University of Tennessee Athletics
Europe Tour: Through a Player's Eyes
May 16, 2019 | Volleyball
Graduating senior Stephanie Spencer diaries the Lady Vols' trek through Italy, France
The University of Tennessee volleyball team is overseas in preparation for the 2019 season. The trip includes six matches in some of Europe's most historic cities including Milan, Italy, and Paris, France.
Graduating senior Stephanie Spencer offers a student-athlete's perspective of the team's 12-day excursion in Europe.
May 24 | Paris, France
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Our last day in Paris and on this trip we got to spend doing whatever we wanted. We had all day until 5 p.m. to explore Paris and it was a blast. Some girls went and toured to Louvre to see the Mona Lisa, some shopped more, others went sightseeing.
I wanted to do some sight seeing, so I went in to the Conceiregerie, which is an old prison from the French Revolution and the Sainte-Chapelle, which is a stunning cathedral. Later, we walked around, got lunch and shopped some. All the girls on the team were convinced the style and clothes were much better here than in America, which explains the number of hours we spent shopping.
We all met at a different part of Paris that included a cute mini city and a huge cathedral on a high hill. All the streets in this town were cobble stone; my absolute favorite. After walking around some, Madison Coulter and I decided we wanted to ride the carousal before heading up to the top of the hill for dinner.
Once we got up there, I also looked at the cathedral and walked around to see the beautiful views of Paris. The team and staff has one final meal together before parting ways which included some authentic French food like escargot, but also french fries.
After dinner, there was a performance at the top of the hill and everyone was sitting in the lawn listening to the live music looking over the city. Some of the team hung out on the roof of our hotel to watch the sunset and enjoy each other's company as it was one of the last times ever all of us will be together.
We flew out on Saturday morning and I can honestly say this trip has been one of the greatest experiences of my life. I hope you enjoyed a day in the life with me throughout our journey in Europe and as always Lady Vol for Life.
May 23 | Paris, France
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We started our day with breakfast in the hotel again and most of our day was spent with Tim leading the entire group through Paris. First, Tim wanted us to get comfortable riding the Metro, which is the underground train that goes through the city, and our first stop was the Louvre. We had about an hour and a half to walk around the area before heading through a garden, to the Obélisque which looked like the Washington Monument.
From there, we got back on the Metro to head to the Eiffel Tower. Today, we went to the back of the tower first that was more of grassy area to take photos, walk around, grab a crepe or gelato, and lunch before meeting by the river.
Tim set up a cruise down the Seine river for us to get a different perspective of the city and learn more history about Paris. During our hour long ride, we saw 22 out of the 38 bridges and rode from the Eiffel Tower to the Notre Dame Cathedral. The experience along the river was very cool and a nice way to break up all the walking we did today.
After the boat ride, we were free to explore the city how we wanted to before getting back to the hotel by 4:45 p.m. to prepare for our last match. We walked past the Hotel de Ville, Saint Chapelle, Conciergerie, and the Jardin de Tuileries, which are all famous sights to see around the city. The traffic by car or bus in Paris is insane, so we needed to leave a few hours before our game, but this time is nice to rest and nap without feeling guilty about missing out on sightseeing.
After the game, we ate and hung out with the opposing team again and continued to learn more about French culture and their day-to-day lives.
May 22 | Paris, France
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Today was another travel day, however, different from our typical days because we took a train to Paris to Nice. This hotel had my favorite breakfast, so after I enjoyed my big, European style breakfast, we bussed to the train station.
We ended up getting first class on the three hour train ride we took today which was absolutely outstanding. A few of us played some cards while others slept. Again, there were beautiful vineyards as we drove through the countryside of France.
Once we arrived in Paris, we checked into our hotel and then had a few hours to explore before leaving for our game. Some of the girls on the French team recommended we try a Croquet Madame for lunch, which is basically a giant ham and cheese sandwich with cheese on top as well, baked, with a fried egg on top. It was phenomenal.
There were a few sights to see near our hotel which included a Hotel de Sully, a smaller city hall, a courtyard, and the Place de la Bastille, the statue that represents their Independence Day. After our free time, we drove to the gym to play St. Cloud, a team about 10 miles away from our hotel. After the game, we hung out in the gym with the opposing team for a little bit while waiting for dinner and our bus, but little did we know they were timing our departure for a surprise on our way home.
