July 27, 2012
The Vanderbilt bowling team is on a 10-day trip in Paris, Rome and Florence, the latest in a series of Commodore varsity squads to see a different part of the world. While the majority of the trip is educational in nature with tours and sightseeing, the Commodores will bowl the Italian National Team July 28-29. Below, rising senior Jessica Earnest provides the latest update on the team’s travels.
Postcard from Paris (July 24) | Postcard from Rome (July 26)
We have spent the first three days of our European trip roaming the streets of Paris! I can confirm the rumors about Paris being one of the most amazing cities to visit. The culture here is chic and sophisticated. The fashion is amazing, and the historical background of the entire city is simply mind blowing. What citizens consider relatively new is what citizens of the U.S. would consider extremely old.
For me personally, I was nervous because I have heard that the French would be rude to Americans. However, this is not really the case. It is very similar to any city you would visit. It is crowded, and everyone has somewhere they need to be. Being aware of your surroundings is vital in this city. Pickpocketing is all too common, and gypsies continuously beg for money.
The sites are beautiful. The Eiffel Tower is amazing, but the artwork in the Notre Dame and the Louvre Museum is breathtaking. I was in awe of how much history was surrounding my teammates and I. It made me realize how lucky we all are to be visiting such a fascinating city.
Paris was amazing, but off to Italy we went! We have been in Rome, and it is exactly what I imagined. Cobblestone roads, people roaming the streets, and little restaurants on every side street you can imagine.
We visited the Vatican, the Trevi Fountain, Michelangelo’s painting in the Sistine Chapel and so much more. The gelato is as amazing as I was told it would be, and the pasta dishes here are to die for. I have tried to branch out of my comfort zone when going into places to get gelato and pasta. I like to try things on the menu that I am unfamiliar with. So far I’ve been lucky. I haven’t found anything that I cannot bare to continue to eat.
The history of Paris and Rome has been mind-blowing. I’ve always wanted to travel the world. It has taken a lot of effort from many people for us to be on this trip. I know I can speak for everyone on the team when I say that we are eternally grateful for this experience, and it has been a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for us. We are enjoying ourselves to the fullest, and experiencing the cities best we can! Tomorrow we leave for Florence. I am super excited to see how this city compares to Rome and Paris. I will write another blog very soon.
– Jessica
