Northwestern University Athletics
#NULaxItaly: Viareggio and Florence
9/11/2014 12:00:00 AM | Women's Lacrosse
Photo Gallery: Viareggio and Florence
VORNO, Italy -- Northwestern Women's Lacrosse is at the halfway point of its memorable 2014 Italian Tour, but it wouldn't be far-fetched to say the 'Cats are enjoying themselves too much to notice.
Thanks to incredible hospitality of NU's hosts at the Villa Valentina in Tuscany, the Wildcats have enjoyed a steady stream of delicious, home-cooked Italian meals and lavish grounds on which to relax and take advantage of this special time together.
But as comfortable as the abode at Villa Valentina may be, the 'Cats have also made it a priority in recent days to venture away from the grounds and see the sites in Italy.
Tuesday morning began with a team-wide cross training run through the Tuscan hills behind the Villa, with the 'Cats supporting one another through the roughly 3.5-mile uphill run. With the difficult workout behind them, NU was due for some rest and relaxation, which they found after a 30-minute bus ride to the beach resort town of Viareggio, on the coast of the Tyrrhenian Sea.
Upon returning to the Villa, the 'Cats helped out in preparing dinner (no small daily task for the wait staff with a Northwestern traveling party that tops 50 hungry #B1GCats), learning how to shape and stuff ravioli with a delicious spinach and ricotta cheese filling. Coupled with a fresh vegetable medley, roasted rosemary chicken breasts and eggplant parmigiana, the creamy ravioli was the ideal cap to a busy Italian day.
Wednesday was supposed to offer the Wildcats a chance to return to the lacrosse field for an intrasquad scrimmage followed by a youth clinic. But a wicked overnight thunderstorm preceded steady rain in the region through the morning, washing out NU's hopes to practice and share their sport with children in Lucca.
Instead, after a morning run, the 'Cats got an early start on their day trip to the historic city of Florence, which is approximately 60 miles from NU's base in Vorno. From learning how to barter at the street market, to touring Il Duomo and the Ponte Vecchio, the Wildcats enjoyed a true Florentine experience thanks to the help of a guided two-hour walking tour of the city. Check out just a few of the snapshots from the day in the photo gallery linked at the top of the page or the Instagram video below:
Incredible day. RT @NU_Sports: @NULax did Florence in 5 hours. Here it is in 15 seconds. #NULaxItaly http://t.co/aVNLCffrsY
-- Northwestern Lax (@NULax) September 10, 2014
On Thursday, Northwestern will again take to the hills of Tuscany for another morning training run before packing its bags and saying goodbye to the beautiful Villa Valentina. The 'Cats will be off to the medieval city of Siena for an overnight stay before continuing on to Rome for the duration of the trip.
Throughout Northwestern's nine-day journey, fans can expect regular updates and photo galleries on all of the Wildcats' official social media channels: Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Follow the hashtag #NULaxItaly on all platforms to receive the most recent tweets and posts. There also will be recaps of the day's events via NUsports.com.
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