The first five minutes of every hour starting at 9 p.m., the Eiffel Tower sparkles and lights up. I have been to Paris before, but never experienced the sparkling lights of the Eiffel Tower, so that was a very cool experience for me. We only stopped for about 10 minutes and on the way home we drove past the Arc de Triomphe and La Louvre to familiarize ourself for tomorrow.
May 21 | Aix-en-Provence/Gignac/Montpellier, France
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We have crossed the half way point in our trip and I feel like we have already seen so much. After another amazing breakfast filled with croissants, eggs, meats, cheeses, fruit, bread and all the other delicious options, we left our beautiful hotel right on the beach this morning.
Today included quite a bit of travel because we are making our way from southern France, up to Paris with a couple stops along the way. To break up our drive today, we stopped in Aix-en-Provence for lunch for about an hour and a half. I decided I did not want to sit down for lunch, but rather walk around and explore the city and grab something along the way on the go.
I spent the day with Kasey, one of our staff members who creates video content for our team. I've realized throughout this trip, anyone can be walking with any teammate or staff member and you would enjoy yourself because we all get along and have good relationships with one another. I think that's a special thing about this group and this trip. Anyway, there were two farmers' markets in the city today we walked around, one with food and one with clothes and accessories. The rest of our day consisted of walking through a few cute shops and our lunch was an Italian sub from a stand in the center of town.
Once our time was up, we were back on the bus heading to Montpellier, France to play another match tonight. Although the drive was the longest drive we have done yet, it was very pretty. We drove through vineyards, small towns, had views of the mountains and were able to see a different parts of France when traveling from city to city. We got to the town we were playing in early, so we stopped at a grocery store nearby for snacks before our game.
Upon our return, we saw the people hosting us placing flyers on the chairs which was a good indication they advertised this game. Our game started at 7 p.m. and the atmosphere was incredible before game time because it was packed with people. We played the French Junior National Team who traveled about two hours to play us in Gignac and it was evident how excited these people were to be hosting both teams. We ended up winning the match in an exciting five setter and after dinner we ate and hung out with their national team.
Our team decided at dinner to scatter half-and-half at a table between our girls and their girls so we could get to know them and their lifestyles a little better which was a great idea. It was so fun hanging out with the French team and learning about their day-to-day lives, different phrases in French, and got to know more about them and their story.
Callie Williams and Lily Felts even exchanged a Tennessee gear for French National Team zip ups. It's amazing how connected we became over just one dinner. After a few hours of hanging out with them, it was late and we went straight to the hotel in Montpellier and to bed because we play again tomorrow, but this time, in Paris.
May 20 | Cannes/Nice, France
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We had another off day today, which meant taking a day trip to Cannes, France for the Cannes Film Festival or Palais des Festivals, one of the most prestigious film festivals in the world. Because we were given an itinerary before we left for Europe, all the girls on the team were aware of this trip and packed cute outfits for the day. It was interesting to experience another beautiful city, but the atmosphere of the festival was very cool to be a part of. The trip was only about a 40-minute train ride and it was very pretty because we rode along the shoreline.
We arrived in the morning before the festival activities began and were able to get a feel for the environment. Tim first took us to the main part of the festival, the red carpet, and I was very surprised by how close we could get to the carpet and how much access we had to walk around the area without having any credentials.
The first thing I wanted to do was head to the beach because this one had sand and not rocks like the beaches we visited in Genova and Nice. Second, there was a harbor with large, fancy yachts that we wanted to look at, and again, no security guarding people from checking out these massive, expensive boats, which was a very cool experience.
After we became more familiar with the film festival part of Cannes, we wanted to head into town for lunch and more shopping. I actually bought a few things from a boutique in Cannes. Later, the smaller group I was with decided to head back toward the boardwalk where the festival was, assuming it would be more crowded. At about 3 p.m., the streets were packed and a lot of what we were able to access earlier was blocked off once the festivities began.
We saw people on the red carpet from afar and when we walked one more time to the harbor, a handful of us walked right past Ed Westwick, the actor who plays Chuck Bass in Gossip Girl.
After the day in Cannes, we took the train back to Nice where we had free time until curfew. Most of us split up into smaller groups for dinner and crepes, but then all met up to walk the boardwalk and watch the sunset along the beach on the Mediterranean Sea. Another packed, fun-filled day that wore us out before we head to another city tomorrow.
