Isaac Ward ‘05s Journal of The College of Wooster’s Men’s Basketball Team’s Trip to Europe

Friday, Aug. 13

The flight into Paris took longer than expected, which forced us to frantically move through the Paris airport and head for our flight to Frankfurt. We arrived in Frankfurt slightly later than expected. This caused the need for lunch to be fast food … what better way to experience Germany than McDonald’s. That afternoon, we toured the Schloss Johannisberg Winery and tasted four of the winery’s best wines. We then checked into the Waldhotel Geitz, where we would stay the next two nights. After dinner at the hotel, we turned in early to catch up on sleep.

Saturday, Aug. 14

We woke up to breakfast at the hotel, followed by a river cruise along the Rhine. The cruise featured views of many of the ancient castles as well as numerous scenic towns, churches, and vineyards. The weather was overcast most of the day, however, there were not too many showers. Lunch took place on the boat for most, and once the cruise docked, the team toured Rudesheim and browsed several shops. Following a pre-game meal at the hotel, we traveled to Altkonigshule to play our first game versus Kronberg. We led early and were up one at halftime. Kronberg went on to take the lead late in the second half and won by 10. Following the game, we ate at the Kronberg’s restaurant before returning to the hotel. That night, we experienced a little Rudesheim nightlife in town.

Sunday, Aug. 15

We departed Rudesheim in the morning and headed to the city of Heidelberg. Heidelberg was a beautiful city, highlighted by the Heidelberg castle which towered above the city. Ironically, a "mini-castle" was for sale on the same hillside for only 2.7 million euros. After lunch and a little shopping in Heidelberg, we headed for the town of Bad Wimpfen. Bad Wimpfen was known as a sort of health retreat because of the salt springs that existed there and the scenic Neckar River. After a short walking tour of the city and a quick water stop, we continued our journey to Rothenburg. Joe Agler bonded with the locals in a photo in Bad Wimpfen. We arrived in Rothenberg, a town within old protective walls, that night and stayed at a very nice German hotel.

Monday, Aug. 16

A morning walking tour through Rothenburg was interesting and most of us ascended the 206 steps to the top of Rothenberg’s highest tower. We had the afternoon to ourselves in Rothenburg and the quaint town atmosphere provided several shopping opportunities to pass the sunny afternoon. After the pre-game meal, we departed for our game versus Crailsheim. Unlike the first game, Crailsheim had a large fan following in attendance, along with a Chicago Bulls-style player intro. We had an early lead of nine and were trailing by only one at half. The lead continued to swell to double-digits in the second half, as the Merlins doubled our free throw attempts. We hung around, however, keeping the lead between seven and nine, but the Merlins converted most of their free throw attempts to seal the win 94-77. Following the game, we were treated to McDonald’s by the home team and returned back to Rothenburg.

Tuesday, Aug. 17

We began Tuesday on a long bus journey to southern Germany and the town of Inzell. We stopped along the way at the town of Ulm. There, we toured one of the largest cathedrals in Europe, Ulm Munster. We then traveled a little further and witnessed a large Catholic cathedral at Klosterkirche in Ottobeuren. By the time we arrived in Inzell, it was time for dinner and a calm evening with a quick walk through town. The hotel in Inzell featured a badepark (waterpark) adjacent to it. It featured several Olympic pools, high dives, and an enclosed waterslide, which the entire team slid down, including the coaching staff, and on occasion, all at once.

Wednesday, Aug. 18

The group awoke to breakfast at the hotel before heading to Salzburg and a short walk through town. Sights included Mozart’s birthplace. The team remained in Salzburg for the game versus UBBC Salzburg. They treated the Wooster faithful, who packed the gym (despite being just one row of bleachers), to a convincing win, which was the first of the trip. We returned to Inzell late that night.

Thursday, Aug. 19

We toured a mountain salt mine this morning, Salzbergwerk at Berchtesgaden. The tour featured authentic mining clothes, a slide into the caverns, and a boat ride on an underground lake. Following the salt mine, we visited Adolf Hitler’s "Eagle’s Nest" in Kehlstein. We enjoyed great views from atop the mountain before returning to the hotel mid-afternoon. The waterpark was again the hot spot that night for the team.

Friday, Aug. 20

We left Inzell early and headed for Dachau, one of the first Nazi concentration camps. Barracks were replicated and the main housing center was filled with information regarding World War II history. There was also a 1965 memorial to the men and women who perished there. We then headed to downtown Munich to observe the Glockenspiel clock. Jeff Stevens said, "That Glockenspiel was the highlight of my trip." We had a brief walk through Munich before our game versus FC Bayern Munich. Both teams played well throughout and the game remained close deep into the second half. We finally pulled away and won the game by 20 points in the end. As we returned to the hotel, we chose to experience a Friday night in Munich, which included the world famous Hofbrauhaus. Several of us purchased souvenir mugs.

Saturday, Aug. 21

Today was a scheduled free day for shopping and strolling Munich. The team used the day to buy souvenirs mainly, but also experience the many attractions Munich had. A group dinner at the Augustinas brewhaus and another night of great weather for walking closed out the day.

Sunday, Aug. 22

Today, we traveled to Garmish, where a former winter Olympics had been held and rode a toboggan ride, which was refreshing in the early hours. The main attraction of the day was a cable car ride to the top of the Zugspitze, Germany’s highest mountain. Snow and ice greeted us at the top. However, lunch was luckily indoors. Following the breathtaking trip, we stopped by the Schloss Neuschwanstein castle for another brief tour before returning for a farewell dinner at Zum Spockmeier restaurant in Munich.

Monday, Aug. 23

At last, the trip has come to an end. An early wake-up call and bus ride to the Munich airport started the journey home. Overall, I think the whole team would agree with me, when I say the trip was unforgettable. The team finished 2-2 in the games, but played excellent international competition, which will be a great help in the team’s quest for another "Final Four." The team will miss the bus driver, Udo, who seemed like family to many. Some players will miss the beautiful scenery, while others will miss the beautiful women (we won’t mention any names). Some will not miss the frequent meals of sausage and schnitzel, and the long trans-Atlantic flights.

In closing, the trip provided one of the best cultural, basketball, and fellowship experiences ever. This is senior captain Isaac Ward signing off. Goodbye and Auf Wiedersehn!