Wolverines in Europe
U-M Women's Lacrosse Embarks on First Summer Trip
The University of Michigan women's lacrosse program has a unique opportunity to go abroad for the first time in program history as it will spend eight days traveling to sites in both France and Spain. The Wolverines will start their trip in Paris and make stops at the Louvre, the Eiffel Tower and the Palace of Versailles before playing their first session of lacrosse. They will then travel to Barcelona, where the team will enjoy some sightseeing before playing a second session of lacrosse and finish the trip with a tour of Sagrada Familia and a catamaran cruise.
Each day a different member of the squad will chronicle the goings on while abroad. Enjoy!
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Wow, what a day! We woke up and had a delicious traditional breakfast that consisted of eggs, cheeses, jamón ibérico, and espresso of course! We then loaded up the bus and headed to the marina for our Catamaran Cruise. We sailed along the coast and took many photos! After our captain found a perfect spot, we dropped an anchor to swim! We went snorkeling and brought the competition to Sitges by having a diving contest. Fran’s (Frances Workman) was 10/10! The water was unreal. It was clear who on the team loved the water after yesterday's water activities! We also laid out on sun beds, ate a delicious BBQ lunch cooked on the boat, and had a dance party on the way back!
To wrap up the trip, we had a farewell dinner at the Vivero Beach Club! During the dinner, we enjoyed patatas bravas (a classic Spanish Tapa), croquettes, muscles, seafood paella, pan con tamate (fresh bread with tomatoes and olive oil) and finished with the classic crema Catalana (crème brûlée). What can be better than tapas and paella with x`water views from a terrace?! The food was great but the conversations and laughs were even better. We reflected on our trip and even a few tears were shed at the thought of leaving. To finish it off we sang the fight song one last time together with our seniors!
After what felt like a dream, we got gelato and sat on the beach for our last night together as Team 10.
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Hola! Our first full day in Spain has finally arrived! After a full day of travel and some lacrosse with our new friends from the Barcelona Dracs, the team was thrilled to explore the town of Sitges!
We started our venture into the city with a brief morning tour with our fantastic tour guide, Jaume! We took a stroll up to the Church of Sant Bartomeu which overlooks the ocean. Oh yeah, forgot to mention our hotel sits right next to the Mediterranean Sea! How lucky are we? After the tour, many girls took their free time to indulge in a bit of shopping or a quick dip in the water before we headed over to our next activity.
The much-anticipated cooking class was next on the agenda, and it certainly did not disappoint. The team made an array of veggie, meat, and seafood paellas, a very popular Spanish dish. We also were served different tapas as we cooked. We then enjoyed a beautiful meal oceanside after our “hard work” in the kitchen.
To end the night with a bang, we headed to Barcelona for a traditional Flamenco dance performance and yet again a delicious Spanish meal. The production was breathtaking as the performers were undeniably talented and entertaining. The day was full of such incredible opportunities and experiences! By far one of my favorite days and I absolutely cannot wait to explore Barcelona more in our last days here in Europe! ¡Vamos Azul!
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Hola! Today was our second travel day! After a great last night in Paris, we woke up and enjoyed a slow morning around the hotel. Some girls went back to Paris to experience those pastries one last time. In the afternoon, we all packed up and got on our way to Barcelona!
Once we landed in Spain, we headed straight to the lacrosse fields to play with the Barcelona Dracs! This experience truly exceeded my expectations. I started off by helping younger kids learn some basics of the game while also trying to pick up on some Spanish. They were so eager to learn and the smiles on their faces were priceless when given a Michigan lacrosse stick!
Then we mixed up some players from both teams and played some sixes. The “Drac-erines” took the win with the help of Alba, Aina and Becks from the Dracs. Afterward, we exchanged team gear and had a yummy dinner while sitting together and getting to know the players better. This was honestly one of my favorite parts of our trip so far because I got to learn about Barcelona from their perspective and understand how much they love to play the game of lacrosse. This reminds me how fortunate I am to have such amazing facilities and endless resources at Michigan. Such an amazing first day and I genuinely cannot wait to experience more of this beautiful city (and learn a little more Spanish, too!) Go Blue!
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Bonjour!
Our third day in Paris was nothing but spectacular! We woke up this morning and headed to the Palace of Versailles. We walked through the palace to see the most breathtaking architecture and artwork in each of the rooms. Afterwards, we had lunch and then began a guided bike tour of the Gardens of Versailles and had a picnic on the water outside of the palace!
In the afternoon, we headed to the other side of Paris to play our first international competition against Belgium! We did drills as well as a scrimmage and ended with a postgame meal together at the field! It was such a cool experience to learn from people from another culture and bond over lacrosse!
Today was such a blast and we cannot wait to continue our fun when we travel to Barcelona tomorrow! Go Blue!
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Our first full day in Paris! After a fun-filled night in the Latin Quarter, we woke up early and headed to the Louvre. Once there we split up into groups and saw the famous Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo, Napolean's dining room and much more. Did you know that Napoleon's own mother did not attend his coronation in an effort to protest the friction of Napoleon with his brothers? This is just one of the many fun facts we learned!
After the Louvre, we did some shopping and then headed to the beautiful Montmartre neighborhood, known for its artistic history. We climbed the steps to the Sacre Coeur, explored the bustling district, and enjoyed the awesome view. This was my favorite place we've been so far!
We ended our day at the Eiffel Tower! We ascended the steps to the second floor and looked out at the city below us. The strong wind, energetic atmosphere and gorgeous view will be unforgettable for us.
Overall, the day was a ball. We were so grateful to have covered so much ground in one day (literally ... close to 30,000 steps!), and we cannot wait for Versailles tomorrow. We are having the trip of a lifetime! Go Blue!
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Bonjour!
Our team has returned to Ann Arbor after short trips home to embark on our trip to Paris and Barcelona! We were welcomed back to the South Performance Center with a lot of new gear, my favorite being a fanny pack with our initials on it, then we left for the airport for our eight-hour flight to Paris.
Once we landed, we grabbed our bags and headed straight for the Arc de Triomphe! This was an amazing first experience. We walked around the city in groups, taking it all in and having a great lunch in one of the many cafes we passed! We then checked into our hotel. We definitely made an entrance when the 35-plus of us lugged our bags a few blocks to the hotel! We quickly changed and made our way to dinner. We ate at La Procope, which is the oldest restaurant in Paris. This area of the city was quite busy, and there were so many people outside enjoying the beautiful weather.
We ended the night with a Siene River cruise. We were able to see the city from a different perspective on the river and hear about some history from our tour guide. We were all blown away by the beautiful architecture and the kindness of those waving on from the shore enjoying the sunset.
Thank you to everyone who made this trip possible for us! We are off to an incredible start so be sure to continue reading about all our adventures!
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