From Rome with love...

The Roman Colosseum 

In St Peter's Square

We started off our very last day of sight seeing with a visit to the Colosseum and the Roman Forum! It was cool to walk through all the ancient ruins and try to imagine what it looked like during the Roman Empire.Our tour guide, Claudia, the sharp lady that she is, spotted three gypsy women and told us to watch our purses, as they are good at picking pocketing. Shortly after, Coach Kelly actually saw the gypsies steal a wallet right out of a man's bag! Thank goodness we have Claudia as our watch guard to keep us safe! 
We then spent the rest of the afternoon touring Vatican City. Our Vatican tour guide, Mario, took us to see the Vatican Museum, the Sistine Chapel and St. Peter's Basilica. Michelangelo's paintings were MIND BLOWING, as well as the rest of the artwork throughout the buildings. 
Needless to say, we cannot believe we are already to the end of our trip. We are sad to be leaving beautiful Italy tomorrow morning, but are looking forward to seeing our families. We are so grateful to have had the chance to experience such an amazing place with such fun people! 
Until next time, Italy! 
CIAO CIAO! 
Britta, Jubee & Rachelle 
(The best Seniors!!)

The Gusties tackle Rome

Team in front of the Pantheon

We started our day with an early breakfast, checked out of the Michelangelo hotel, and began our three hour drive south to the city of Rome! As soon as we arrived we were fortunate to have a wonderful tour guide, Lizza waiting to show us some of the most important monuments, buildings, and fountains of Rome. She gave us lots of interesting background and history of each one. We started with a panoramic bus tour in which we were able to see the outside of the colosseum,  the Caracalla (which was a large public bath place open to all the towns people thousands of years ago) the Circus Massimo ,which was used for chariot races, and the Palatino remains,which is where the first palace built in Rome where the first king of Rome lived.

At the Trevi Fountain

After about a 45 minute bus tour we got off the bus and went straight to the Trevi fountain to throw a coin over our shoulder and make a wish! Next we walked to some other amazing buildings including the huge Pantheon church. We ended our first day in Rome sitting by a beautiful fountain while eating some gelato to cool off. We boarded our bus and arrived at Melia, our new 4 star hotel around 5:30.  The team took a refreshing dip in the pool before eating a 3 course meal for dinner. It was a wonderful day and we are excited to see more of Rome and The Vstican on our last day in Italy!
-written by Karina Shroeder and Hannah Howard

In front of the Court of Justice

Spending a day under the Tuscan Sun!

The wall surrounding Lucca

After a good night's sleep, we got up and ate breakfast before heading to Lucca. Lucca is a  wonderful town which is one of  a few cities in Italy that is surrounded  completely by a stone wall. The streets are narrow and like a maze. Our guide Claudia encouraged us to stay on the main streets as it is easy to get lost. The main form of transportation  in Lucca is by bicycles. You definitely need to watch out or you can get run down! We spent two hours walking the streets, going to shops, seeing the duomo of Luca in the town square, admiring the scenery, and enjoying more gelato. After a nice morning in Lucca we loaded the bus and headed to a traditional Tuscany winery named Fattoria Il Poggio.

At the Farmhouse Winery

Upon arrival, we were greeted by a very enthusiastic tour guide named Helen. She described to us the process of making the wines and then took us up into the vineyard to show us the grapes and olive trees. We toured the olive press and learned about olive oil and how it is made. Helen led us to an elegant outdoor seating area where we were treated to a traditional Tuscan lunch. We were served bruschetta, olives, pasta, salami, and fresh bread. We tasted a number of different wines as well as their olive oil and balsamic vinegar. We finished up at the winery and discovered that our bus had an oil leak. After waiting for over an hour, our new bus arrived and we were finally on our way to Pisa. In Pisa, we all quickly got our pictures taken at the Leaning Tower of Pisa and headed back to the bus. It was another HOT day so the air conditioning on the bus was a welcomed relief. We then headed to Montecatini Alto. Also known as "the Old Town". It is located high in the hills and overlooks the city. The bus ride there was very curvy and steep. When we arrived, we were surrounded by gorgeous views of the valleys and rolling hills of Tuscany! We captured some great photos and headed back to the hotel for dinner. It was a long, hot, fun-filled, adventurous day. A good night sleep is ahead and then we are up early tomorrow and off to Rome.
-written by Anna Lundquist and Emmaline Crawford

Exploring Florence

Gusties by the Piazza del Duomo

After a good night's sleep in our new hotel, we departed this morning at 9am for an hour long bus ride to the city of Florence.  Upon arriving we were greeted by our city tour guide, Antonella. Over the next hour and half we got a more personal and historical tour of this beautiful city. We started at the Piazza San Marco, which is the square in the center of town. We then walked to the Piazza del Duomo to see the fourth largest duomo in the world. It is hard to describe the size, beauty, and detail of this incredible church. There is a 500 stair climb to the top of the building, but an incredible view of Florence. Outside the duomo is the babtistry, which was built in the 7th century. It is hard to even comprehend how old the things we are seeing are. We then walked to Piazza Della Signori and saw some original sculptures. We even saw the replica of Michaelangelo's Statue of David.