May 19 | Nice, France
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Similar to the other days, we had breakfast at the hotel and we're right back on the road again. However, this time we were making our way from Genova, Italy to Nice, France. After a longer morning of traveling and checking into our hotel, we had a meeting point at the beach and most of the girls, myself included, decided we wanted to head to the water and some wanted to jump in. It was about 55 degrees outside and 60 degrees in the water, but we wanted to jump in the Mediterranean, and to be honest, it was not too cold.
From the time we met near the beach around 2:30 p.m. until 10:30 p.m., everyone was able to explore the city the way they wanted. After jumping in, we went back to the hotel, which was only a five minute walk, to shower and change for exploring Nice during the day. The rest of the day included walking around, exploring the city, shopping, getting lunch and later dinner.
Today was our first off day from volleyball, so we were free to do what we wanted in and around the city. Some girls even went over to Parc de la Colline du Chateau, a hilltop park with views of the city and Mediterranean Sea. I know all the girls were excited and refreshed after today and will be ready to have another interesting and fun day tomorrow.
May 18 | Genova, Italy
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We started our day again with breakfast at the hotel and I mixed it up this morning with peaches, a homemade chocolate croissant, and an espresso from the coffee machine. After breakfast our plan as a team was to head to Lake Como, about an hour bus trip to the border of Italy and Switzerland. The lake was absolutely stunning--surrounded by mountains and burnt orange and beige-colored buildings. When we first got to Como at about 10 a.m., we took a train up a steep mountain where there was an entire mini village to explore.
The best part of being up at the mountain was the views over Lake Como and the city. After taking some photos of the view, we walked around through the city, which included walking through a church, getting hot chocolate at a cafe, and some players and staff walked a mile up to a lighthouse where the views were even better.
Once we explored the top of the mountain, we were on our own to get lunch, shop and hang out by the lake until about 2:30 p.m. The bus ride home started out noisy as everyone was discussing their day, but within 15 minutes of the trip back, everyone was dead asleep, napping from the day's activities.
Like yesterday, we got back to our hotel about an hour and a half before we left for our game today. Our game was at 5:30 p.m. again against the Italian National B Team 23U. Similar to yesterday, we played five sets to 25 regardless of who won, and after our game we ate with their team at the restaurant on their facilities campus. A lot of the meals we have been eating are family style because there are so many of us. We learned in Italy, instead of getting a lighter appetizer first, they bring out pasta first, then meat, then veggies or salad is last. Yes, salad last. The things you learn when you have the amazing opportunity to explore another country's culture.
I don't think we realized coming on this trip how tiring our days were going to be, because after dinner, we all went back and hung out for about an hour before going to bed.
May 16 | Milan, Italy
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A few of the staff and graduated seniors, myself included, started our day with a two and a half mile run through the streets of Milan for fun before practice at 8:30 a.m. After our run, we had a lot of breakfast options at the hotel including eggs, bacon, homemade bread, fruit, yogurt, croissants and more. I had a slice of homemade bread with some ham, turkey and cheese on it with some kiwi and mango and a croissant.
Fortunately, our gym in Milan is only about a three-minute walk from our hotel, so we headed over to the training center after breakfast to practice. The gym, Pavesi Centr, looks similar to any other gym, however, the balls are different, which is common internationally.
After practice, we went back to the hotel before heading back into the main part of town for a few hours. Yesterday, the evening was pretty chilly, so I was excited for it to feel warmer today after practice with the sun out! My main agenda today was to eat some gelato because I did not end up getting any yesterday. Our metro train took us to Castello Sforzesco where we walked around, saw the drawbridge and drank water from a well drinking fountain--probably my favorite part of the day.
After the castle, we walked toward the nearest gelato stand on our way to the Duomo Cathedral and it was outstanding! At the Cathedral, we were able to walk through the beautifully crafted building--which is the fifth-largest cathedral in the world--and then see the view of Milan from the top.
After spending a few hours in the heart of the city, we returned back to rest for an hour and a half before our game. We played at 5:30 p.m. against the Italian National "B" Team, and then afterward we ate at a restaurant in the same area as the facility. Post dinner, we headed back to our hotel for a good night's rest before starting another long day.
