Oglethorpe’s men’s basketball team recently completed a nine-day trip to Europe and checked in with Division III basketball fans from time to time. Wade Weldon is our correspondent.
Hello everyone! This is my final blog and I want to start off by getting everyone caught up on our last weekend in Italy and all the activities that took place.
On Saturday, the team took an evening tour of the Spanish Steps, Trevi Fountain, Pantheon, and Piazza Navona. We had a great time because this area of Rome is a very popular spot to hang out on a Saturday night. There are many great restaurants and gelateria cafés as well as excellent shopping.
On Sunday, we took a day trip to the beautiful city of Florence, the capital city of Tuscany. Our bus picked us up around 7 a.m. to hit the road after for our second to last day of touring. On the way the team enjoyed the picturesque views of the countryside as we drove through Tuscany. I enjoyed watching Ferraris and Maseratis fly by us on the Italian freeway.
The first place we went to in Florence was the Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore (Duomo). This Basilica is one of the biggest churches in Europe and is known for its solid marble exterior. Following the tour of the church we ate lunch at a Tuscan restaurant and enjoyed authentic Florentine pasta, breads, and cheese. Following lunch we walked around the city for a few hours and then headed back to Rome. We ate a late dinner in Rome and went to sleep so we would be rested for the Vatican City.
On Monday, our tour guide picked us up at 6:45 a.m. and we headed to the Vatican City. This landlocked city-state, ruled by the Pope, is the smallest independent state in the entire world.
Upon arrival, we went to the Vatican museum. This museum features numerous galleries of Greek and Roman sculpture. The team was a little worn out on sculptures after going to all the museums in Paris so we moved our way through the crowd and headed to the final and most popular gallery in the museum. The last gallery of the Museum is the Sistine Chapel. This historical chapel offers some of the greatest Renaissance frescos of all time. The team was fascinated by Michelangelo’s beautiful ceiling and his famous, “Last Judgment,” standing behind the altar. When I walked into the room, I immediately had goose bumps and pictured Michelangelo standing on a wooden platform 70 feet from the floor, painting the ceiling for nearly 5 years straight.
After the Sistine Chapel, the team went to the largest church in the world, St. Peter’s Basilica. I was awestruck by the size of this church and its beautiful art and sculptures including Michelangelo’s famous “Pieta” depicting the body of Jesus laying in the lap of Mother Mary.
After touring the Basilica and St. Peter’s Square, we were wiped out and needed food and a nap. We went back to Rome and napped for a few hours then ate our final team dinner. We ate a 5-course meal at a fun Italian restaurant with live music and dancing. After dinner we slept for about 4 hours and woke up at 3:45 a.m. to go to the airport.
After traveling for more than 12 hours, the Oglethorpe men’s basketball team landed safely in the US with three victories and many unforgettable memories about the trips to France and Italy.
On Tuesday, we played our first basketball game in the town of Dravaille against a local team. We came out running and took off with a 101-66 victory. This team had good size and some athletes but they could not keep up with our speed. We shot very poorly from the field and the foul line because our legs were fatigued. Next time we won’t climb to the top of the Arc de Triomphe on a game day. Despite the tired legs, the Petrels are undefeated on foreign soil.
Hello, my name is Wade Weldon. I am a basketball player at Oglethorpe University majoring in business administration. I just finished my sophomore year and my basketball team was given the opportunity to travel to Europe and tour the beautiful countries, France and Italy. I will be posting journal entries periodically throughout our trip.
Today, we woke up and took the metro to the Musee D’Orsay. We spent the morning touring this beautiful museum and enjoyed famous impressionist paintings by Monet, Van Gogh, and Renoir. After touring the museum we took the metro to the famous Champs Elysee and enjoyed shopping and local dining. After lunch, we went to the Arc de Triumph. This historical architecture was built to celebrate one of Napoleon’s victories. The team climbed the arch and admired the great views of the city. Later today, we are scheduled to play our first basketball game in the suburbs of Paris against a local club/semi-pro team. I am very excited about this game because I have been injured for a few months and I’m ready to get back on the court.