The Queens House

Sunday morning the girls were able to relax a bit and do some last minute gift shopping in the area around the hotel. At 11am we checked out and were off to Windsor to visit the Queens castle. All the girls took the 2 hour tour through the castle and snapped some pictures with the guards. After, they ventured out into the town to do some shopping and grab food.

At 3:30pm we boarded the bus to Heathrow for our flight home. After moving through security the girls spent their final pounds at the duty free shop purchasing box after box of Toblerone chocolate and at 6:30 we boarded our flight home. Thankfully we made it to Logan with no luggage issues.

Now its time to sleep!

WE ARE QPR, SAY WE ARE QPR!

Saturday morning we had the opportunity to bounce around the city of London on our own. Some of the girls went to museums, others went shopping in Camden, and a few did some bike riding through the park. 

Everyone met at the hotel for 1pm to depart for the Championship match between Queens Park Rovers and Crystal Palace. The stadium was about one fifth the size of Camp Nou but the environment was just as exciting. We sat in one corner of the stadium with some rowdy fans of the home side. The girls really enjoyed learning all the colorful cheers and slang that the fans chant throughout the entire game. QPR came away with a 2-1 win and will be promoted to first division next season. 

After dinner many in the group utilized the Metro to visit some final attractions. The girls were able to make stops at Abbey Road, Platform 9 3/4 from Harry Potter, Big Ben, London Eye, Parliament, and Picadilly Circus. All and all it was a busy last night in London.

 

A Tidy Side

Some of us began the day with a nice bike ride around the park outside the hotel. After breakfast everyone hopped on the bus to be dropped off at various locations throughout London. A core group of the girls and some of the staff traveled all over the city to see most of the attractions up close and personal.

First stop was the London Eye, a huge ferris wheel that was built for the millennium celebration. Travelers have the opportunity to view everything in the city from high above as they slowly make the 40 minute ride around the wheel. 

Our next stop was Parliament Square where we hopped off the bus to take pictures of Westminster Abbey, Parliament, and Big Ben. After about 20 minutes we traveled to Buckingham Palace to take a few pictures and watch the guards and band warm up for the changing ceremony. 

Once again we were back on the bus this time traveling across the city to St. Paul's Cathedral. At this location we were able to see the 300 year old church and then walk across the "Wobbly Bridge" that was also built for the millennium celebration. On the other end of the bridge we made our final stop at Shakespeare's Globe Theatre.

After a quick lunch we were off for our final match of the trip against Barnet Ladies, which finished at 4-2. The scoring was spread around once again with Shana Follette, Casey Schifano, and Kaitlyn Fare all finding the back of the net. Our tour guide's Mike and Richard were not disappointed with the teams play and dubbed them "a tidy side". 

Tomorrow the girls have some free time in the morning before we take in another premier match, Queens Park Rangers vs. Crystal Palace.

Go Bulldogs!

London Calling!

We got up bright and early at 4am for our 7:30 flight to London. We landed to meet our new tour guide and embark on a bus tour of the city. We were able to see all the major spots from the bus and got out a couple times to walk around at both the Tower of London and Picadilly Circus.

After checking into the hotel at about 2pm the players either took a nap or ventured out into Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens which is directly across from where we are staying. The coaching staff took the opportunity to rent some bikes and visit the Peter Pan Statue, Princess Diana Memorial Fountain, and Kensington Palace. Just up the hill from the hotel is also the famous Notting Hill.

Tomorrow we will begin the day with the London Eye and changing of the guards at Buckingham Palace. Later in the day the team will play their last match against a local squad.

Till tomorrow.

I Heart British Airways!

Today we started the day at 9:30 with an amazing tour of Camp Nou, the home of FC Barcelona. 3 hours was all we had to be at the facility but I think some of us could have spent the whole day taking in all that the stadium had to offer. We all received audio players that explained the history of the club, its players, coaches, and the famous stadium. Along the tour, we were able to see the press room and have pictures taken with one of the clubs many championship cups. The tour also showed us the visiting team locker room, the chapel, the press box high above the stands, and the field. It was great to walk down the tunnel and out onto the field, if only it were when 110,000 fans were in the stands cheering.

