Editor’s note: Anna Heise of the University of Maine has agreed to write a blog during the Black Bears women’s basketball team’s trip to Italy. The senior center from Halle, Germany, will provide readers with a student-athlete’s perspective on the experience as the team enjoys the history and culture of Italy while playing a handful of games.
Venice, also known as the “city of love,” was the destination for Monday. Venice is Europe’s best-preserved big city.
The bus left the hotel in Padua at 9:30 a.m. It was nice to catch up on some sleep before we started the next adventure. The bus ride took about 40 minutes, and after that, a boat took us to Venice. The Grand Canal, which we drove on, connects Venice with the mainland. The view from the boat was breathtaking. It almost seemed like time stopped in Venice. The buildings were old, but beautiful. Every building seemed to have a story to tell. We met with our local tour guide at the St. Mark’s Square. She was a really nice lady, who made the two-hour walking tour quite adventurous.
After the tour, we had about four hours of free time. In groups of five we started discovering Venice on our own. One of the highlights was the gondola ride. Even though it was expensive (80 Euros), it was something everybody should experience at least once in their lifetime. Another highlight was the visit to St. Mark’s Basilica.
The beauty of the city is indescribable and nothing like I expected it to be. Who would have thought that the sport we love gives us the opportunity of a lifetime.
After the trip to Venice, it was time to get back to business. The game was scheduled for 9 p.m. Before the game started, we met Metta World Peace, better known as Ron Artest, who once played for the NBA’s Los Angeles Lakers and now plays for a team in Italy. He practiced with his team before our game and took the time to take pictures and wish us luck. We started off the game not quite sure what to expect, but we adjusted pretty quickly and played very well.
We won the game 58-45 and everybody got a good amount of playing time. The win was a great way to end this beautiful day.
On Tuesday, we are changing hotels and have scheduled sightseeing tours in Verona and Tuscany.
About the author: Anna Heise is majoring in journalism at UMaine with a double minor in child development and family relations and creative writing. She enjoys hanging out with her teammates, traveling, reading and watching movies.