ABINGTON ROWDYS EUROPEAN TOUR Information Packet ITALY ~ AUSTRIA ~ GERMANY July 30th thru August 10th, 2015 UPDATED 7.5.15 This packet contains various information about the team’s upcoming tour. You will find a few pages of information that should answer most of your questions about hotel and flight information, cell phone use, money, laundry, etc, and a suggested packing list. If you have any questions don’t hesitate to contact me:[email protected] Como Como is a city in Lombardy, Italy. Its proximity to Lake Como and to the Alps has made it a popular tourist destination. Como was the birth- place of many historically notable figures, including the poet Caecilius who is mentioned by Catullus in the 1st century BCE, the far more substantial literary figures of Pliny the Elder and the Younger, Pope Innocent XI, the scientist Alessandro Volta. The hills surrounding the current location of Como have been inhabited, since at least the Bronze Age. Remains of settlements are still present on the wood covered hills to the South-West of town. Around the 1st century BC, the territory became subject to the Romans. The town center was situ- ated on the nearby hills, but it was then moved to its current location by order of Julius Caesar. In 1127, Como lost a decade-long war with the nearby town of Milan. A few decades later, with the help of Frederick Barbarossa, the Comaschi were able to avenge their defeat when Milan was destroyed in 1162. Frederick promoted the construction of several defensive towers around the city limits, of which only one, the Baradello, remains. At the end of World War II, after passing through Como on his escape towards Switzerland, Benito Mussolini was taken prisoner and then shot by partisans in Giulino di Mezzegra, a small town on the north shores of Lake Como Milan Milan is the second-most populous city in Italy, behind Rome. Milan was founded by the Insubres, a Celtic people. The city was later conquered by the Romans as Mediolanum, eventually becoming the capital of the Western Roman Em- pire. During the Middle Ages, Milan flourished as a commercial and banking center. In the course of the following cen- turies, it had been alternatively dominated by France, Habsburg Spain, and Austria. Badly affected by World War II, and suffering a harsh Nazi occupation, the city became the main centre of the Italian Resistance. In post-war years, the city enjoyed a prolonged economic boom, attracting large flows of workers from Southern Italy. The city is a major world fashion and design capital. Milan's museums, theatres and landmarks (including the Milan Cathedral, the fifth largest cathedral in the world, and Santa Maria delle Grazie, decorated with Leonardo da Vinci paintings, a UNESCO World Heritage Site) attracts over 8 million annual visitors. Milan is home to two of the world's major football teams, A.C. Milan and F.C. Internazionale Milano. Interesting facts about Milan: 1) the "Panettone" Christmas cake is originally from Milan; 2) L'Ultima Cena (The Last Supper) by Leonardo is in Milan; 3) Milan has 15 sister cities including St. Petersburg (Russia), Sao Paulo (Brazil), Bethlehem (Palastine), Melbourne (Australia), Osaka (Japan), and Chicago; 4) AC Milan and Inter Milan share the same stadium commonly known as the ‘San Siro’ which is the name of the district of Milan where the stadium is located. It is officially known as the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza, named in honor of Giuesepe Meazza, a two-time World Cup winner for Italy and a former Inter Milan player. However, AC Milan fans refuse to rec- ognize it as the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza and simply refer to it as ’The San Siro’. Venice Venice is a city in northeastern Italy sited on a group of 118 small islands sepa- rated by canals and linked by bridges. It is located in the Venetian Lagoon which stretches along the shoreline, between the mouths of the Po and the Piave Riv- ers. Venice is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture, and its art- works. The city in its entirety is listed as a World Heritage Site, along with its la- goon. In 2009, there were 270,098 people residing in Venice. The name is derived from the ancient Veneti people who inhabited the region by the 10th century BC. Venice has been known as the "La Dominante", "Serenissima", "Queen of the Adriatic", "City of Water", "City of Masks", "City of Bridges", "The Floating City", and "City of Canals". Luigi Barzini described it in The New York Times as "undoubtedly the most beautiful city built by man". Venice has also been described by the Times