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.
Sightseeing today was in Siena, a beautiful Italian city with a lot of hills and churches. The tour with our local tour guide Stella took about two hours and after that we had an hour of free time. We used the time to work a little bit on our tans and enjoy the view from the main square in Siena, the Piazza del Campo.
You know the feeling when you sit at the dinner table with your family and you look around and you suddenly feel so blessed, for each and everyone sitting around you? Today when we went to a farmhouse in San Gimignano for lunch, I felt like I had a family of approximately 60 people. Friends Group Members sat next to the coaching stuff. The members of the athletic department sat next to players. The atmosphere was filled with laughter, talks and happiness. The food was great and the views were breathtaking. It was an unforgettable experience.
After the lunch we went to the center of San Gimignano, a really cute city. We had an hour of free time and paired up with group members. It was amazing to hear more about how each of them met and how long some of them are married for. I think this was a great opportunity for us to get to know the people better who are doing so much for us on a daily basis.
After the tour through San Gimignano, it was time to go back to the hotel. We had no plans for the evening, so we had time to pack our bags and rest up for our last destination of the trip: Rome! Save the best for last, right? I can’t wait to see what Rome is all about.
At this point I would like to give a huge shout out to our tour manager, Leonardo. It sure isn’t always easy to make a team of 14 young student-athletes happy, but he does an amazing job. He put so much effort and work into planning this trip that we all can’t thank him enough for it. There is not one day he doesn’t have a smile on his face, no matter how many people are late to the meeting point, no matter how bad our Italian is and no matter how much it rains.
Without a doubt, Leonardo is a huge reason why this trip is as amazing as it is and we are truly blessed to have him with us.
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.