May 14 and 15 | Milan, Italy
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After a long day of traveling--or what felt like a full 24 hours, but with time zone changes ended up being a little less--we arrived in Milan at about 3 pm (GMT+2). We drove to Atlanta, flew to Paris and then took another flight to Milan. On the way to our hotel, our tour guide, Tim, gave us a few pointers about our stay here in Italy and France, the first being that elevators are slow and small here, so take the stairs. The second tip was how to say the vowels of these languages because they are different from the English language, and we were encouraged to use the correct version of the new vowels within 72 hours of being here.
After arriving in Milan, we were assigned roommates and checked into our quaint hotel, Hotel Raffaella, which is tucked behind the street with lots of greenery. I was assigned to a three-person room and was very impressed by the spacious size of the room and the bathroom; we even have a small balcony that looks over the streets of Milan! We dropped our bags and took about a 30-minute train ride to walk off our jet lag in the heart of Milan which included some shopping, sight seeing, and eating dinner.
We ate at this nice pizzeria that was all family style where the waiters kept bringing out different dishes, most of which included pizza. We tried some calamari, a salad, grilled eggplant and an authentic Italian appetizer that looked like something that came from a cow, but nothing like I've ever had before. My favorite was the cheese pizza because the crust was amazing and I don't typically like crust on my pizza at all! After dinner, we were able to walk around for about an hour before meeting to head back home on the train and finally get a good night's sleep in a bed.
Graduating senior Stephanie Spencer offers a student-athlete's perspective of the team's 12-day excursion in Europe.
May 24 | Paris, France
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Our last day in Paris and on this trip we got to spend doing whatever we wanted. We had all day until 5 p.m. to explore Paris and it was a blast. Some girls went and toured to Louvre to see the Mona Lisa, some shopped more, others went sightseeing.
I wanted to do some sight seeing, so I went in to the Conceiregerie, which is an old prison from the French Revolution and the Sainte-Chapelle, which is a stunning cathedral. Later, we walked around, got lunch and shopped some. All the girls on the team were convinced the style and clothes were much better here than in America, which explains the number of hours we spent shopping.
We all met at a different part of Paris that included a cute mini city and a huge cathedral on a high hill. All the streets in this town were cobble stone; my absolute favorite. After walking around some, Madison Coulter and I decided we wanted to ride the carousal before heading up to the top of the hill for dinner.
Once we got up there, I also looked at the cathedral and walked around to see the beautiful views of Paris. The team and staff has one final meal together before parting ways which included some authentic French food like escargot, but also french fries.
After dinner, there was a performance at the top of the hill and everyone was sitting in the lawn listening to the live music looking over the city. Some of the team hung out on the roof of our hotel to watch the sunset and enjoy each other's company as it was one of the last times ever all of us will be together.
We flew out on Saturday morning and I can honestly say this trip has been one of the greatest experiences of my life. I hope you enjoyed a day in the life with me throughout our journey in Europe and as always Lady Vol for Life.
May 23 | Paris, France
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We started our day with breakfast in the hotel again and most of our day was spent with Tim leading the entire group through Paris. First, Tim wanted us to get comfortable riding the Metro, which is the underground train that goes through the city, and our first stop was the Louvre. We had about an hour and a half to walk around the area before heading through a garden, to the Obélisque which looked like the Washington Monument.
From there, we got back on the Metro to head to the Eiffel Tower. Today, we went to the back of the tower first that was more of grassy area to take photos, walk around, grab a crepe or gelato, and lunch before meeting by the river.
Tim set up a cruise down the Seine river for us to get a different perspective of the city and learn more history about Paris. During our hour long ride, we saw 22 out of the 38 bridges and rode from the Eiffel Tower to the Notre Dame Cathedral. The experience along the river was very cool and a nice way to break up all the walking we did today.
After the boat ride, we were free to explore the city how we wanted to before getting back to the hotel by 4:45 p.m. to prepare for our last match. We walked past the Hotel de Ville, Saint Chapelle, Conciergerie, and the Jardin de Tuileries, which are all famous sights to see around the city. The traffic by car or bus in Paris is insane, so we needed to leave a few hours before our game, but this time is nice to rest and nap without feeling guilty about missing out on sightseeing.
After the game, we ate and hung out with the opposing team again and continued to learn more about French culture and their day-to-day lives.
May 22 | Paris, France
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Today was another travel day, however, different from our typical days because we took a train to Paris to Nice. This hotel had my favorite breakfast, so after I enjoyed my big, European style breakfast, we bussed to the train station.
