ROME – We did a lot of walking on Thursday as part of our Roman city tour. Today we explored the Spanish steps, spent time at Trevi fountain, and took a guided tour of the Colosseum. We started our tour at the Trinità del Monti church with a great view of Rome, making our way down to Piazza di Spagna at the base of the Spanish steps. Next was a visit to Trevi fountain, a nearly 300-year-old fountain that has been copied throughout the world. From there, our guides took us to the Colosseum to learn about the gladiator competitions and other spectator events that used to take place in the amphitheater, which was built almost 2,000 years ago.
 
The women's team also went to see the Pantheon, a Roman temple with a circular dome, in continuous use since 200 and now a Catholic church. Meanwhile, the men's team held its first practice in Via Flaminia – site of tomorrow's games.
 
Both teams also enjoyed a lot of free time on their own to explore the city. Temperatures were hot – mid 90s and humid – so we drank a lot of water.
 

Tomorrow's a big day for us – our first game day of the trip! The women will take on the Spanish All-Stars on Friday at 5:30 p.m. CEST and the men will battle Stella Azzura at 8 p.m. CEST. UC alumni are also invited to meet us for a Triton Tailgate reception prior to the games in Rome.
 
Throughout the week, we are bringing you behind-the-scenes with photos and videos both on UCSDTritons.com and on the teams' social media channels at @ucsdmbb and @ucsdwbb. Support UC San Diego Basketball! Make your gift today to the UCSD Crowdsurf site to help fund our travels. The link will be available through Sept. 1.
 
Note: Central European Summer Time (CEST) is nine hours ahead of Pacific Daylight Time (PDT) in San Diego
 
PREVIOUS TRITONS IN ITALY POSTS
We're Off to Italy! (Aug. 15)
Day One: Arriving in Rome (Aug. 16)
 
About UC San Diego Athletics
After two decades as one of the most successful programs in NCAA Division II, the UC San Diego intercollegiate athletics program began a new era in 2020 as a member of The Big West in NCAA Division I. The 23-sport Tritons earned 30 team and nearly 150 individual national championships during its time in Divisions II and III and helped guide 1,400 scholar-athletes to All-America honors. A total of 84 Tritons have earned Academic All-America honors, while 38 have earned prestigious NCAA Post Graduate Scholarships. UC San Diego scholar-athletes exemplify the academic ideals of one of the world's preeminent institutions, graduating at an average rate of 91 percent, one of the highest rates among institutions at all divisions.