The oldest bridge in Florence

We ended our tour at the Piazza Santa Croce. It is another church as well as a museum. It is also the place where Michaelangelo was laid to rest in a tomb that is on display. From there we had a couple of hours to travel around the city ourselves and explore some more on our own. Florence is known for their leather, so many people purchased purses, bags and wallets. It was another warm day (94 degrees)and we all couldn't wait to get our bathing suits on and hit the outdoor pool to cool off! Dinner was another 4 course meal of traditional Italian dishes including pasta and veal. After dinner we strolled down to the square in Montacatini to enjoy some music and night life. Tomorrow we will travel to the city of Lucca,as well as a small Tuscan farm for a wine and olive oil tasting. Then we will head to Pisa to see the famous tower. So much to still see...Off to bed!

--Morgan Iverson and Annie Odegard

Venice

 

Gustie group in St. Mark's Square

 After an early wake-up call, we left the Leonardo DaVinci hotel in Erba and arrived in Venice three hours later. We took a 25 minute ferry to the island city. It is so unique as there are no vehicles or bicycles in Venice. All transportation is by foot or boat. The weather was very warm today reaching 92 degrees and there were large crowds of tourists.We explored St. Mark's Square and ventured around the many alleys, stopping at shops along the way to look at the beautiful Murano glass that Venice is famous for. We were fortunate enough to be able to take gondolas through the canals that wind through the city. (In our opinion, the "$ophomore $wagdela" was the party gondola). After a fun day complete with a dance party on the afternoon ferry, we left Venice for another long (4 hour) bus ride to Montecatini in Tuscany. We were happy to arrive at our new hotel - the Michelangelo - where we enjoyed a delicious four course meal. After a very long day filled with lots of travel, we're all ready to get a good night's sleep before our adventure to Florence tomorrow!

(written by Julie Sohre and Lindsey Johnson)

Picture taken on our gondola ride. Beautiful!!

Team with Claudia, our guide, on ferry to Venice

Switzerland and Game #2

At 9:30 this morning, we boarded our bus and traveled the great hills of Northern Italy until we reached the beautiful Lake Lugano of Switzerland. When we arrived, there were a variety of options for us to experience the Swiss culture. We walked the streets of Lugano where there was an abundance of boutiques selling knives, watches, and delicious chocolates. The Swiss Alps surround the resort town and the lake. It was simply beautiful! Some of us went on paddle boat rides on the lake, while others shopped at the small street venders. Afterwards we boarded the bus and ventured back to Italy and stopped at a supermarket to buy snacks for after our game. It was a unique experience to see how the Italians shop. There was an abundance of fresh produce and meats, including a large variety of seafood. There were plenty of different breads and bakery goods with very little processed foods... very different than an American grocery store. 

  Tonight we played the Usmate basketball Women's Basketball Club for our final game in Italy. They played the National Anthem, introduced each player, and then presented us all with a team shirt. They had many fans and at half time the Mayor of the city came to speak with Coach Kelly and welcome our team to Usmate. In our seniors last game, we won 61-43. It was a pleasure to meet and play another Italian team and sing the Gustie rouser one last time with our amazing seniors! You will be missed!
  Tomorrow we are excited to travel to Venice and then south to Montecatini. It was another Gucci day and we look forward to many more!

-Written by Cara Christianson and Taylor Ebnet

Lake Como and Game #1

Today we started off our day with an authentic Italian cafe style breakfast at our hotel in Erba. At 9:30 we loaded onto our tour bus and headed to the town of Como to start our adventure. When arriving in Como we roamed the streets where we saw a beautiful duomo and the amazing scenery around Lago di Como (Lake Como). After about an hour we were able to hop on to the water taxi that would bring us across Lake Como and to the small town of Bellagio. We had some free time to walk around the cute, cobblestone streets, get some lunch and gelato, and do some shopping! I almost forgot to mention that on our boat ride we saw GEORGE CLOONEY'S  

