Basketball team makes brief stops in Trieste, Venice and Florence, Italy before arriving in Rome

BYU women's basketball spent Sunday and Monday traveling from Lake Bled, Slovenia to Rome, Italy with brief stops in Trieste, Venice and Florence.

The team will play its final game Tuesday evening before returning to the United States on Thursday morning.

Athlete journal by Abby Mangum – Sunday, Aug. 26

Today, BYU women’s basketball stepped foot on Italian soil for the first time. After a bittersweet goodbye to Lake Bled, we made the drive to Trieste, Italy, where we braved a walk through the wind and rain to attend Church. With our group of over 60 people, we easily doubled the size of the small Italian ward! The members were very kind and welcoming to us, and after the service, we hopped back on the bus to head for Venice. 

Upon our arrival in Venice, we were given the leisure to venture on our own and explore the city for a couple of hours. We boarded a water taxi and floated past the various churches and shops, all lined up perfectly along the water. The rows and rows of old buildings seemed endless as we made our way down the river. Gondola boats transported passengers through the narrow canals as people on foot crossed bridges just overhead. It was a very unique experience seeing people transport from place to place via boat rather than a car or bus. 

After exploring the winding streets and shops of Venice without anyone getting lost (almost), we found ourselves back on the bus headed towards Florence. There, we ate a late dinner at an authentic Italian restaurant where they served pizza, gnocchi, Bolognese, and more. We finished the night off with caramel flan and tiramisu, and now we lie in bed, exhausted and ready for another day of adventure in Florence!

Athlete journal by Signe Glantz – Monday, Aug. 27

We started the day in Florence with a delicious breakfast on the rooftop of our hotel, with a beautiful view of the city right in front of us. After breakfast, we went on a tour that took us through the heart of Florence. We got to see several colorful old buildings with a lot of thoughtful details on them, which was really cool! 

The people in Italy have differed from the other places since the previous countries have a Slavic heritage. The Italians have a whole different way of speaking, they speak with a lot more finesse, and the Slavic languages are more aggressive. 

We have also had the opportunity to taste some real Italian food, such as fresh pasta, the famous prosciutto, and mozzarella. I really appreciate that we have had the chance to eat traditional foods from all the countries we have been to. But Italian food is definitely my favorite! 

The bus ride from Florence to Rome was long but if you looked out the window you saw the countryside of Italy. There are a lot of beautiful fields of olive trees and grape plants. Italy is a beautiful country so I look forward to spending the last days of our trip here!