Panthers' European TourAug. 20, 2003 Two days into its trip through Europe, the UWM men's basketball team has seen two countries but little sleep. The Panthers left from Chicago's O'Hare Airport just before 5 p.m. central time Monday, arriving at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol around 7:30 a.m. Amsterdam time Tuesday morning. But there was no rest for the 22-person travel party, as the Panthers spent a full day in Amsterdam before busing to Brussels for some much-needed rest and preparation for the first game. There was little culture shock for the Panthers upon arriving at Schiphol, with most signs in English, little delay at customs and a Burger King spotted as one of the first sites in the terminal. But the Panthers would get a full dose of history, culture and new experiences on their first day in Europe. Much of the time spent in Amsterdam left the players and coaches on their own to see one of Europe's most dynamic cities. The first lesson of Amsterdam - be alert and look both ways before crossing any street or sidewalk in the city. While cars, busses and traffic in general was present throughout the city, most city sidewalks were packed with locals and visitors alike. And all of them needed to be on the constant lookout for the thousands of locals who use bicycles to get around every day. It is not uncommon to see a cyclist take a blind corner at high speed or to split two people engaged in conversation on a street corner. The cyclists were also joined on the sidewalks by scooters, mopeds and even some motorcycles, plus the occasional delivery truck trying to squeeze down a tight stretch to drop off the morning goods. Amsterdam is also a city of canals, with some of the city's residents living on small houseboats throughout the city. A housing shortage also means many of the local buildings are squeezed tightly together, with small alleys along the canals not leaving enough room for parking, driving, biking and walking all at once. Locals say at least one car a week also winds up in one of the canals, even though two-foot retaining bars attempt to provide some protection. It also didn't take long for the Panthers to learn more about one of the most famous stories of the 20th Century - that of Anne Frank. After reading "The Diaries of Anne Frank" as middle school or high school students, the travel party entered the home where Anne Frank and her family and friends hid from the Nazis during World War II. The tight quarters and steep staircases of the Anne Frank House (www.annefrank.nl) would hardly have held a small family, let alone the eight-person group that hid out for more than two years in Amsterdam. The walking tour leads visitors through the story of Anne Frank, culminating in the discovery of the group and their eventual death at the hands of the Nazis after being discovered in August of 1944. Only Otto Frank survived the extermination camps, and it was he who was given the diaries and eventually had them published. The group was also exposed to the neighborhoods and architecture of Amsterdam during a one-hour boat tour through the city's canals. The team also had a chance to wander through many of the shopping areas, coffee shops and restaurants of the bustling city. By the 8 p.m. departure time, most of the group was working on some 30 hours without decent sleep, meaning the bus ride from Amsterdam to Brussels was quiet, besides the quiet din of "Men in Black" playing on the video screen. The two-and-a-half hour ride took the team mainly through farmland before winding past Antwerp, Belgium, and into Brussels. Sleep was on most minds by the time the team moved into their rooms at the Radisson SAS in Brussels Tuesday night. And a good night of rest turned into a beautiful day in Belgium, with temperatures in the 70s, clear skies and memories of a recent heat wave through Europe well off in the distance. The hotel leaves the team just blocks from the Grand Place, a 16th-century market place now dotted with stores and outdoor cafes. The Cathedral of St. Michael and St. Catherine is also just steps from the hotel. Originally built in the same spot in the 9th Century and rebuilt over a 300-year period to completion in the 16th Century, the cathedral has been home to Belgian royal weddings over the years, including one this past April. The structure is also home to some of the well-known stained-glass windows and architectural traits of the 15th, 16th and 17th Centuries in Europe. For the most part, the players were left on their own to explore the city on Wednesday, visiting local shops and sights. The team also ate together twice and found itself thinking ahead to game one of their tour against Sayco Huy. While the players were on their own to eat in Amsterdam and had a more standard pregame meal of chicken and pasta Wednesday afternoon, the breakfast buffet brought some European treats to the table, including croissants and other pastries, spicy sausages more reminiscent of small hot dogs, cold cuts, cheese and lox, and, of course, Belgian waffles. In fact, waffles are sold on the streets throughout Brussels, usually for between 1.50 and 2.00 Euro. Playing an 8 p.m. local time game means fighting traffic to get anywhere in the area of Brussels. The bus moved steadily through some of its trip but the Panthers also saw some bumper-to-bumper traffic while winding through the suburbs, past the heavily-secured NATO Headquarters and down the area highways. Soon enough, though, the ride turned scenic as the team was treated first to the farmlands of Belgium - not really any different than what one might see in rural Wisconsin - before moving into hilly territory near the town of Huy. The Panthers' arrival into Huy wound through the small downtown and back to the outskirts of town to the Hall Omnisports de Huy, part of an athletic complex that also included a soccer field and a second arena. About 150 local fans showed up to watch the contest, cheering on their local Huy team, which won the Belgian second division last year. Following the contest, the Panthers, along with the players from the Huy team and the officials from the game, were treated to a late dinner of lasagna and bread thanks to the Huy Basketball Club. They then departed for Brussels, arriving around 1 a.m. local time.
The next two days in Belgium will find the Panthers venturing outside of
Brussels, visiting Antwerp and other sites on Thursday before seeing Brugge
and Waterloo on Friday.
|
