Journal
Entry #1 – Tuesday, August 13, 2013
By Senior Tom
Droney
On Sunday,
we boarded the plane en route to Venice, Italy. The flight was long and tiring,
but the vast movie selection helped pass the time. We arrived in Italy around 9
am their time, 3 am ET. From there, we bussed about 3 hours to Ljubljana,
Slovenia. We are staying at the beautiful Grand Union Hotel.
We walked
around for a bit and got something to eat right when we got here. A large canal
that runs right through the center of the town divides the city. The city has
an abundance of designer stores, restaurants, pubs, gelato stands, and street
vendors. The buildings are old, colorful, and beautiful. The city is very
clean, and well kept. The roads are wide, and mostly cobblestone. There are no
real driving lanes or parking spots, so watching people freelance is rather
interesting and amusing.
Today, we
had our first game against a professional team from right outside the city.
They were very big and skilled. We had the lead at halftime, but they made a
number of shots in the second half and started to pull away. We battled and
were able to cut the lead to three with about seconds seconds left. Jack Gibbs
stole the inbounds pass and a shot a tough desperation three that would have
tied it, but unfortunately it didn't fall.
I was very
impressed by our resiliency and toughness. We had a number of calls that didn't
go our way, but we never stopped competing, and we almost beat a very good team
on their home floor.
So far,
this trip has been a great experience, and has allowed our team to bond and
build team chemistry. Although we will be a much different team than last year,
I am very excited and intrigued about how quickly and how well the new guys are
understanding how to play Davidson Basketball.
After two
or three more games here in Slovenia, we will be heading to Italy to play a few
games there. We are visiting a huge castle (pictured) on Thursday that sits atop a
mountain in downtown Ljubljana.
On Friday,
we will head to a beach about two hours away. We are all very blessed to have
this opportunity, and we are excited to get back in the gym tomorrow.
