 | | | St. Mary's basketball team in Rome Photo courtesy Emily Smith, Director of Digital Media | | | | | | If you run into any member of the St. Mary's women's basketball team and ask them what they did this summer, be prepared for a long and colorful answer. On July 24, the team left on a flight to Italy for a ten-day trip visiting Rome, Siena, Caserta, Naples, Florence, Venice, Pisa, Vatican City, the Amalfi Coast, and Caserta, arriving back in America on July 4.
Junior transfer Kiki Afeaki (U. of San Diego) learned about the upcoming trip on a recruiting visit to St. Mary's. "When I was told about the team going to Italy, I was like "Perfect. I'm there." My family was very happy for me because this was a one in a lifetime experience, but they were a little jealous as well."
For Addison Wedin and her sister, Ella, a sophomore, their first thoughts were about their sister Taycee, who graduated from St. Mary's two years earlier. "We felt bad that Taycee would not be on the trip," Addison said. "She was a little jealous but she and our whole family were excited that Ella and I got to go together."
The team played three basketball games on the trip, but St. Mary's made certain that the team's "Foreign Summer Tour" would be about more than just basketball. One day it was exploring Venice and taking a gondola ride through the old canals, touring the scenic Rialto Bridge and the 1,00-year-old Basilica di San Marco, and riding a train back to Florence through the Italian countryside.
Then it was on to visit the leaning Tower of Pisa, which included climbing the 248 stairs to the top. "That was a lot of stairs and at times you would feel your balance tipping a little bit," Afeaki said.
"Walking all the way to the top and then taking pictures was one of the favorite things I did," Wedin said. "It was really pretty, and Venice was very cool riding in the gondolas."
From there it was on to Florence for a tour of the Accademia Gallery, which included the viewing of Michelangelo's famous statue of David along with shopping and dinner on the crowded streets surrounding the Santa Maria del Fiore Cathedral.
The visit to Rome included a tour of the Colosseum and the Roman Forum. The weather was a bit challenging for everyone. "Italy was very hot and humid, and Rome was definitely the hottest," Wedin said. "Once you stepped outside, you were sweating throughout the entire day, and I believe I had to take four showers a day. I really enjoyed seeing the Colosseum and walking around Rome at night, which was very cool."
After that was a tour of Vatican City and the Sistine Chapel, a day in Naples, with the trip ending in a day spent on the Amalfi Coast, which entailed, shopping, spending time on the beach, and swimming in the Mediterranean Sea. This part of the trip was a particular favorite for Afeaki. "I had often seen the Amalfi Coast on social media and in the movies and to be there in person was a real experience," Afeaki said. "I also like being around the water and swimming in the Mediterranean Sea for an hour. It was the most beautiful place we went to."
Afeaki and Wedin had similar reactions to the food in Italy. "The best thing about the food was that everything was so much fresher," Afeaki said.
"I had a charcuterie board with different meats and cheeses and all of the vegetables, and everything just tasted very clean and fresh," Wedin said.
Not to be overlooked were the three basketball games the team played, victories over the Basketball Sisters in Florence (99-34), Basket Roma (68-37) and Lazio Select WPH Academy (110-43). "It was a great experience for us to have because a lot of teams don't get the privilege of playing together at this point in the year," Afeaki said. "We were able to work on things and get to know each other on and off the court and build that chemistry."
"We could tell that everyone wants to compete, and it was really nice to see everyone working together," Wedin said. "Our opponents would come up and talk to us after the games and they were all really nice and friendly."
Head Coach Jeff Cammon spoke of the trip on the St. Mary's website: "It was an incredible experience. We were able to use the time to bond and come together on and off the court. We are very grateful for everyone who contributed to the Foreign Tour and made this a reality." |
Lamorinda Weekly, Moraga CA