is a quaint town with lots of shops and cafes. The first thing I noticed when getting off the bus was the smell of flowers, which we think was honeysuckle. It smelled absolutely wonderful and fresh in comparison to the city smells of Rome.
Our hotel in Montecatini was the Grand Hotel Nizza e Suisse, which was a quant hotel in the center of Montecatini. The rooms had a cozy feel to them with two twin beds, a small desk area, and a bathroom. I stayed in a triple so we also had a day bed tucked away perpendicular to the two twin beds. The bathroom in this hotel was my absolute favorite. Our room had dark blue, light blue and yellow tile in the bathroom and the design looked like it could have come out of a magazine. The bathroom again contained a sink, toilet and bidet. What made our room different that some of the others, was that we actually had a shower. I heard from some of the other people in the group that they only had a tub, which we also had. The tub did not have a curtain or anything around it and did not have a shower head up on the wall. Instead, there was a shower head connected to a host that was connected to the faucet down where the tub and the wall meet. One last note about the bathroom, is that in both hotels, the towels have been enormous. I was expecting small towels like what we get a lot of times in U.S. hotels, but the towels so far have been more like bath sheets!
Trip to Tuscany
We drove for about an hour outside of Rome before stopping at a rest area on the highway – Autogrill - to eat lunch. Autogrills are all over the place and are similar to many rest stops in the U.S. It has entrances on both sides of the highway and the actual building is stretched over the road. They had a decent variety with sandwiches, salad, hamburgers, pasta, fruit, and desserts. After about 45 minutes, we were all back on the bus for the three-and-a-half hour drive to Tuscany. After three straight days of beautiful weather (although it was hot), we drove through pockets of Rain along the way. The rain would last for about 20 minutes and then change back over to sun. So, more like being in Florida than in the Northeast U.S. The country is beautiful, contrasting between mountains, vineyards, and small villages that resemble medieval forts.
Since I have the time on the bus, I wanted to take the opportunity to talk a little more about our hotel in Rome. The hotel was a four-star hotel and most of us were roomed in triples. The typical set-up of the room was a sleeping area with two twin beds and then a living area with a pullout couch, TV and kitchenette. Both rooms also had balconies with a small table and chairs on the one off the living area. The bathrooms were typical, with a sink, toilet, and shower. Though it did also have a bidet in addition to the toilet. The tub was also extremely high. At 5’10”, I even had a large step to get into and out of the shower.
The elevators were also tiny and could hold a maximum of six people – with no luggage. During check-in and check-out the elevator was tight with 2 people. The most I rode with at one time was five and even that was tight. I think a lot of us took the stairs – we’ll see if this holds true as the trip goes on.
Since I have the time on the bus, I wanted to take the opportunity to talk a little more about our hotel in Rome. The hotel was a four-star hotel and most of us were roomed in triples. The typical set-up of the room was a sleeping area with two twin beds and then a living area with a pullout couch, TV and kitchenette. Both rooms also had balconies with a small table and chairs on the one off the living area. The bathrooms were typical, with a sink, toilet, and shower. Though it did also have a bidet in addition to the toilet. The tub was also extremely high. At 5’10”, I even had a large step to get into and out of the shower.
The elevators were also tiny and could hold a maximum of six people – with no luggage. During check-in and check-out the elevator was tight with 2 people. The most I rode with at one time was five and even that was tight. I think a lot of us took the stairs – we’ll see if this holds true as the trip goes on.
Day 4 - Ancient Rome
We began our final day in Rome with a late wake-up (8:30) and then breakfast at 9:00, before loading the bus for our departure and heading into Ancient Rome. We met our tour guide, Heinz, and immediately walked down to the Coliseum. From a distance you can tell it is enormous, but it is even more impressive when viewed from the ground. Started in 72 AD, it took just 10 years to complete and no improvements have ever been made to the structure. It could seat up to 55,000 people and be cleared in under 20 minutes. Some of the stone was used in the middle ages for building materials, which is why you see the missing sections today.
