Missouri Hoops Arrives In Belgium
8/13/2012 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Aug. 13, 2012
Gent, Belgium -
Tigers Tour Belgium Photo Gallery
Missouri Basketball has arrived in Belgium. After a three hour drive from Amsterdam, departing at 10 a.m., the Tigers have made two stops in the country thus far, including an extensive tour through the historic city of Burgge.
While in Brugge the team had a chance to stop and eat lunch. The city square was lined with restaurants, both local and worldwide (Pizza Hut, Subway, etc.) and naturally many of the guys elected to eat at Subway, but a few did branch out and try some of the local fare.
It was hard to ignore the incredible smell coming from the waffle and chocolate shops in the town square. Each corner seemed to have a waffle shop and toppings ranged from syrup and powdered sugar to ice cream, fruit and even cheese and bacon.
During the tour the team had a chance to walk through a museum featuring a Picasso exhibit. They also had the chance to see the famous city hall building which was built in the late 1300s. The tour guide informed us that the hall was equipped with a large bell, which was used to inform the masses when the gates to the city were opening, closing and when it was time to begin and finish the work day. He said 98 percent of the population at that time was illiterate and the bell was the most simplistic form of communications for the masses, especially in the event of war.
Brugge is located in the Flanders region of the country. The language in this region is Dutch, but most of the people the team encountered spoke excellent English. Wallonia is a region of Belgium the team will likely drive through en route to France and the primary language there is French.
After the tour the team boarded the bus we traveled approximately 40 minutes to Gent, which is where the team hotel is located. We are staying at the Marriott and the accommodations are first class. Behind the hotel there is a popular canal and many young adults were riding boats up and down the water enjoying the beautiful Sunday. The canal is lined with incredible architecture and you can get a look from the photo gallery above.
Next up was a team dinner at a local eatery and then some free time for the squad to walk this beautiful city. Again, the time difference is seven hours, so it was nearing midnight back in Columbia when many of the wakeup calls began.
Missouri returns to action tomorrow evening against Waregem. Game time is currently scheduled for 8 p.m.