We ended up getting first class on the three hour train ride we took today which was absolutely outstanding. A few of us played some cards while others slept. Again, there were beautiful vineyards as we drove through the countryside of France.
Once we arrived in Paris, we checked into our hotel and then had a few hours to explore before leaving for our game. Some of the girls on the French team recommended we try a Croquet Madame for lunch, which is basically a giant ham and cheese sandwich with cheese on top as well, baked, with a fried egg on top. It was phenomenal.
There were a few sights to see near our hotel which included a Hotel de Sully, a smaller city hall, a courtyard, and the Place de la Bastille, the statue that represents their Independence Day. After our free time, we drove to the gym to play St. Cloud, a team about 10 miles away from our hotel. After the game, we hung out in the gym with the opposing team for a little bit while waiting for dinner and our bus, but little did we know they were timing our departure for a surprise on our way home.
The first five minutes of every hour starting at 9 p.m., the Eiffel Tower sparkles and lights up. I have been to Paris before, but never experienced the sparkling lights of the Eiffel Tower, so that was a very cool experience for me. We only stopped for about 10 minutes and on the way home we drove past the Arc de Triomphe and La Louvre to familiarize ourself for tomorrow.
May 21 | Aix-en-Provence/Gignac/Montpellier, France
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We have crossed the half way point in our trip and I feel like we have already seen so much. After another amazing breakfast filled with croissants, eggs, meats, cheeses, fruit, bread and all the other delicious options, we left our beautiful hotel right on the beach this morning.
Today included quite a bit of travel because we are making our way from southern France, up to Paris with a couple stops along the way. To break up our drive today, we stopped in Aix-en-Provence for lunch for about an hour and a half. I decided I did not want to sit down for lunch, but rather walk around and explore the city and grab something along the way on the go.
I spent the day with Kasey, one of our staff members who creates video content for our team. I've realized throughout this trip, anyone can be walking with any teammate or staff member and you would enjoy yourself because we all get along and have good relationships with one another. I think that's a special thing about this group and this trip. Anyway, there were two farmers' markets in the city today we walked around, one with food and one with clothes and accessories. The rest of our day consisted of walking through a few cute shops and our lunch was an Italian sub from a stand in the center of town.
Once our time was up, we were back on the bus heading to Montpellier, France to play another match tonight. Although the drive was the longest drive we have done yet, it was very pretty. We drove through vineyards, small towns, had views of the mountains and were able to see a different parts of France when traveling from city to city. We got to the town we were playing in early, so we stopped at a grocery store nearby for snacks before our game.
Upon our return, we saw the people hosting us placing flyers on the chairs which was a good indication they advertised this game. Our game started at 7 p.m. and the atmosphere was incredible before game time because it was packed with people. We played the French Junior National Team who traveled about two hours to play us in Gignac and it was evident how excited these people were to be hosting both teams. We ended up winning the match in an exciting five setter and after dinner we ate and hung out with their national team.
Our team decided at dinner to scatter half-and-half at a table between our girls and their girls so we could get to know them and their lifestyles a little better which was a great idea. It was so fun hanging out with the French team and learning about their day-to-day lives, different phrases in French, and got to know more about them and their story.
Callie Williams and Lily Felts even exchanged a Tennessee gear for French National Team zip ups. It's amazing how connected we became over just one dinner. After a few hours of hanging out with them, it was late and we went straight to the hotel in Montpellier and to bed because we play again tomorrow, but this time, in Paris.
May 20 | Cannes/Nice, France
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We had another off day today, which meant taking a day trip to Cannes, France for the Cannes Film Festival or Palais des Festivals, one of the most prestigious film festivals in the world. Because we were given an itinerary before we left for Europe, all the girls on the team were aware of this trip and packed cute outfits for the day. It was interesting to experience another beautiful city, but the atmosphere of the festival was very cool to be a part of. The trip was only about a 40-minute train ride and it was very pretty because we rode along the shoreline.
We arrived in the morning before the festival activities began and were able to get a feel for the environment. Tim first took us to the main part of the festival, the red carpet, and I was very surprised by how close we could get to the carpet and how much access we had to walk around the area without having any credentials.
