March 19, 2005

And we're back.
Friday was another great day. The trip to the "Castello di Gabianno" in Tuscany was amazing. We were given a tour of the winery including the cellars, factory assembly lines, and the restaurant. We were very fortunate to be able to experience the winery because they actually opened a day early for us. A special thanks to Mr. Rynne (Meghan's dad) for setting up the great experience for us.
Later that afternoon we headed to Florence. We saw a quick tour of the high points of the city, including the Duomo and a replica of Michelangelo's David statue. Also a high point of Florence were the leather and jewelry markets which quite of few of us took advantage of. After Florence it was back to Montecatini for the night.
The next morning we got on the bus for a lightning speed trip to Pisa. We literally got off the bus, took pictures of the leaning tower, and were back on the bus. The five-hour trip from Pisa to back to Como for our last night was a bit grueling, but we all made it. We then enjoyed one last afternoon in the beautiful city of Como, shopping, eating gelato, and trying to finish up the last few pictures on our cameras. That night we had our last meal at the Culinary Institute and then went back to the hotel to hang out and pack everything up.
We boarded the bus at 3:45 a.m. and headed for the Milan Airport. We got back to Chicago around 12 Central time and greeted our happy famiies.
Now, everyone is doing their best to readjust to life within the IWU bubble and get unpacked, caught up, and ready to start classes again on Monday. It will be interesting to come back to the real world after such a great week, but we'll adjust together.
Arrivederci!
Katie Korder, Mary Karson, and Katie Kelly

Hello again from Verona! We made the three hour bus ride down to Verona from Como this morning and are all a little worn out. Right now, everyone
is enjoying their free time in Verona, shopping and visiting things like the great arena in the middle of the city and Juliet's balcony from Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet.
Sunday morning we had our second practice. This time we were in the mountains of Como at a community sports center. The weather was beautiful and despite our jet-lagged legs, we managed to make it through practice. That afternoon we headed back to Milan to watch the Serie A match between AC Milan and Sampdora. AC Milan won the game 1-0, but to be quite honest, the atmosphere was much more of a focal point than the actual soccer. The crowd was unbelievable, singing songs and yelling cheers throughout the entire match. The stadium, which seats about 80,000, was almost full, so it was very exciting for everyone to watch.
Monday morning we took a walking tour of Como and saw some interesting things like a statue of Alessandre Volte (the inventor of volts and the battery) and an amazing church. We then headed to the language institute and got the opportunity to chat with some of the students learning English. It was especially exciting when we found out that they also watch shows like the O.C. and other popular American TV shows. We then had lunch at the institute which consisted of chicken and "roasted potatoes" (aka French Fries) and everyone was very excited about that. In the afternoon we took a boat tour of the Lake, and despite our best efforts, couldn't quite pick out which house was George Clooney's.
We did get the chance to play a little practical joke - Lyndsay O’Brien was sleeping for some of the ride, so Coach Barrett had Kristin wake her up and tell her that one house was Brad Pitt’s and another was George Clooney's. She believed it all the way until that night when she finally figured it out at dinner. Everyone got a good laugh out of it.
Also included in our busy Monday was our first match of the trip. We played Vallassinese, the first place team in the women's Seria A (first division). Despite a good first half, we lost 3-1.
Tuesday we spent the morning at the markets of Como, searching for bargains. A lot of people managed to find some great deals on shoes, purses, and other clothing. We then went to the art restoration school and learned how they restored different pieces of art. That afternoon we had more free time, and a lot of people used it to take a train up the mountain and enjoy the spectacular view of the lake. We traveled that night to our second game, against the Serie C team Lecco. We won, 5-2, and had a great time.
Today we spent the morning driving to Verona. Now we are here, hanging out, shopping, and enjoying the sights. We have another game tonight and are all hoping that our legs will hold up for a few more days. Despite a lot of walking and playing, we are managing to stand for most of the time. We are having a great time and are all missing home, but we also continue to be amazed by all the new sights.
Ciao!
Katie Korder