Iowa Summer Tour, 2009

Senior guard Devan Bawinkel:

What's happening Hawkeye fans? This is Devan Bawinkel from the Men's Basketball Team. We are currently in Rome, Italy. Today was a long day with all the travel. We were on the bus for four hours to Chicago then had a nine hour flight. The bus ride went fast because everyone was watching movies, playing cards, and talking about the trip. The plane ride was long but went well. Most people slept, but the flight crew played movies for the people who couldn't sleep, like me. We left Iowa City at 9 AM and arrived in Rome around 1 AM our time, 8 AM local time.

As soon as we got into Rome we decided to do some sightseeing because our hotel rooms would not be ready until later in the afternoon. We rode a bus throughout Rome and saw many historic sites. The place we went to tour was the Coliseum. The Coliseum was amazing. I have seen it on television but never in person. It was unbelievable to go inside and see it with your own eyes. It reminded me of a huge football stadium.

The food on the trip so far has been great. Lunch was delicious. We ate at a restaurant about two blocks from the Coliseum. We ate lasagna, salad, bread, and a chocolate cake. We drank water and Fanta Orange pop. Dinner was even better. The servers spoiled us with several appetizers like mushrooms, cheeses, and meatballs. The huge meal consisted of steak, spaghetti, noodles with mushrooms, and tiramisu. We drank orange juice which was the best and freshest orange juice I have ever had.

After dinner the players and managers walked around the city. We wanted to get a feel for the Roman culture. We got to see several statues and the Spanish Steps. We also stopped at several stores and looked for souvenirs. While walking, we had to dodge traffic. People drive extremely fast around here and don't seem to care if you are crossing the street. I'm worn out now and need to get some rest. I'm looking forward to our game tomorrow night. Thanks for watching Hawkeye fans, check out our site each day. I hope you keep following us as we prepare for next season.

Go Hawks! Devan.

Keep following as we continue to prepare for next season, and thanks for watching.

Click HERE to return to Summer Tour Central.