The first thing I wanted to do was head to the beach because this one had sand and not rocks like the beaches we visited in Genova and Nice. Second, there was a harbor with large, fancy yachts that we wanted to look at, and again, no security guarding people from checking out these massive, expensive boats, which was a very cool experience.
After we became more familiar with the film festival part of Cannes, we wanted to head into town for lunch and more shopping. I actually bought a few things from a boutique in Cannes. Later, the smaller group I was with decided to head back toward the boardwalk where the festival was, assuming it would be more crowded. At about 3 p.m., the streets were packed and a lot of what we were able to access earlier was blocked off once the festivities began.
We saw people on the red carpet from afar and when we walked one more time to the harbor, a handful of us walked right past Ed Westwick, the actor who plays Chuck Bass in Gossip Girl.
After the day in Cannes, we took the train back to Nice where we had free time until curfew. Most of us split up into smaller groups for dinner and crepes, but then all met up to walk the boardwalk and watch the sunset along the beach on the Mediterranean Sea. Another packed, fun-filled day that wore us out before we head to another city tomorrow.
May 19 | Nice, France
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Similar to the other days, we had breakfast at the hotel and we're right back on the road again. However, this time we were making our way from Genova, Italy to Nice, France. After a longer morning of traveling and checking into our hotel, we had a meeting point at the beach and most of the girls, myself included, decided we wanted to head to the water and some wanted to jump in. It was about 55 degrees outside and 60 degrees in the water, but we wanted to jump in the Mediterranean, and to be honest, it was not too cold.
From the time we met near the beach around 2:30 p.m. until 10:30 p.m., everyone was able to explore the city the way they wanted. After jumping in, we went back to the hotel, which was only a five minute walk, to shower and change for exploring Nice during the day. The rest of the day included walking around, exploring the city, shopping, getting lunch and later dinner.
Today was our first off day from volleyball, so we were free to do what we wanted in and around the city. Some girls even went over to Parc de la Colline du Chateau, a hilltop park with views of the city and Mediterranean Sea. I know all the girls were excited and refreshed after today and will be ready to have another interesting and fun day tomorrow.
May 18 | Genova, Italy
This morning we had plans to leave Milan at 9Â a.m. and head to Genova, Italy. After packing and getting breakfast, we took a two-hour-long bus ride through Italy south toward the Ligurian Sea. We arrived at our hotel, which is a Marriott, dropped our bags and headed into town.
I am not usually the best with directions, but I was selected to lead us to the beach. The task wasn't difficult because it was all downhill, however it was about a 15-minute walk through town.
We ate lunch at another very good local restaurant, but this one was on the water and along with pizza, they brought us out platters of seafood. Tim, our tour guide, insisted we all try at least one food we have never had before. I ended up trying just about every piece of seafood on the platter because we're in Italy... outside a branch of the Mediterranean Sea... why not?
They also brought out a pizza with hot dogs and french fries on it, so I assume they were trying to balance the meal by "Americanizing" it more.
Later, we were able to explore Genova, and the first thing I wanted to do was walk down and feel the water. We ended up staying down there for quite some time because instead of sand, there were beautiful, colored rocks--we ended up collecting a few.
The best part of my day was listening to the sound of the rocks when the waves pulled back. Later, Erica Treiber and I walked through town and ordered a cannoli from a bakery and some cherries from a fruit stand. We found our way back home and got prepared for our match at 6:30 p.m. against Serteco Volley B2, a club team in Genova.
The game was a little more lively because they had some fans in attendance, and after the game they all waved and applauded our team for coming and playing against them; it was tender.
Postgame, we ate dinner in a plaza across from the harbor, which included "Pinza," a local type of pizza in Genova. I've learned you can never go wrong with pizza in Italy. Similar to the other nights, we bused back to our hotel and called it a night.
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We started our day again with breakfast at the hotel and I mixed it up this morning with peaches, a homemade chocolate croissant, and an espresso from the coffee machine. After breakfast our plan as a team was to head to Lake Como, about an hour bus trip to the border of Italy and Switzerland. The lake was absolutely stunning--surrounded by mountains and burnt orange and beige-colored buildings. When we first got to Como at about 10 a.m., we took a train up a steep mountain where there was an entire mini village to explore.
The best part of being up at the mountain was the views over Lake Como and the city. After taking some photos of the view, we walked around through the city, which included walking through a church, getting hot chocolate at a cafe, and some players and staff walked a mile up to a lighthouse where the views were even better.