house! Unfortunately he wasn't there to show us around the city, but we had a good time anyways. After a well spent day in Como and Bellegio, we came back to the hotel where we were served a nice meal to prep us for our first game over here! The trip to the game was full of laughs and excitement for being able to play the sport we love... IN ITALY! As we warmed up, we did our normal routine to get back into the swing of things. Before the game began they were kind enough to play our National Anthem with the Italian anthem to follow. Very cool gesture! Learning the new rules was pretty interesting, but a fun and different experience. Apparently in Italy the lanes are wider, players need to call timeouts (only when the ball is not in play I might add), they play 10 minute quarters with a 24 second shot clock and 8 second back court, and you get 5 seconds in the lane. These changes didn't stop coach from yelling at the refs that the girl was 3 seconds in the lane. Luckily for her, they didn't understand much of what she said and kindly clarified when they could. Keeping all these rules in mind was a struggle at times but it didn't stop the Gusties from shining! We beat the ASD Basketball Costa Women's team 64-61!!! It was a close game and a great win. The players lived the Gustavus gear we provided them and were great sports to take a picture with us to document the experience. You can bet the Gustie rouser was sang tonight and after our game tomorrow we hope to sing it again! Definitely a day to remember!
-written by Heather Hohenstein 

Gustie take on Milan

 

At 10:00 a.m. (3:00 a.m. Minnesota time) we all arrived safely at the Milan airport! We were greeted by our tour guide, Claudia, and were then escorted to our own personal coach bus and driven into the heart of the city. We spent the day (still in our travel attire and without sleep for 24+ hours) visiting the giant Duomo cathedral, a13th century castle, and various other beautiful structures in Milan. Some players enjoyed their very first tastes of gelato and authentic Italian cuisine before we traveled to our hotel in Erba, a small city outside of Como. After a delicious three-course meal provided by the Leonardo de Vinci Hotel staff, we then finally retired to our rooms for a much needed good night's sleep. Tomorrow, we head to Lake Como to spend a day touring the beaches and markets before playing our first basketball game in the evening.

Go Gusties! Or, as the Italians say, "Andiamo!"

By Emily Fitzsimmons-Junior guard 

On our way...

We are currently on our plane to Milan. Our travel so far has gone smoothly. They definitely treat you well on an international flight. Our flight attendant, Donna, is awesome. She will take great care of us! We have movies, music, and a charger port at each seat. We have 9 hours and 10 minutes ahead of us before we touch down in Milan and hit the pavement running. We are all excited and enjoying being back together again. We miss you all and will see you soon!

From the Seniors

This past week has been filled with mixed emotions for us three seniors, as we finished up our undergraduate careers and received our diplomas! We have been busy studying for exams, participating in fun Senior Week events, thanking professors, saying goodbye to friends, packing up our lives, and celebrating our futures. It has truly been an amazing four years at Gustavus, and we could not have asked for a better college experience! Leaving the place and people that we hold so close to our hearts has not been easy. However, we have definitely lucked out, as we don't have to say goodbye to our very best friends just yet! We are so excited to be traveling to Italy with our teammates in just one day! We couldn't ask for better people to be seeing the world with. It is the perfect ending to a perfect four years! We are looking forward to making memories on this once in a lifetime experience with the best team out there. 

WATCH OUT ITALY, HERE COME THE GUSTIES!

-Britta, Julia, and Rachelle  (The Seniors!)

7 Days to Lift Off….

I can't believe it is just one week away before the Gustie women's basketball team jets off to begin their 10 day journey to Italy and Switzerland.  We have all been talking about what to pack, what to bring, looking at pictures, and anticipating a fabulous trip together.  Here is a look at what we have planned:

Duomo-Milan

Day 1: We will depart from the Minneapolis airport and will connect on our flight to Milan in Atlanta.  We will leave the USA at 5:30pm EST and arrive in Milan the next day at 9:05am.  It is an 8.5 hour flight so we are hoping to watch some movies and catch some zzzzz's.

Day 2: After passing through customs and receiving our first stamp in the passport, we will meet Carolina, our English speaking guide and board our coach bus.  We will head to downtown Milan, and see the  "Fashion Capital of the World."  We will see the Duomo, which is the largest Gothic cathedral in Italy.  We will see Teatro Alla Scala, the famous Opera House built in 1776. We will also tour the Castello Sforzesco, a 15th century castle.  I am guessing there will also be some shopping done here too.  After a very long day, and very little sleep, we will board our bus bound for Lake Como then check into our hotel for a nice dinner and some sleep.

Lake Como

Day 3: Experience Lake Como.  We are all hoping to run into George Clooney while we are there, but if not, we will check out his Italian home that sits on the lake.  We will take a walk through the "Old Town" with its beautiful Cathedral and several piazzas (small squares). The team will walk along the lakefront and take a boat ride up to the Bellagio for shopping and lunch.  We will experience the cafes and local specialties and see the colorful villas that are nestled along the shore.  Tonight, we will sit down to an early dinner and then depart for Arosio where we will play our first basketball game against the ASD Basketball Costa Women's team.

