I hope everyone is having a great weekend. I heard that the Twins are doing really well so that's exciting!! This past week has been one to remember, for several different reasons. First reason being the new Batman movie, second reason I will chalk up to my suaveness, and the third reason would have to be the Wine Festival.

Ok, I know the Batman movie came out when I was at home but at the time I really didn't feel like spending $10 to see a movie. So, now that I am in europe, and am living with Keisha, she has shown me the ways of online movie watching.  Anyway, I really liked the movie, so when I got to practice that day I was asking my teammate, Viola, if she had ever seen it. Immediately her face transformed into a very freightened expression and in her wonderful Italian accent she looked at me and said, "The Joker scared me!" Ha, I laughed so hard. Her accent was just too cute, but at the same time I could tell that she was dead serious. Ok, maybe you had to be there, but it made my day.

On Thursday of this past week, Polona and I hopped on a bus and rode it 15 minutes to Lake Como, Italy. When we arrived I started getting all nostalgic because we walked right past the hotel that the Gopher Women's BBall team stayed in when they were here. Wow, that was already more than a month ago. Anyway, we had a good time walking around, looking in the stores and we actually past a coffee shop that was called Central Perk. At the end of our little tour we decided to walk along the lake front. One month ago I went swimming in Lake Como with the girls, so I was kind of curious to feel the water and see if it was still warm. I figured that my Choco sandals had good enough traction, so I confidently took a step down onto this slope that lead right into the lake. 

Well, the next thing I knew I was flying through the air and my legs were shooting out from under me. My body was completely airborne and when I returned to the earth I hit hard. Ha! I thought once I hit the ground that my capris would stop me from going any farther into the lake, but I was sadly mistaken. Upon hitting the ground I was quickly sliding deeper into the lake.  Luckily I finally managed to stop myself, but not before my legs and buttocks were saturated with mucky lake water. Crawling out of the lake was a challenge as well because the slope was completely covered in slimy, slippery moss. I had mossy dirt covering my hands, my rump and all over the backs of my legs. When I finally got my bearings and had both feet on solid ground I noticed this couple sitting on a bench watching me. I could definitely tell that they were trying to stifle their laughter, I mean I am sure that the whole fiasco looked pretty entertaining. I tried to clean myself up in the bathroom, but regardless I smelled like mossy lake water the whole ride home.  Polona has yet to let me forget this wonderful memory.

Before dunking myself in the lake...

Street performers in Como.

A bit of an American influence, no?

The last story I have for you took place at the Wine Festival. The Wine Festival is a big party that started on Friday and doesn't really stop until Sunday night. Picture something kind of like the State Fair, but with just food, live music, and plenty of people trying to barter with you. At the same time that this image is in your mind picture everyone at the State Fair crammed into streets that are no wider than the width of a car and cobblestone streets that are 100's of years old. I have never felt so sandwiched between so many people in my life.

A few teammates, Samantha, Kiesha, Polona, Noemi, Me, Lisa and Claudia.

More teammates in the tent, Judit, Polona, Letizia, Keisha, me and Viola.

My team, Canti Riva, had it's own tent set up where my coach, president, vp, all the wives, our general manager and some of my teammates were working. By working I mean that they were taking people's food orders, bringing food, clearing plates, and pouring wine. Has anyone ever drank Fragolino before? It's like strawberry wine. I highly recommend it! Basically this festival is like a fundraiser for our team. The funniest part of the night was the president, Francesco. I'm looking at him and the next thing I know he is dancing on top of the tables! Then he reaches down to me and pulls me up onto the table with him. We were stepping on plates, crushing glasses,ha, I was laughing SO hard, I was definitely not expecting this from him, but it was really fun and he was just having a grand ol' time! And it wasn't just him, my general manager, all the coaches and their wives were all into it. Dancing, singing, the whole shabang!

You all are probably wondering what I am doing on the basketball end of things? Haha, I mean that's what I am over here for right?! Well, we just had practice this past week, we started a weight lifting program, and we shot a few times with the famous, Giovanni. He is the man that taught me how to drive stick, he's about 65 years old, and doesn't speak english. I had a little workout with him the other day and then he said "one on one!" Gosh, I was so scared that I was going to hurt him, really.  I'm like, ok I am going to drive to the basket and if you're in my way I'm going to run into you. Ha, he was a good sport about it, but I'm not too sure that he will want to partake in a rematch because every time he bumped into me he got doused in sweat;)



Ok, GO TWINS and GO GOPHER FOOTBALL!!!
ciao,
Leslie