We walked past the Coliseum down to view some Roman ruins, including an area that was once a market and another part that was a firewall built to protect Agustus’ castles. We then continued through the sometimes-narrow streets to the Trevi Fountain, where we enjoyed about 15 minutes of free time. The Fountain has been a tourist destination for years now and has become the fountain in Rome that people throw coins into. The saying goes that if you throw a coin over your left shoulder with your right hand that you will return to Rome at some point. The water at the fountain flows through pipes that are over 2,000 years old.
After leaving the Fountain, we passed the Italian Parliament. Right in front of the Parliament was a group of protestors. Even though I could not understand what they were saying, I could tell their were protesting by their actions and unified chanting. They were protesting new laws passed by the Parliament concerning the rights or people in the workplace and part-time vs. full-time employees.
We walked past the Coliseum down to view some Roman ruins, including an area that was once a market and another part that was a firewall built to protect Agustus’ castles. We then continued through the sometimes-narrow streets to the Trevi Fountain, where we enjoyed about 15 minutes of free time. The Fountain has been a tourist destination for years now and has become the fountain in Rome that people throw coins into. The saying goes that if you throw a coin over your left shoulder with your right hand that you will return to Rome at some point. The water at the fountain flows through pipes that are over 2,000 years old.
After leaving the Fountain, we passed the Italian Parliament. Right in front of the Parliament was a group of protestors. Even though I could not understand what they were saying, I could tell their were protesting by their actions and unified chanting. They were protesting new laws passed by the Parliament concerning the rights or people in the workplace and part-time vs. full-time employees.
Wednesday, June 6, 2007
Day 3 - Vatican City & First Game
Today was our first full day of sight-seeing. After breakfast, we left the hotel to head to Vatican City for most of the day. Our first stop was the Vatican Museum and Sistine Chapel, where we walked around the outside of the entrance to the back of the line for tour groups. It was a decent sized line that probably would have taken us over an hour to get through. But, we lucked out in the first of two instances of the day. Elena went up to the front to check with our tour guide, Roberto, and we were able to get right in because he is a Vatican Museum specialist. The tour lasted about an hour-and-a-half and we were able to see a replica of Michelangelo’s Pieta, the original one sits directly inside St. Peter’s Basilica. We were able to get up close to the Pieta, which is one of the few works of art that has Michelangelo’s name on it, and many of us took photos of the statue.
The walk down to the Sistine Chapel was long, not in terms of time, but in length of the corridor. There was so much to look at and enjoy along the way. I am sure that each of us saw something different. The paintings on the ceilings, tapestries, and sculptures were all amazing and done by many different artists, including Michelangelo.
After the tour of the Museum, we quickly made it to St. Peter’s Square, where we were able to catch the tail end of the Wednesday morning mass said by the Pope. The square was simply breath-taking and even larger than it appears on TV. We concluded the official portion of our tour with Roberto here and broke off into separate groups for three hours of free time and lunch.
Everyone broke off and headed to lunch in groups, where some even found an all-you-can eat pizza and pasta place for 10 euros. After lunch, some of us relaxed, some went shopping, and some to St. Peter’s Basilica. The Basilica opens for visitors between in the early afternoon and when the mass ended at 12:15, people were already forming a line. We had a feeling the line would be long by the time we got there at 1:15. As we suspected, the line was wrapped around more than half of the Square, and we figured we had to meet here at 3:15 anyway, so we might as well try to get in. Minutes after getting in line, a young woman approached us as said if we spoke English, there was a free tour being given up ahead so we decided to move up to the tour, skeptically at first. We decided to stay with the group and for the second time today, hardly had to wait to get into the building and we were inside within 15 minutes. Hopefully the luck continues for the rest of our stay in Europe!
Inside, we were all amazed at the beauty of the building. Words really can’t describe the Basilica so I have posted some photos of the inside, which was truly awe-inspiring.
