DePaul University Athletics
Bon Voyage for Women's Basketball Team
8/10/2018 1:07:00 PM | WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
Blue Demons arrive in Paris Sunday to begin 11-day trip through France and Italy
CHICAGO – What better way to bring a team together than a glorious 11-day trip to France and Italy?
The Blue Demons depart on Saturday for a fun and enriching experience that will provide opportunities for the women's basketball players to bond with one another as they make new discoveries and walk in the footsteps of St. Vincent de Paul.
They will also play three games against club teams in France and Italy.
The team will arrive Sunday in Paris and will take a panoramic tour of this enchanting city and visit the Cathedral of Notre Dame.
The following three days they will be visiting Vincentian sites in Paris on a tour led by DePaul's Father Ed Udovic, Secretary and Vice President for Mission and Ministry. Monday will bring them to the Vincentian Motherhouse, Daughters of Charity Motherhouse and its miraculous Medal Chapel and the Church of St. Sulpice.
That night, the Blue Demons will play team from the Paris suburb of Bretigny.
Father Ed will bring them through the beautiful French countryside on Tuesday with stops in Folleville and Amiens. The group will take in the Congregation of the Mission followed by the Notre Dame Cathedral later in the day.
Built in 1220, Notre Dame has the highest nave in France and is decked out in beautiful late-medieval stained-glass windows. At night, they'll enjoy a scenic cruise down the famous Seine River.
They will learn about additional Vincentian sites on their final day in Paris Wednesday capped off by walking up the world-famous Eiffel Tower.
Coach Doug Bruno & Co. will bid adieu to Paris and Father Ed on Thursday and head to the Normandy region for a tour devoted to the historic D-Day landings. They will experience first-hand Omaha Beach, which was the code name for the St. Laurent, Colleville and Vierville-sur-Mer beaches invaded by Allied Forces on June 6, 1944 in the largest seaborne invasion in history.
The bloody assault of the well-entrenched German soldiers was popularized by the graphic opening scenes in the Tom Hanks movie "Saving Private Ryan." This day's tour concludes with a stop to the American Cemetary and Visitors Center.
That night, DePaul will play its second game of the trip in the Caen suburb of Ifs.
What is sometimes referred to as one of the "Wonders of the Western World," awaits the team on Friday as they check out Mont St. Michel, a magnificent monument on the western edge of Normandy known for its glorious architecture.
Saturday is a travel day as the Blue Demons journey to the fabulous city of Rome where they will take in some of the leading sites and discover some hidden gems.
After attending Mass at the Basilica di San Giovanni in Laterano on Sunday, the team will embark on a walking tour that will include the Pantheon, the Piazza Navona and the famed Spanish Steps.
Later that night, DePaul will play its final game of the trip in the Rome suburb of Fonte Roma Eur.
Classical Rome is on the agenda for Monday with a guided tour of ancient sites including the Roman Forum and the iconic Colosseum---one of the Seven Wonders of the World.
On their final day Tuesday, the Blue Demons will visit Vatican City with a guided tour of the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel with Michelangelo's famous frescoes. They will celebrate the trip with their farewell dinner at Le Virtu in Tavola.
