Aug. 22, 2001
VU Director of Publications Mike Sheridan is traveling with the men basketball team in Italy. This is the second of his reports from that country.
Saturday, Aug. 18 12:15 a.m. En Route To Florence
As a reward for the victory in game one of the tour, our interpreter Valentina and driver Gennaro conspire to take make two stops on the way home.
The first bears the familiar golden arches of McDonald?s. The traveling party steps off the bus to find a typical McMenu. But there is one exception. Beer is available. Or, as assistant coach Joe Jones dubs it, "McSuds."
The Wildcats stick to Coca-Cola and cheeseburgers before stepping back on to the Volvo coach. Soon they are off on a journey through farmland and after 30 minutes or so have stopped in a small village. As we disembark Gary Buchanan remarks "this place looks like the Italian hood."
Alas, as we step into the darkness we see the reason for our stop. The Leaning Tower of Piza beckons. At first it is nearly imperceptible. It is not lighted for all the world to see in the manner of the Empire State building or even the First Union Center. Instead it sits almost imperceptibly with only a couple of street lights in the foreground to offer any sort of illumination.
That, though, makes it a more attractive setting. There is no hustle and bustle of massive crowds and as Valentina describes the efforts of Galileo to understand why the tower leans centuries ago, it is truly a memorable moment.
5:00 p.m. Porto San Giorgio
Following a six hour trip on the coach, the Wildcats reach the next destination on the tour. It is the coastal village of Porto San Giorgio and it evokes images of Point Pleasant, Ocean City and Seaside Heights. Miles of beach and hundreds of umbrellas dot the landscape. There is a cobblestone walkway where the boardwalk might sit on the Jersey Shore but otherwise the differences are minute. Until, that is, you begin to speak to the natives.
We are informed that there are very few foreign tourists in this spot. It remains something of an Italian secret and a good one at that.\
In the evening the team gathers for a meal. One area that both student-athletes and staff have become more adept at by this point is the need to distinguish just what kind of water you are being served. "Naturale" is the kind of bottled water one finds in the United States. More common here is the "frizzante", a carbonated clear water that tastes like club soda.
"Please," Brooks Sales motions to his waiter, "hold the bubbles."
That, though, is a small inconvenience as the food is mostly superb.
After dinner the group has free time to walk about town. It is quickly apparent that the locals are not accustommed to hosting tall American men. People simply stop and stare as the student-athletes walk by.
"You do get the sense people are looking at you," notes Ricky Wright.
A group of boys is particulary fascinated by the Wildcats. One, named Muhammed, speaks English and serves as translator. By the time the Wildcats return to their hotel they have a contingent of 10-15 young fans who will grow in number through the stay here. And most ask everyone for the same thing. "T-shirt please," in broken English.
The supply of Villanova t-shirts is quickly exhausted. No one, though, seems to mind.
Next: Games 2 & 3 and the journey to Rimini
