Bryant Barr found his mountaintop in Bormio, Italy, in August.

Davidson College’s men’s basketball team traveled to Europe for a series of games and a bit of sightseeing this month. As we’ve reported, the team won four of six games. DavidsonNews.net asked senior Bryant Barr to reflect on the trip.

By BRYANT BARR

Almost all Davidson College students spend time abroad during their four years at school. But with basketball, we don’t have this opportunity. So in our summer trip to Italy and Slovenia, we tried to pack a semester’s worth of sightseeing and culture into two short weeks.

It’s not often most Americans get to travel to Europe, and even rarer for a whole college basketball team. Many of the guys on the team had never been outside the United States. The trip gave all of us a great cultural experience.

Despite playing a large amount of basketball, we were still able to do our fair share of sightseeing. While I enjoyed the entire trip, several places were really memorable.

We spent one day in Venice walking around the city known for its beautiful canals and gondolas. We ended our trip to Venice at St. Mark’s Square, an enormous plaza set in front of St. Mark’s Basilica. The churches I saw were incredible. While each church is as intricately designed as the next one, they all have unique details that leave you standing in awe.

While spending time in Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia, we took a two-hour bus ride to a city on the Adriatic Sea. Piran was simple and beautiful. We started off in Tartini Square and worked our way through back alleys and streets to really get a feel for the seaside city. Some of us walked to one of the highest points in the city and climbed up castle towers to capture breathtaking views.

Bryant Barr in Piran, Slovenia, overlooking the Adriatic Sea.

Our trip ended with four days in Bormio, a ski town in northern Italy nestled in the Alps. From our hotel rooms we had views of plush green mountains with snowy white peaks. The views were amazing. On our second day in Bormio we took ski lifts up to Bormio 3000, named because it is 3011 meters above sea level. Standing on top of the mountain I could see for miles upon miles of snow-covered mountains.

LOVED THE FOOD

One of the best parts of the trip was the food. Every meal was absolutely delicious. I had more pizza in Italy in two weeks than I had all year before that. The pasta was out of this world and I have a new taste for prosciutto and melon salad. In Slovenia we had a dish with potatoes and cream sauce that was unbelievable. Needless to say, we ate very well on the trip!

In 13 days, we played six games against five European professional teams from top leagues in Slovenia, Poland, and Italy.  It took bit of time to familiarize ourselves with the European game, which has different rules and styles of play. We won four of our six games against some great competition and learned a lot about ourselves in the process.

WITHOUT STEPH, A NEW LOOK FOR TEAM

After losing Steph to the NBA and three great seniors to graduation, our team has a very different look. The trip allowed us a jump start on the season to become closer as a team on and off the court.

Our team trip to Europe was something that I will never forget. I feel absolutely blessed to be able to experience so much. Our team was so fortunate to be able to go on this trip and I know how much we all enjoyed it. Between basketball and our daily trips, we will remember our two weeks abroad for the rest of our lives.

Bryant Barr posed on the Rialto Bridge in Venice.