Friday, June 10 Training Camp began for the USA U17 team. They are preparing for the World Championship to be held in Zaragoza, Spain.
More USA team info and game photos are on: www.usabasketball2016.blogspot.com
Training Camp
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| Coaches Simon, Jones, Showalter with BJ Johnson, USA Team Leader |
In Washington DC
Due to our canceled DC to Barcelona flight on Saturday night we spent the night and next day in Washington DC. The team practiced at Georgetown University and then we went to the Martin Luther King Jr. memorial.
Barcelona
FIBA U17 World Championship in Spain
Game 1: USA 119-Taiwan 45
Game 2: USA 84-Turkey 66
Game 3: USA 104-Egypt 47
Game 4: USA 109 - Argentina 56 (Round of 16)
Game 5: USA 133 - Korea 81
Game 6: USA 98 - Lithuania 70
So our time in Zaragoza is all about the games and the food!
Restaurant - Le Lobera de Martin
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| My sea bass |
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| They brought 3 plates of desserts to share. |
Restaurant -La Jamoreria
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| Typical entrance to a Spanish restaurant |
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| appetizer - anchovies |
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| appetizers - thinly sliced pork, beef. this is beef with duck liver on top |
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| appetizer - artichokes |
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| My meal - grilled pork. Don has a big steak. |
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| Beef (and pork) stew available |
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| Desserts to enjoy - flan |
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| chocolate lava cake |
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| rice pudding |
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| And a special one created by the staff for us - cheese cakes with mango sauce. |
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| Wonderful people of people! |
Saturday - Day off from games
Don and I took a few hours to go to "old town" Zaragoza during our day off from games.
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| Basilica de Pilar |
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| Old Roman Wall |
Restaurant Bodegon Azoque - Saturday night
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| Duck |
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| Sea Bass |
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| Steak to grill on stone at our table |
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| It was delicious! |
Sunday, June 26 - Third game, finish up the pool play with a 2:15 game. The
coaches stayed to watch other games and then an evening meal out again.
LaReserva was the restaurant tonight.
Monday, June 27 - NO Game.
Team USA has a late practice so this allowed Don and I walked back over to old town Zaragoza.
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| La Seo del Salvador Cathedral |
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| This cathedral reflects the faith, history and art of Aragon. |
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| Built between 1316 and 1319. |
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| Basilica de Pilar |
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| We went up one of the towers for a view. |
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| Looking down on the old Roman wall |
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| The churches many towers from above |
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| My seafood paella at an outside cafe by the Basilica |
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| It looks like the tower is leaning on this old building. |
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| old City Wall |
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| Neat old buildings and churches in the neighborhood. |
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| Ice cream and a sangria before heading back to the hotel. |
Evening meal at Churrasco.
Tuesday, June 28
After a victory over Argentina in the Round of 16 players and staff headed across the street to Mr. Wok at 11:45 pm for dinner.
Wednesday, June 29
Wednesday only the losers from the Round of 16 play. Our next game will
be Thursday. We will play Korea who beat China in the Round of 16.
Breakfast, lunch and then a short afternoon tour of the Old Town of
Zaragoza. At 1:00 we loaded into taxis and headed to this historic
area. For about an hour a tour guide walked us through Basilica Del
Pilar, to the old Roman wall, highlighted other buildings along the
Pilar Plaza and ended up at the San Salvador Cathedral.
Dinner at Wenceslao
Appetizers are always the big part of the dinner!
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| Calamari |
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| The traditional thinly sliced ham - usually served with cheese and bread |
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| Rice with pig blood |
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| Potatoes, ham, and broken eggs |
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| Our group |
Celebrating: On to the Gold Medal Game
Saturday: Day Off
Lunch downtown with the team at the Good Burger
SUNDAY - GOLD Medal Game Day
After a morning practice we headed to the castle for a quick look - The Aljaferia Palace. It started out as an Islanic Palace in the 9th century, then a medieval Christian Palace in 1118, the the palace of the Catholic King and Queen around 1492.
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| Ernie, Beth, BJ, Pauline joined us for the Castle trip |
