Another early wakeup call and breakfast at Hotel Como before departing for the Cinque Terre Area, found in the Liguria region of Italy. On the bus ride down we had some quick class activities including the announcement of the winner of round 1 of the Coaches vs. Students challenge. And the winner is.... The Coaches, by 1 point.
We picked up a local guide in La Spezia, a small port city known for its large naval base and one of its main streets, named after Napoleon. After our guide gave us a little history of the city of La Spezia, we continued along to Porte Venere. In this fortified, ancient seaport we had a few hours to explore and get lunch. Known for its pesto, olive oil, and fishing industry, there were plenty of chances to try the local cuisine. After lunch, many of the group eagerly sought out their first Italian gelato, coming to the conclusion that the flavor known as Cinque Terre, a chocolate coconut, was the favorite. Our exploration of the village included a visit to St. Peter's Church which, built over 500 years ago, overlooked the entrance to the bay.
The best way to view the Cinque Terre is by sea, so we boarded a double decker tour boat to embark on our journey along the coast. The choppy seas made the voyage quite an adventure but provided wonderful views of the terraced vineyards and also a large number of olive groves.
The Cinque Terre gets its name from the 5 villages that are nestled among the jagged rocks. They are Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza, and Monterosso. We disembarked in Monterosso where we jumped on a high speed train to Levanto, meeting our bus and driver. The roads near the Cinque Terre are winding but provided spectacular views as we left the area.
After a quick bus ride we arrived in Sesta Gordano where we were welcomed by gracious hosts who served us a light pregame meal of pasta and prosciutto. Throughout the trip we have been humbled by the hospitality of our hosts and were honored to find several American flags flying in the stadium upon our arrival.
The teams exchanged banners and met in the middle of the field to take a photo to remember this great occasion. The opposing team was very technical and had a few players who really made an impact during the first half. After a slow start for the Golden Bears the half ended with a neutral score of 0-0. Despite numerous attempts, neither team could find the goal. The second half got underway, and after giving up an early goal, the Golden Bears rallied back scoring three unanswered goals. It was a great way to start off the soccer team's european tour.
GOALS:
Ryan Mastalerz
Shaun DaCruz
Austin Santolini
Ater the game, the bus was abuzz with activity. There was singing and chanting and much celebration. We loaded the bus and when we finally arrived at the hotel, after such a long day, we were all asleep very quickly.