After our various afternoon activities, we all met in St. Peter’s Square to head back to the hotel for a brief pit-stop before heading over to the sports complex 10 minutes away – though it took nearly 30 minutes with rush-hour traffic - for a pre-game meal and the first game of the trip against G.S. Roma, a B League Team. Dinner was once again a four-course meal with salad, pasta, a meet dish, and dessert. Our wait-staff provided some entertainment and was extremely accommodating, bringing out extra water and bread for all of us.
The team had about two hours between dinner and the game and used the time preparing for the contest, which was played on a turf field similar to Brown’s turf field behind the OMAC. The Bears continued to play their aggressive style and controlled the game throughout, winning by a 4-0 score. Lindsay scored an unassisted goal on Brown’s first shot of the game and then she gave the Bears a 2-0 lead before half-time, scoring off a pass from Alex. After a quick break, Jill put Brown up 3-0 off a feed from Lindsay and Kellie scored the final goal off a pass from Kate. Both Brenna and Steffi played in net with Brenna stopping three shots in the first half and Steffi making four saves in the second.
The difference in style between the two teams was readily apparent, with Brown committing the majority of the fouls called in the game and Roma playing a European style with a lot of flare and dramatics.
Brown had several fans in attendance to watch the game, including Gyneth Sick ’87, who played for Phil from 1983-1986 and now lives in Rome. After moving to Rome in 1987, Gyneth continued to play soccer for several years, suiting up for the same team we played tonight, G.S. Roma. Also in the cheering section were Jill’s parents, Dennis and Beverly, Aida, Meghan and Alexa Faria, and Janet Pincince.
After a quick photo of the team with one of the Roma players, we made the short drive – now down to 10 minutes – back to the hotel to relax, pack, and check our e-mail. Tomorrow, we will check out of this hotel and after touring the center of Rome, we depart Roma and move on to Tuscany, roughly a four-hour drive.
Pictures: As I figure things out over here, I apologize again for not getting pictures posted. The blog site is in Italian for me and I am trying to figure out the process for posting pictures. I hope to be able to have some for you tomorrow!
The walk down to the Sistine Chapel was long, not in terms of time, but in length of the corridor. There was so much to look at and enjoy along the way. I am sure that each of us saw something different. The paintings on the ceilings, tapestries, and sculptures were all amazing and done by many different artists, including Michelangelo.
After the tour of the Museum, we quickly made it to St. Peter’s Square, where we were able to catch the tail end of the Wednesday morning mass said by the Pope. The square was simply breath-taking and even larger than it appears on TV. We concluded the official portion of our tour with Roberto here and broke off into separate groups for three hours of free time and lunch.
Everyone broke off and headed to lunch in groups, where some even found an all-you-can eat pizza and pasta place for 10 euros. After lunch, some of us relaxed, some went shopping, and some to St. Peter’s Basilica. The Basilica opens for visitors between in the early afternoon and when the mass ended at 12:15, people were already forming a line. We had a feeling the line would be long by the time we got there at 1:15. As we suspected, the line was wrapped around more than half of the Square, and we figured we had to meet here at 3:15 anyway, so we might as well try to get in. Minutes after getting in line, a young woman approached us as said if we spoke English, there was a free tour being given up ahead so we decided to move up to the tour, skeptically at first. We decided to stay with the group and for the second time today, hardly had to wait to get into the building and we were inside within 15 minutes. Hopefully the luck continues for the rest of our stay in Europe!
Inside, we were all amazed at the beauty of the building. Words really can’t describe the Basilica so I have posted some photos of the inside, which was truly awe-inspiring.
After our various afternoon activities, we all met in St. Peter’s Square to head back to the hotel for a brief pit-stop before heading over to the sports complex 10 minutes away – though it took nearly 30 minutes with rush-hour traffic - for a pre-game meal and the first game of the trip against G.S. Roma, a B League Team. Dinner was once again a four-course meal with salad, pasta, a meet dish, and dessert. Our wait-staff provided some entertainment and was extremely accommodating, bringing out extra water and bread for all of us.