On our way back from the stadium Coach Flint and Coach Maciel received word that their luggage had finally made it to the hotel, 5 Days into the trip. They are both so thankful not to wear smelly clothing anymore.

The day finished with our second match against San Gabriel. The home side struck first when they tucked a shot past GK Lauren Viverito but the team came right back with a finish from Shana Follette. The second half was again a back and forth battle. San Gabriel pulled ahead when a forward found herself on a breakaway and was able to tuck the ball past Viverito. The girls continued to battle and were rewarded with an outside of the foot finish by Allison Melley. Both teams had some great chances throughout the game but it would finish 2-2.


Now off to bed early for our 4am wake up call and trip to London.

Gracias Barcelona!

Forca Barca!

Yesterday began with a tour of Sagrada Familia. The construction of this building is absolutely amazing, every part of it has such detail that it will not be finished until 2026. After a few hours learning about the history of the church and its architect, we were off to Plaza Catalunya for some eating, shopping, and sightseeing. The girls seemed to like this area the most because it had lots of shops, but we were also able to walk to the Cathedral, statue of Christopher Columbus, Casa Mila, and Casa Batllo.

In the evening we had a delicious dinner and were off to take in the Barcelona/Arsenal game at a local restaurant. The home side came away on with a 3-1 win and will move on to the next leg of the UEFA Champions Cup. We will all be sure not to wear our Barcelona shirts in London.

Montserrat!

Today we traveled high into the mountains of south western Barcelona to experience Montserrat. This beautiful mountain is home to Our Lady of Montserrat, a Benedictine Monastery, and one of the most ancient boys' choir in Europe (Escolania de Montserrat).  The views were amazing, the structures were beautiful, and the boys' choir sang two peaceful songs.

Later in the day, we played our first game against Espanyol. While the result was not what we wanted, the game was highlighted by goals from Krista Johnstone and Ari Goldberg.

Tomorrow we will explore Sagrada Familia in more depth and have some free time exploring the streets around Catalunya Square.

Adios!

Lucky Turtle!

Still no luggage this morning, so no practice. Instead we decided to go see the Park Guell, which is a unfinished work of the famous architect Gaudi. The girls enjoyed some beautiful views and trinket shopping as well as some interesting architecture (check back for pictures and video blog).

After some rest and food, we embarked on a guided bus tour of Barcelona. The group learned all about the cities history in architecture, government, and athletics touring places like Sagrada Familia, Olympic Stadium, and Cathedral. While walking by Casa de Lardiacas formerly a judicial building in the gothic quarter,  we noticed a very unique mailbox. An architect was commissioned to design something that would represent the judicial system, the symbol ended up being a turtle (slow). After the history lesson, the girls were all instructed to pet the turtle for good luck. Apparently it worked because everyone (minus Coach Flint and Coach Maciel) received their luggage later in the evening.

We are now headed off to sleep to rest up for another jam packed day of sightseeing and our first match! 

Buenas Noches!

Houston, We Have a Problem!

We arrived in London at 8:30am local time and ran 40 minutes across Heathrow Airport to catch our next flight. 2 hours and an egg salad sandwich later, we descended into Barcelona. Though very tired the girls were in great spirits coming off the plane. Unfortunately, at the baggage claim we realized British Airways had left everyones luggage in London. Leave it to Coach Flint to look on the bright side as he reminded the girls, "at least we have our uniforms".

After a little down time and a hearty meal we are off to watch the home squad F.C. Barcelona play a La Liga Match.

Go BARCA!

Heathrow Bound

We have arrived at Logan Airport after a long Bloom Bus ride through traffic. The Flint boys have already been in 3 scuffles over the IPAD and one freshman misplaced her passport and cried at the security check. Boarding our flight in 10 minutes, can't wait to see what happens after we are up for 24 hours straight. Taking lots of video clips, will have them up on http://www.bryantbulldogs.com/ soon.

5 days till Barca!

So we are now in the last week of our countdown till Barca! On Friday 3/4 our coaching staff and 19 Bulldogs will depart on our 3rd international tour. This years destinations will be Barcelona and England, where we will play some matches, watch some matches, and tour all the historical sites these beautiful countries have to offer. Stay tuned for a detailed report of our travels!