Ephs visit Florence

Florence, Italy, August 22, 2008

At 8:00 AM, the Williams College men's basketball team embarked on a four-hour drive from San Marino to Florence. Upon arrival in Florence, the Ephs had two hours of free time to explore the city on their own. Many chose to sit down and enjoy a lunch of Florentine food, as Florence is known specially for having the best pasta in all of Italy, according to one Florentine efficionado. Afterward, the Ephs took a guided tour of the city, beginning at the baptistry outside of the great Florentine Cathedral, meandering their way through the Cathedral itself, through the Uffizi Palazzo, and into an exciting center full of street vendors and performers of all different sorts. 

The Cathedral, which stands as either the fourth or fifth largest cathedral in the world depending on who you ask, drew the most awe from the Eph coalition. Around the 15th century, there was a competition between European cities to build the largest and most lavish Cathedrals. Today, the competition continues as both Milan and London claim to have the third largest Cathedral in the world. However, The Ephs Florentine tour guide left the Milan cathedral out of the top four when giving her spiel, reporting that the Florentine Cathedral was the fourth largest in the world. When asked how Milan can compete for the third largest cathedral in the world, and yet not be included even as the fourth, the tour guide quickly changed the subject. Nonetheless, the 600-year-old cathedral was constructed with a variation of distinct green and white marble blocks and adorned with magnificent architecture that left many of the Ephs gaping.

Various famous statues and street performers also tantalized the Ephs in the Uffizi Palazzo. One of these statues was a replica of the famous David by Michelangelo. The real David stands in a museum - a museum with a line that stretched almost 2 city blocks, too long for any of the Ephs, who only had a few hours to spare. While in the Uffizi Palazzo, the Ephs, along with 200 or so other tourists, enjoyed a twenty minute presentation from a local mime. In fact, during his performance, out of the blue, the mime seleced Eph junior center Charlie Cates to participate. Though stunned, and slightly unnerved by the antics of the mime, Cates flourished in his designated role.

When asked about his random selection and performance, Cates replied, "It was quite an experience. I wasn't expecting it, but it was a lot of fun. When the guy was putting on his make up, he kind of gave me a stare down like he wasplanning something, but I didn't realize it would involve me getting my face painted and kissed by a mime."

The Ephs finished the day with dinner in a nice Flourentine restaurant, followed by a drive through Tuscany to their new hotel. Tomorrow, the Ephs will play their final game of the trip against a professional Italian B-league team.  "It was an exciting change of pace, going from the small town feel of San Marino back to a big city like Florence. It was also nice to have a reprieve from strenuous basketball exercise, allowing our bodies to rejuivinate before our final game," commented junior forward Will Hardy. "All the guys enjoyed the tour, as Florence is a city so rich in history. We spent most of the day walking around the city in smaller groups, taking in the scenery. All in all, it was another priceless memory to take back to Williamstown with us."