cto
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This post had to be split into three parts because this site will not allow one to make a post with more than four images. Since I worked so hard to put this thing together, I decided to split it up, rather than remove eight of the pictures.
My Facebook friends are probably long since bored with my idiosyncratic observations from the trip, but here are a few more. (I'm not going to post much about the actual games, because I assume everyone here either watched them or read the Syracuse.com reports on them). In the most unlikely chance you missed the game reports, SU soundly won all four games, but Jim Boeheim tempered expectations by stating, correctly in my opinion, that the opposition reminded him of a D-2 team such as LeMoyne.
1) Italy is hot in August. Very hot. Fortunately, all the hotels at which the group stayed had good AC systems (not a given in Italy). Aside from a Marriott in Venice that was located on its own island (which required folks to take a ferry -- which ran every 30 minutes in each direction - whenever they wanted to visit Venice proper), they were all lovely, renovated boutique hotels that had odd room layouts. In Florence, one of the most beautiful cities in the world, this was the view from the only small window in my very small room (an airshaft featuring an abandoned fire escape and an ancient TV antenna. The pigeons fled before I could include them in the picture).
2) The view from the rooftop bar, however, made up for the view from my room.
3) Any doubts about the physical condition of Bourama Sidibe were alleviated when he, with the rest of the team, climbed the torturous 463 steps to the top of the dome in Florence's Duomo (Cathedral). I was also impressed that Jim Boeheim made the climb, as did Rosevelt Bouie whose height and bulk meant he had to contort himself to get through the steep, narrow, low-ceilinged 463-step (in each direction) torture chamber... Juli Boeheim and I, on the other hand, spent the time in the lovely Duomo Museum (across the street) which has an amazing collection of Michelangelo paintings and sculptures, and other beautiful Renaissance works of art. (Picture of the Duomo is at end of Part Three. For some reason, it disappeared from here while I was splitting this post into three parts).
4) Yes, Roosevelt Bouie was part of our group... and a very valuable member at that. He had played pro ball in Italy for 10 years, is fluent in Italian, and gave us many great tips for restaurants and other attractions. Plus, he's a lot of fun to hang out with.
5) One of the really enjoyable parts of the trip was to spend time with Marek Dolezaj's parents, Milos and Ladislava Dolezaj, who drove from Bratislava to attend all four games. Marek's sister Monica, a beautiful young woman who's a professional volley ball player, also attended some of the games. Obviously, the Dolezaj's had to provide all their own transportation, hotel rooms, meals, etc, because of NCAA regulations which they (and the SU people) were very scrupulous about. For example, at the first horrendously hot and humid gym, Milos immediately waved his arms and said "No, No" when I (without thinking) asked whether he wanted a bottle of water. ("Boosters" are not allowed to give anything to players/recruits or their families... including even a bottle of water on a very hot and humid night).
MORE TO COME IN PARTS TWO AND THREE
My Facebook friends are probably long since bored with my idiosyncratic observations from the trip, but here are a few more. (I'm not going to post much about the actual games, because I assume everyone here either watched them or read the Syracuse.com reports on them). In the most unlikely chance you missed the game reports, SU soundly won all four games, but Jim Boeheim tempered expectations by stating, correctly in my opinion, that the opposition reminded him of a D-2 team such as LeMoyne.
1) Italy is hot in August. Very hot. Fortunately, all the hotels at which the group stayed had good AC systems (not a given in Italy). Aside from a Marriott in Venice that was located on its own island (which required folks to take a ferry -- which ran every 30 minutes in each direction - whenever they wanted to visit Venice proper), they were all lovely, renovated boutique hotels that had odd room layouts. In Florence, one of the most beautiful cities in the world, this was the view from the only small window in my very small room (an airshaft featuring an abandoned fire escape and an ancient TV antenna. The pigeons fled before I could include them in the picture).
2) The view from the rooftop bar, however, made up for the view from my room.
3) Any doubts about the physical condition of Bourama Sidibe were alleviated when he, with the rest of the team, climbed the torturous 463 steps to the top of the dome in Florence's Duomo (Cathedral). I was also impressed that Jim Boeheim made the climb, as did Rosevelt Bouie whose height and bulk meant he had to contort himself to get through the steep, narrow, low-ceilinged 463-step (in each direction) torture chamber... Juli Boeheim and I, on the other hand, spent the time in the lovely Duomo Museum (across the street) which has an amazing collection of Michelangelo paintings and sculptures, and other beautiful Renaissance works of art. (Picture of the Duomo is at end of Part Three. For some reason, it disappeared from here while I was splitting this post into three parts).
4) Yes, Roosevelt Bouie was part of our group... and a very valuable member at that. He had played pro ball in Italy for 10 years, is fluent in Italian, and gave us many great tips for restaurants and other attractions. Plus, he's a lot of fun to hang out with.
5) One of the really enjoyable parts of the trip was to spend time with Marek Dolezaj's parents, Milos and Ladislava Dolezaj, who drove from Bratislava to attend all four games. Marek's sister Monica, a beautiful young woman who's a professional volley ball player, also attended some of the games. Obviously, the Dolezaj's had to provide all their own transportation, hotel rooms, meals, etc, because of NCAA regulations which they (and the SU people) were very scrupulous about. For example, at the first horrendously hot and humid gym, Milos immediately waved his arms and said "No, No" when I (without thinking) asked whether he wanted a bottle of water. ("Boosters" are not allowed to give anything to players/recruits or their families... including even a bottle of water on a very hot and humid night).
MORE TO COME IN PARTS TWO AND THREE
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