Day 4: Switzerland Bound!  After receiving our next stamp in our passports, we will spend the day in Lugano, Switzerland.  It is a beautiful resort town along the lakeside with a beautiful church that overlooks the region.  They also have a famous casino in Lugano which may let some of us get "lucky".  We will explore the tiny streets and traditional shops, as well as a visit to the local marketplace.  We will return to Como later that afternoon and prepare to depart for our next game against the Usmate Club team.

Day 5: Venice!! A day filled will sightseeing and capped off with a team Gondola ride.  With 118islands and 150 canals there will be lots to see and experience. We will view St. Mark's Square and explore th Basilica, and then continue on to the nearby Bridge of Sighs that connects the Plazzo Ducale (Doge's Palace) with the prison.  We will visit the famous Rialot Bridge which spans the Grand Canal. Known for its world famous Murano Glass and hand-made laces I am sure we will hit the shops too for gifts to bring home. We will depart Venice and  head for our hotel in Florence.

Day 6: Florence and the Tuscany Region is said to be one of the most amazing places on earth. We will take a private walking tour of this famous Renaissance city and see the majestic Brunelleschi's Duomo, the Baptistery, Giotto's Belltower, Signoria Square, the Santa Croce area with its famous market, and the Ponte Vecchio, which is the "Old Bridge" that dates back to the 10th century.  Known for its Italian leather there will be shopping sprees here too.  We will conclude our day by heading to Montecatini for dinner and a walk downtown to enjoy the outdoor cafes and music.

Day 7: We will begin our day with an orientation walk through Montecatini, a famous Italian spa resort noted for its thermal springs and healing waters, located in the heart of Tuscany.  We will then head to the hills of Lucca for a wine, cheese, and olive oil tasting at a local Tuscan farm.  Lucca is a quaint town that features one of Europe's best preserved Renaissance walls that surrounds the city with three gates that remain intact.  We will finish off the day with a stop in Pisa to one of Italy's masterpieces.  We will climb the steps of the Leaning Tower and visit the famous Campo die Miracoli (Field of Dreams) and the Piazza dei Cavalieri.  We will return to Monecatini for dinner and a good night sleep as we will depart for Rome the next morning.

Trevi Fountain

Roman Colosseum

Day 8: After a scenic drive from the Tuscany Region we will arrive in Rome.  We will see the city on a guided panoramic tour of the major sights which will include the Colosseum, Roman Forum, Vittorio Emanuelle II Monument, Castel Sant Angelo, the Pantheon, the Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps, the Piazza Navona and much more!  We will enjoy some free time to "roam" the city        before settling in the hotel for a nice dinner. So much to see, we just can't wait to experience them all together as a team.

Day 9: We may have saved the best for last.  We will continue or sightseeing of Rome by heading to Vatican City for an orientation tour. We will visit St. Peter's Basilica and the surrounding area. We will visit the Vatican Museum and the Sistine Chapel.  I have been told you can spend the whole day here and not see everything.  This is our final day before our departure so we will have some time to explore more of Rome before settling in for dinner and preparing for our return to the USA.

Day 10: After an early breakfast we will head to the International Airport in Rome to return to St. Peter, MN.  After a long flight home, we will land at 6:30pm in Minneapolis.  I believe our team will be changed after this trip of a lifetime.  We hope you will follow us on our blog and experience this trip with us.

Niente ma Net

"Niente ma net!"  In Italian it means "Nothing but net."  In just 15 days we will begin our journey through Italy and Switzerland.  This has been a trip that the Gustavus women's basketball team has been planning for over a year.  To say we are all excited would be a bit of an understatement!

Since we are taking an international trip the NCAA allows us 10 days of practice prior to our departure.
Due to final exams we are only able to have 6, but we are having a blast!  It has been so much fun being back on the floor and working with the players.  It is always bitter sweet to see our amazing seniors (Britta, Jubee, and Rachelle) back on the Gustie floor for a few more practices.  As usual, Jubee is draining three pointers, Shelly is driving by everyone to get to the rim, and Britta is nailing her signature pull up jumpers.  We will miss them all greatly, but are excited to be competing together for two more games against the Italian teams.

Our trip is jam-packed with so many places to see and explore.  Over our 10 days we will visit Milan, Lake Como, Lugano in Switzerland, Venice, Montecatini, Florence, Lucca, Pisa, and Rome.  We will also play two friendship games. One game is against ASD Basketball Costa, which is located in Arosio. The second game will be against Usmate Basketball Women's Club.

Through out the next two weeks, before our departure, and during our trip, we will be blogging and sending lots of pictures.  We invite you to follow along with us on this amazing journey.

Niente ma net!!!
The Gustavus Women's Basketball Team