Oglethorpe says arrivederci to Italy

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.

Two wins, Italian food, the Colosseum and sleep!

Oglethorpe’s men’s basketball team is on a nine-day trip to Europe. They will check in with Division III basketball fans from time to time. Wade Weldon is our correspondent.

Bon Giorno from Rome! Then Oglethorpe men’s basketball departed to Rome at 7:10 am on Friday. Before our departure we played our final game in France against a local semi-pro team. We opened up with a 12-0 lead and their coach called a time out within the first three minutes of the game in attempt to dwindle our fire. We continued to move the ball as a team and cruised to a 94-69 victory. We hit 14 three’s and continued our undefeated streak on foreign soil.

After the victory, we had a quick three hour nap before heading to the airport for our 7:10 a.m. flight to Rome. We landed in Rome half asleep, and hit the ground running with a three hour bus tour of the city. Luckily, we had free time after the tour and caught about a three hour nap before our final game in Rome on Friday night.

Once again, we opened up hot despite the tired legs. We started the game with a 10-0 lead and finished with a 102-76 victory. The speed of our offense and our zone press was hard for the local team to adjust to. The 24 second shot clock caused our opponent to panic and turn the ball over. After the victory, the Italian fans and kids were very excited to meet us and we exchanged our jerseys and other paraphernalia with their home team. After a short bus ride back to our hotel, the Petrels celebrated our 3-0 winning streak with a four-course, local, Italian meal.

Today we woke up after a rejuvenating 8 hours of sleep and took the metro to the Colosseum and the Roman Forum. It was amazing to see the ancient Roman architecture and wonder how it would be to compete as a gladiator in the Colosseum. After touring the Colosseum, we went to the Roman Forum and walked around and took great pictures of the city skyline.

You always hear about the pick-pockets in the Roman metro and today we experienced it first hand. One of our chaperons had 40 euros taken out of his fanny pack by a team of local thieves including a baby as a decoy. From now on, we will keep a closer eye on our belongings and watch out for gypsies trying to make a living off American tourists.

Today we dined at a local pizzeria near our hotel. The team enjoyed fresh mozzarella, mussels from Naples, and authentic Italian pizza. Tomorrow, we are taking a day trip to explore the beautiful city of Florence. I will update you the next time I find an internet cafe. Ciao.

Omaha Beach, Arc de Triomphe

Oglethorpe’s men’s basketball team is on a nine-day trip to Europe. They will check in with Division III basketball fans from time to time.

Bonjour from Paris! This is Wade Weldon from the Oglethorpe men’s basketball team giving you the latest on the men’s basketball team trip to Europe.

Oglethorpe visited Omaha Beach, the site of the Allied Forces' invasion of France on June 6, 1944.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.

Yesterday, we took a four-hour bus ride to the beaches of Normandy to reflect on the men that gave their lives on D-Day, June 6, 1944. After watching Saving Private Ryan on the bus, the team was excited to see the beach and learn more about the D-Day invasion of Normandy. When we arrived, the weather was foggy and musky. This made the beach look very similar to the way it did at 6:30 am when U.S. infantry and armoured divisions landed on the coast of France on June 6, 1944. After exploring Normandy the team went to the Normandy American Cemetery to honor the American soldiers that died in Europe during World War II. This was a very emotional experience for me because my grandfather fought in this war.

Today we went to the Palace of Versailles, home of Louis XIV. This is one of the largest palaces in the world. I was awestruck when I saw the architecture of this palace and it’s picturesque landscape. No wonder the peasants revolted against Louis XVI because he was living in such royal quarters while they were living in poverty. After this, we took a bus to Montmarte and the Bascilica de Sacre Couer. This historical church is the highest point in France and it offered some of the best views of the city.

Tonight we are playing our second game against another local club team. I will update you on the results of this game in my next entry.

Oglethorpe lands in Paris

Oglethorpe’s men’s basketball team is on a nine-day trip to Europe. They will check in with Division III basketball fans from time to time.

Oglethorpe players pose in front of the LouvreHello, 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.

Yesterday, we arrived at Charles de Gaulle International airport around midday. After being on a plane for 11 hours, we landed and immediately hit the ground running. A Mercedes tour bus picked us up and toured us around the entire city. We stopped at the Eiffel Tower, ate crepes, and admired the great views of the city. After this our tour guide took us to the famous Louvre Museum. The team was fascinated by the museum’s beautiful paintings and historical golden ceilings that give the Louvre its world-renowned reputation. When we returned from the tour, we went back to our hotel and then dined at a great restaurant called Mollard. Here, we enjoyed 10-dollar cokes and three course meals. After being on our feet all day, we immediately crashed after eating dinner.

Oglethorpe players pose in front of the Eiffel TowerToday, 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.

I will give an update tomorrow about how our game went after we return from our trip to the D-Day beaches of Normandy.