Our first full day in Europe was spent in Mechelen. Our flight landed around 730 a.m. Belgium time, which was around 130 a.m. in the U.S. Most of us on the team were very tired due to the struggle for sleep and the time changes.

Once we arrived in Mechelen we went on a quick tour of the city. The city was a fairly small town with an interesting underground parking lot. The main part of Mechelen had an incredible cathedral with many restaurants and shops surrounding it. The first unusual sight we saw was a crew digging up human remains to make room for a new underground parking lot. That was definitely an interesting sight.

After that experience we all went our separate ways to get lunch. I ordered spaghetti carbonera. My decision was quickly criticized by my coaching staff because it was not a cultural meal. Anyways, it was very good and we had a great lunch.

After lunch we were able to rest in the hotel for a few hours and catch up on some sleep. When we woke we headed to a local recreation center for a quick practice. We went over a few sets and basically just talked about the style we will be playing and how to adapt to the game in Europe. Shortly following our practice and a quick meal we made our way back to the hotel to prepare for a “night on the town”.

Tomorrow we play our first game. We will be in Bruges.

On my next post I will summarize our first night in Europe and the sights we saw the following day in Belgium.

Chris McDevitt