The team had about two hours between dinner and the game and used the time preparing for the contest, which was played on a turf field similar to Brown’s turf field behind the OMAC. The Bears continued to play their aggressive style and controlled the game throughout, winning by a 4-0 score. Lindsay scored an unassisted goal on Brown’s first shot of the game and then she gave the Bears a 2-0 lead before half-time, scoring off a pass from Alex. After a quick break, Jill put Brown up 3-0 off a feed from Lindsay and Kellie scored the final goal off a pass from Kate. Both Brenna and Steffi played in net with Brenna stopping three shots in the first half and Steffi making four saves in the second.
The difference in style between the two teams was readily apparent, with Brown committing the majority of the fouls called in the game and Roma playing a European style with a lot of flare and dramatics.
Brown had several fans in attendance to watch the game, including Gyneth Sick ’87, who played for Phil from 1983-1986 and now lives in Rome. After moving to Rome in 1987, Gyneth continued to play soccer for several years, suiting up for the same team we played tonight, G.S. Roma. Also in the cheering section were Jill’s parents, Dennis and Beverly, Aida, Meghan and Alexa Faria, and Janet Pincince.
After a quick photo of the team with one of the Roma players, we made the short drive – now down to 10 minutes – back to the hotel to relax, pack, and check our e-mail. Tomorrow, we will check out of this hotel and after touring the center of Rome, we depart Roma and move on to Tuscany, roughly a four-hour drive.
Pictures: As I figure things out over here, I apologize again for not getting pictures posted. The blog site is in Italian for me and I am trying to figure out the process for posting pictures. I hope to be able to have some for you tomorrow!
Day 1/2
I am sorry for not getting these updates in sooner. I had some difficultly getting onto the internet here at the hotel with my computer and figured out how to get onto the network this morning (Wed). I hope to post updates more frequently as we progress through our trip.
Despite the rainy weather on Monday in Providence, we got off to an unblemished start, arriving in Boston two hours prior to the 5:35 flight to Paris and well ahead of a long line that assembled at the check-in counter just after all of us had checked our bags.
We took up the back of the plane and arrived in Paris on time at 6:15 a.m. (12:15 a.m. EST). The process to get to our connecting gate for our flight to Rome was somewhat of a learning experience that had many of us appreciating the systems in place in America. In order to keep some sort of traffic flow, there were a series of doors that people must walk through in Charles de Gaulles to get to the customs area. These doors only a pre-determined number of people in at a time and then you must wait until the opening comes around again to enter and pass through the doors. With several flights having just landed, you can imagine the scene of people with their carry-on bags crowded in front of the doors, trying to then squeeze through an opening wide enough for two people. The pushing and shoving continued down a set of stairs and through a narrow passage-way, where two lines formed to catch a tram to the connecting gate.
All of us made it on the same tram and upon exiting the tram we were corralled into another line, this time to get our passports checked and stamped. The line was long and hot with a lot of people from different backgrounds and speaking different languages trying to communicate with one another - which just resulted in people attempting to push their way through the line. After getting stamped, we moved onto another (and final) line for the security check point to screen our carry on bags, arriving at the gate with about an hour before taking off for Rome. Most of the team used this time to catch up on some much-needed sleep.
After arriving and collecting our luggage (all of it made it!), we were joined by Caitlin and Andrea, who met us at Rome’s Fiumicino airport, and greeted by our tour manager, Elena, who will be with us for the entire tour. Before heading to the hotel, we enjoyed a one-and-a-half-hour driving tour of the city (although I think several of us were so tired, the drive in the bus lulled us to sleep). Fortunately, we will have the chance to see all of the sites Elena pointed out to us in the coming days, when we visit Vatican City tomorrow and then the Coliseum, Roman Forums and Spanish Steps on Thursday.
