Ci Vediamo Dopo Italia

STANFORD, Calif. – Stanford recently completed its 10-day tour of Italy, beating its three opponents as part of a trip that included stops in Rome, Siena, Florence and Venice.

The team touched down at Rome's Leonardo da Vinci Airport on Monday, Aug. 19, followed by a brief bus tour of the city's main attractions while en route to the hotel, and a team dinner at Ristorante Amadeo in the Esquilino district of Rome’s historic center.

Sightseeing began on Tuesday, Aug. 20, with visits to the Vatican Museum, St. Peter's Basilica and Sistine Chapel.

After a morning in Vatican City, the Cardinal returned to the hotel to prepare for a cooking class at Fabiolous Cooking Day in Rome's Trastevere neighborhood, where the team was taught the art of pasta making and then sat down to enjoy the fruits of their labor.

On Wednesday, Aug. 21, Stanford visited the Colosseum and Foro Romano in the morning before playing its first of three games against San Raffaele at Stella Azzurra Basketball Academy in the northern part of the city. The Cardinal won, 118-37, in what was Kate Paye's first victory as head coach of her alma mater, and shared a meal with their opponents after.

Stanford headed to Florence the morning after its first win, but not before stopping in the beuatiful Tuscan hill town of Siena for lunch and a guiding walking tour of the medieval city.

Stanford visited Michelangelo’s masterpiece, the David, and toured Florence's Accademia Gallery the morning of Friday, Aug. 23, before winning its second game of the trip, a 112-62 victory over PF Umbertide.

On Saturday, Aug. 24, the Cardinal visited Stanford's Breyer Center for Overseas Studies in Florence at Palazzo Capponi alle Rovinate, highlighted by some time with the program's director, Professor Ermelinda Campani.

The team hopped on a bus the next morning to begin its journey to the tour's final stop, Venice. On the way, the Cardinal paused for its last game agaisnt Thermal Basket in Montegrotto Terme, which its won 92-47.

With three wins in its three games, the Cardinal finished up its Italy tour in The Floating City, Venice. Stanford had time to enjoy Veneto's capital just at the start of the Venice Film Festival on the island of Lido and took in the city's sights on Monday, Aug. 26 and Tuesday, Aug. 27, before returning home on Wednesday, Aug. 28.

The team will report back to campus at the end of the month, just before the Autumn quarter begins on Monday, Sept. 23.