Daily Report: May 22, 2002
Basketball teams often have to deal with difficult situations, but the Notre
Dame women's basketball team may have conquered its biggest challenge in a
while by simply arriving in Rome this morning for its 12-day tour through
Italy and France. The Irish, who departed Chicago's O'Hare Airport at 2:30
p.m. (CDT), flew more than eight hours to Frankfurt, Germany, before fighting
through an hour-long wait at the customs transfer station and hurrying to
catch their 90-minute flight to Rome.
Arriving in the Italian capital around 9 a.m. local time (2 a.m. in South
Bend), the Notre Dame travel party then headed straight for a local outdoor
cafe for some early morning pastries and, in true Italian style, cups of
cappuccino and espresso. For many of those in the group, it was a welcome
wake-up call after an all-night airline voyage.
The Irish then headed for downtown Rome, passing through the modern business
district and the seat of government for the city of Rome and its surrounding
region. The bus carried the team into the old city, arriving at the
world-famous Colosseum, site of so many gladitorial battles almost 2,000 years
ago. Notre Dame players and staff also saw the Constantine Gate, built in
honor of the Roman emperor Constantine, who protected the Christians during
his reign in the first century, A.D.
Finally, the Irish were able to check into their hotel for a few hours of rest
and relaxation. They headed back out this evening to attend a reception at
John Cabot University, a small four-year college in Rome which houses, among
many others, several Notre Dame students who spent a semester abroad. The
Notre Dame crew rounded out its first day in Italy with a traditional Italian
feast at a local restaurant, enjoying a five-course meal that lasted well over
two hours.
Notre Dame is scheduled to visit The Vatican and St. Peter's Basilica on
Thursday (May 23) before playing the first of four games on its European swing
at 8 p.m. local time (1 p.m. in South Bend) against Acquario Palestrina, a
Italian Division 2 team, at the Palestrina Sports Centre, located about 25
miles outside Rome.