Upon our arrival at the hotel, Elena had announced that she had some snacks and sodas for the group, which was much appreciated after the long day of travel and little to eat! We checked into the hotel around 1:45, and then enjoyed some free time, which most of us used to shower and to rest. Some of us headed back into the city for some shopping and site-seeing before going back to the hotel for our 7:00 dinner. The meal was a four-course Roman dinner – salad, pasta, meat, and dessert.
Everyone was ready for bed following the dinner at 8:00, and tomorrow will be an early morning with our wakeup calls scheduled for 7:00 a.m.
One thing about the city of Rome that was immediately apparent is the traffic. It was mid-day when we were initially driving in and relatively quiet. However, on our return trip to and from the city, we were driving in the middle of rush hour. The roads were pure chaos. Cars, most of which are extremely small in comparison to those we drive in the U.S., buses, scooters, pedestrians, people washing windows, and vendors, all weaving in and out of each other at high speed. It seems that they do not adhere to many rules, relatively few turn signals are used, and cars were parked anywhere they could find space, even on the sidewalks.
Despite the rainy weather on Monday in Providence, we got off to an unblemished start, arriving in Boston two hours prior to the 5:35 flight to Paris and well ahead of a long line that assembled at the check-in counter just after all of us had checked our bags.
We took up the back of the plane and arrived in Paris on time at 6:15 a.m. (12:15 a.m. EST). The process to get to our connecting gate for our flight to Rome was somewhat of a learning experience that had many of us appreciating the systems in place in America. In order to keep some sort of traffic flow, there were a series of doors that people must walk through in Charles de Gaulles to get to the customs area. These doors only a pre-determined number of people in at a time and then you must wait until the opening comes around again to enter and pass through the doors. With several flights having just landed, you can imagine the scene of people with their carry-on bags crowded in front of the doors, trying to then squeeze through an opening wide enough for two people. The pushing and shoving continued down a set of stairs and through a narrow passage-way, where two lines formed to catch a tram to the connecting gate.
All of us made it on the same tram and upon exiting the tram we were corralled into another line, this time to get our passports checked and stamped. The line was long and hot with a lot of people from different backgrounds and speaking different languages trying to communicate with one another - which just resulted in people attempting to push their way through the line. After getting stamped, we moved onto another (and final) line for the security check point to screen our carry on bags, arriving at the gate with about an hour before taking off for Rome. Most of the team used this time to catch up on some much-needed sleep.
After arriving and collecting our luggage (all of it made it!), we were joined by Caitlin and Andrea, who met us at Rome’s Fiumicino airport, and greeted by our tour manager, Elena, who will be with us for the entire tour. Before heading to the hotel, we enjoyed a one-and-a-half-hour driving tour of the city (although I think several of us were so tired, the drive in the bus lulled us to sleep). Fortunately, we will have the chance to see all of the sites Elena pointed out to us in the coming days, when we visit Vatican City tomorrow and then the Coliseum, Roman Forums and Spanish Steps on Thursday.
Upon our arrival at the hotel, Elena had announced that she had some snacks and sodas for the group, which was much appreciated after the long day of travel and little to eat! We checked into the hotel around 1:45, and then enjoyed some free time, which most of us used to shower and to rest. Some of us headed back into the city for some shopping and site-seeing before going back to the hotel for our 7:00 dinner. The meal was a four-course Roman dinner – salad, pasta, meat, and dessert.
Everyone was ready for bed following the dinner at 8:00, and tomorrow will be an early morning with our wakeup calls scheduled for 7:00 a.m.
One thing about the city of Rome that was immediately apparent is the traffic. It was mid-day when we were initially driving in and relatively quiet. However, on our return trip to and from the city, we were driving in the middle of rush hour. The roads were pure chaos. Cars, most of which are extremely small in comparison to those we drive in the U.S., buses, scooters, pedestrians, people washing windows, and vendors, all weaving in and out of each other at high speed. It seems that they do not adhere to many rules, relatively few turn signals are used, and cars were parked anywhere they could find space, even on the sidewalks.
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