Once we explored the top of the mountain, we were on our own to get lunch, shop and hang out by the lake until about 2:30 p.m. The bus ride home started out noisy as everyone was discussing their day, but within 15 minutes of the trip back, everyone was dead asleep, napping from the day's activities.
Like yesterday, we got back to our hotel about an hour and a half before we left for our game today. Our game was at 5:30 p.m. again against the Italian National B Team 23U. Similar to yesterday, we played five sets to 25 regardless of who won, and after our game we ate with their team at the restaurant on their facilities campus. A lot of the meals we have been eating are family style because there are so many of us. We learned in Italy, instead of getting a lighter appetizer first, they bring out pasta first, then meat, then veggies or salad is last. Yes, salad last. The things you learn when you have the amazing opportunity to explore another country's culture.
I don't think we realized coming on this trip how tiring our days were going to be, because after dinner, we all went back and hung out for about an hour before going to bed.
May 16 | Milan, Italy
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A few of the staff and graduated seniors, myself included, started our day with a two and a half mile run through the streets of Milan for fun before practice at 8:30 a.m. After our run, we had a lot of breakfast options at the hotel including eggs, bacon, homemade bread, fruit, yogurt, croissants and more. I had a slice of homemade bread with some ham, turkey and cheese on it with some kiwi and mango and a croissant.
Fortunately, our gym in Milan is only about a three-minute walk from our hotel, so we headed over to the training center after breakfast to practice. The gym, Pavesi Centr, looks similar to any other gym, however, the balls are different, which is common internationally.
After practice, we went back to the hotel before heading back into the main part of town for a few hours. Yesterday, the evening was pretty chilly, so I was excited for it to feel warmer today after practice with the sun out! My main agenda today was to eat some gelato because I did not end up getting any yesterday. Our metro train took us to Castello Sforzesco where we walked around, saw the drawbridge and drank water from a well drinking fountain--probably my favorite part of the day.
After the castle, we walked toward the nearest gelato stand on our way to the Duomo Cathedral and it was outstanding! At the Cathedral, we were able to walk through the beautifully crafted building--which is the fifth-largest cathedral in the world--and then see the view of Milan from the top.
After spending a few hours in the heart of the city, we returned back to rest for an hour and a half before our game. We played at 5:30 p.m. against the Italian National "B" Team, and then afterward we ate at a restaurant in the same area as the facility. Post dinner, we headed back to our hotel for a good night's rest before starting another long day.
May 14 and 15 | Milan, Italy
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After a long day of traveling--or what felt like a full 24 hours, but with time zone changes ended up being a little less--we arrived in Milan at about 3 pm (GMT+2). We drove to Atlanta, flew to Paris and then took another flight to Milan. On the way to our hotel, our tour guide, Tim, gave us a few pointers about our stay here in Italy and France, the first being that elevators are slow and small here, so take the stairs. The second tip was how to say the vowels of these languages because they are different from the English language, and we were encouraged to use the correct version of the new vowels within 72 hours of being here.
After arriving in Milan, we were assigned roommates and checked into our quaint hotel, Hotel Raffaella, which is tucked behind the street with lots of greenery. I was assigned to a three-person room and was very impressed by the spacious size of the room and the bathroom; we even have a small balcony that looks over the streets of Milan! We dropped our bags and took about a 30-minute train ride to walk off our jet lag in the heart of Milan which included some shopping, sight seeing, and eating dinner.
We ate at this nice pizzeria that was all family style where the waiters kept bringing out different dishes, most of which included pizza. We tried some calamari, a salad, grilled eggplant and an authentic Italian appetizer that looked like something that came from a cow, but nothing like I've ever had before. My favorite was the cheese pizza because the crust was amazing and I don't typically like crust on my pizza at all! After dinner, we were able to walk around for about an hour before meeting to head back home on the train and finally get a good night's sleep in a bed.
Players Mentioned
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/ Volleyball
OH
/ Volleyball
OH
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MB
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S
/ VolleyballEverything Orange S3 | Chelsea Sutton (Volleyball)
Friday, October 03
VB | Eve Rackham Watt Press Conference (9.22.25)
Monday, September 22
VB | Eve Rackham Watt Press Conference (8.25.25)
Monday, August 25
Everything Orange S2 I Volleyball Mashup
Thursday, October 03
