Guten Abend from Düsseldorf,
 
After spending the last two days enjoying the sites of Düsseldorf and nearby Cologne, the #EuroDons are anticipating their first of four games on their European trip against the Artland Dragons on Sunday afternoon. The Dons had a chance to run off some schnitzel, sausage and sauerbraten with a two-hour practice on Saturday which followed a morning trip to nearby Cologne, the fourth largest city in Germany and about an hour bus ride from the team hotel in Dusseldorf.
 
The Dons are sticking to their friendly itinerary, one likely not to be duplicated for another four years when USF is next eligible to travel abroad. There are a lot of moving parts to an international trip and the Dons are in the very good hands of Bill and Mary Hile Nepfel, former USF women's basketball coaches who are serving as the team's Basketball Travelers International liaisons, Ozzie Kampe, the effervescent and all-knowing' tour guide and the meticulous John Andrzejek, USF's director of men's basketball operations. Without the help of these four people along with the staff at the team hotel in Düsseldorf, the team would likely be up the Rhine River without a paddle.
 
The Dons wasted no time in diving into Düsseldorf. Following a long days travel on Thursday which began with the team boarding its bus outside of The Sobrato Center to San Francisco International Airport at 4:00 a.m., the Dons endured 13 hours of air travel which took the team first to Atlanta and then into Düsseldorf following a two and a half hour layover at Hartsfield Airport.
 
Overcast skies and a cool temperature made the Dons feel right when the team arrived in Dusseldorf at 8:45 a.m. Friday morning. Before checking into the team hotel, the Dons traveling party had a chance to stretch their legs during an hour and a half walking tour of Düsseldorf , a city of 700,000 located on the eastside of the Rhine River.
 
Comfortably dressed in his lederhosen, knee-length britches native to the Bavarian region of Germany, tour guide Ozzie Kampe confidently guided the group through the city known for its modern architecture and fashion. Along the way, the Dons took in sites such as Königsallee, the city's most elegant shopping street, the town hall (Rathaus) in the Dusseldorf's old town region and the modern architecture which highlights the buildings in along the Rhine Embankment Promanade, including Rheinturn Tower, a 240-foot tall communications tower which also claims to be the world's largest time piece. The Dons also spent a fair amount of time walking through Bolkerstrasse, where the team enjoyed lunch at Füchschen Alt.
 
Along the way, Kampe explained the rivalry between Dusseldorf and Cologne, which dates back to 1583 when the two cities were at war, ultimately won by Dusseldorf. As a result, Dusseldorf's manhole covers are decorated with cart-wheeling children, commemorating the celebration in the city following the five-year conflict. Ozzie also won the team over when he shouted down a group of hecklers who took issue which his lederhosen, traditionally worn by farmers in the Bavarian regions of the country.
 
After a restful sleep for some and not so restful night for others due to the nine-hour time change, the team enjoyed a traditional German breakfast at the hotel on Saturday morning before venturing to Cologne. First stop was the massive Cologne Cathedral, Germany's most visited landmark which dates back to 1248. Multiple St. Ignatius Churches would fit comfortably into the massive cathedral. Kampe astutely pointed out the difference between a cathedral, which serves as the primary seat of archbishops, and a church, which is more pastoral in its service.
 
The team ate lunch at Peter's Brauhaus, where schnitzel, blood sausage, bratwurst, sauerkraut, schweinshaxe and fried potatoes where popular choices.
 
Shortly after arriving back in Dusseldorf, the Dons conducted a two-hour workout at Waldhalle Gymnasium, site of Sunday's game against the Artland Dragons.
 
"Considering where my body clock was, I thought we had a pretty good practice and did a lot of nice things," said USF head coach Kyle Smith. "It's tough sometimes to balance the cultural aspects of a trip like this with basketball, but I think we have things in proper perspective. We got better today and that's all that matters."
 
Smith indicted the Dons will likely start Frankie Ferrari, Chase Foster, Marquill Smith, Matt McCarthy and Nate Renfro in Sunday's game against Artland. It will be the first of three games in as many days for the Dons, who will play a pair of games in Belgium before traveling to Paris towards the end of the week.