#MGoEurope Travel Log: Overnight Flight and Colosseum Trip
8/22/2017 5:06:00 PM | Women's Basketball
The Michigan women's basketball program is on a week-and-a-half trip to Europe (Aug. 21-31) with stops in Italy and Greece. Follow the Wolverines on social media (#MGoEurope) and with a daily travel log on MGoBlue.com.
Monday, Aug. 21
The Michigan women's basketball team has begun its #MGoEurope journey. The team flew overnight from DTW to FCO (Rome, Italy), leaving Michigan on Monday (Aug. 21) at 6:24 p.m. EDT and landing in Rome on Tuesday (Aug. 22) at 9:10 a.m. (Central European Time Zone). Per usual, superfan Chuck Raab was there to see the team off with his homemade sign and flag.
"The day started with us finishing our European shots challenge," said sophomore Kayla Robbins. "All of us were able to complete it, so that was a good start. We then ate, had a quick team meeting and then headed for the airport. While we were there, we played some Uno to pass the time before boarding the plane. I watched a few movies and got some sleep on the long flight. It was the longest I had ever been on; before this one, it was when we went to California last season. Rome seems great so far. I didn't really know what to expect coming in but it is great."
Tuesday, Aug. 22
9:10 a.m. -- The team lands at FCO in Rome, Italy, following a nine-hour flight from Detroit.
11 a.m. -- The group is able to check in at the hotel a little early and drops all of its luggage before heading out for the first excursion of the trip.
Noon -- Everyone is on their own for lunch, dining at little cafes and restaurants around the Colosseum. All the "typical" Italian fare is had by all: pizza, pasta, Panini and caprese salad.
"Lunch was a lot of fun," senior Jillian Dunston said. "We found a little place close to the Colosseum. I didn't really know how to read the menu, so I just took a guess and luckily got a pizza with big slices of salami on it. It was really good."
1:20 p.m.-3 p.m. -- The tour at the Colosseum begins. The tour guide for the group for the entirety of the trip is Fortuna and the tour guide for today and tomorrow's Vatican visit is Ava.
The most important accessory during the tour is entrusted to the tallest person -- the selfie stick is safely and effectively in the hands and arms of junior Hallie Thome.
During the tour of the Colosseum, the group walked out onto the main stage where gladiator competitions were once held. Following a lap around the lower level, it was time to head up several flights of rather steep stairs to get to the "nosebleed" seats.
After the full Colosseum tour, it was time for a quick jaunt down the Roman Forum after stopping at a water fountain to both get a drink and cool down. A tip from our tour guide was that putting cold water on your ears will cool you down.
"We didn't get much sleep on the plane and I think that a lot of people stayed up the night before to finish packing, so today was definitely tough," Dunston said. "It was really hard to basically start a new day on almost no sleep, but we had so much fun today. Seeing the Colosseum was breathtaking. I didn't really know what to expect. You know, you hear about it and I have kind of seen it in movies before, but nothing compares to actually seeing it in person for the first time. This whole city is so ancient, but in the best way. I am just trying to take it all in right now."
Great start to our #mgoeurope adventure! #goblue ?????????? pic.twitter.com/uR2AS3ac6C
— Michigan Basketball (@umichwbball) August 22, 2017
4-6:30 p.m. -- Time to RELAX! Everyone got a chance to get back to their rooms, shower, relax and maybe catch a nap before the welcome dinner.
7 p.m. -- The team headed up to a four-course dinner on the roof of the hotel to cap a busy first day in Rome.
"We had a great first day in Rome," assistant coach Wesley Brooks said. "Just being able to see the Colosseum, which is ancient and so historic, was special. It is just incredible to see buildings that are over 2,000 years old. We then had a great four-course meal with salad, pasta, vegetables, filet and tiramisu. It was a nice two-hour dinner, a little longer than we are used to, but great time getting to know everyone. And then I learned my favorite phrase of the whole trip: 'va tutto bene,' which means 'all good' in Italian."
