June 4, 2007

Photo Gallery

Today, the women's basketball team's tour of Germany stopped in the former East German city of Leipzig. The Bulldogs explored the town that was home to Johann Sebastian Bach and played their final game of the trip against BBV Leipzig. Tomorrow, they're off to Berlin, the final city on the tour. Jamie Van Horne and Alexandra Chen provide today's account of their experiences.

We finally arrived in Leipzig late last night after way too long on the bus. We were still happy to see city lights and our luxurious hotel the Westin Leipzig. This morning, we all took a tour around the city, admiring the art-deco architecture and the large villas surrounding the university here. One of the most awe-inspiring stops we've made so far on our journey was the Monument for the Battle of the Nations, erected in 1913. The monument was created to honor the fallen soldiers when Napoleon was defeated in Leipzig. It was said that the little emperor retreated so quickly that he left his helmet, baton and binoculars on a rock and there was a statue to commemorate this retreat.

Once we reached the inner city, we were once again amazed by the deep history of the city and the beautiful churches and squares. We first visited St. Nicolai Church, where Johann Sebastian Bach performed many of his pieces. This church is one of the few in Germany that performs services for many Christian denominations and was distinguished by a pastel interior and columns adorned with palm fronds. Next we went to St. Thomas' Church, where the third and final resting place of Bach's remains are held. This church is also home to a famous boys' choir.

After the tour and some free time to ourselves, we enjoyed a delicious pre-game meal at a well-known Saxon restaurant. Many of us were relieved to finally see chicken after so, so, so much sausage! The game was held at Leipzig Arena and we were privy to a concert by Bryan Adams, held concurrently in the arena. We played in a smaller gym adjacent to the main arena, which was still much nicer than any of the other courts we've played in so far. We noticed right away that the team we played was much more skilled and cohesive than the others and the game proved to be much tougher. After dealing with some home-town referees that barely spoke English and some rules we were unaccustomed to, we pulled out our third and final win. We made it back to the hotel and are looking forward to celebrating our undefeated international record out on the town!

-JVH and Chen