Online as being one of Europe's most romantic cities. The Republic of Venice was a major maritime power during the Middle Ages and Renaissance, and a staging area for the Crusades and the Battle of Lepanto, as well as a very important center of commerce (especially silk, grain, and spice) and art in the 13th century up to the end of the 17th century. This made Venice a wealthy city throughout most of its history. It is also known for its several important artistic movements, especially the Renaissance period. Venice has played an important role in the history of symphonic and operatic music, and it is the birthplace of Antonio Vivaldi. Florence Florence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany. Florence is famous for its history: a centre of medieval European trade and finance and one of the wealthiest cities of the time, it is considered the birthplace of the Renaissance, and has been called "the Athens of the Middle Ages". A turbulent political history includes periods of rule by the powerful Medici family, and numerous religious and republican revolutions. From 1865 to 1871 the city was the capital of the recently established Kingdom of Italy. The Historic Centre of Florence attracts millions of tourists each year with 1.8 million visitors in 2012. It was declared a World Heritage Site in1982. The city is noted for its culture, Renaissance art and architecture and monuments. The city also contains numerous museums and art galleries, such as the Uffizi Gallery and the Palazzo Pitti, and still exerts an influence in the fields of art, culture and politics. Due to Florence's artistic and architectural heritage, it has been ranked by Forbes as one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Florence is an important city in Italian fashion, being ranked in the top 51 fashion capitals of the world. Bolzano Bolzano is the capital city of the province of South Tyrol in northern Italy. Bolzano is the seat of the Free University of Bozen-Bolzano, where lectures and seminars are held in English, German and Italian. The city is also home to the Italian Army's Alpini High Command (COMALP) and some of its combat and support units. In a 2010 quality-of-life survey by the Italian newspaper Il Sole 24 Ore, Bolzano was ranked first among 107 Italian cities on the survey's list. In the 2011 edition of the survey, Bolzano was ranked number two and came after the top- ranked Bologna. In the 2012 edition, Bolzano regained the top place as the city with the Best Quality of Life in Italy. Along with other Alpine towns in South Tyrol, Bolzano engages in the Alpine Town of the Year Association for the im- plementation of the Alpine Convention. The Convention aims to promote and achieve sustainable development in the Alpine Arc. Consequently, Bolzano was awarded Alpine Town of the Year 2009. Innsbruck Innsbruck is the capital city of the federal state of Tyrol (Tirol) in western Austria. Innsbruck lies about half way be- tween Munich (Germany) and Verona (Italy). Located in the broad valley between high mountains, the so-called North Chain in the Karwendel Alps (Hafelekarspitze, 2,334 meters or 7,657 feet) to the north, and the Patscherkofel (2,246 m or 7,369 ft) and Serles (2,718 m or 8,917 ft) to the south. Innsbruck is an internationally renowned winter sports centre, and hosted the 1964 and 1976 Winter Olympics as well as the 1984 and 1988 Winter Paralympics. Innsbruck also hosted the first Winter Youth Olympics in 2012. The word bruck comes from the same root as the modern German word "Brücke" meaning "bridge" which leads to "the bridge over the Inn". Munich Munich, on the banks of River Isar north of the Bavarian Alps is the third largest city in Germany. The name of the city is derived from the Old/Middle High German term Munichen, meaning "by the monks". It derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who ran a monastery at the place that was later to become the Old Town of Munich; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat of arms. Munich has been a centre of arts, culture and science since the early 19th century. The city became the Nazi movement's infamous Hauptstadt der Bewegung (lit.: "Capital of the movement"), and after post-war reconstruction was the host city of the 1972 Summer Olympics. Munich is home to many national and international authorities, major universities, major museums and theaters. Its numerous architectural attractions, international sports events, exhibitions, conferences and Oktoberfest attract con- siderable tourism. Since 2006, the city's motto has been "München mag dich" ("Munich loves you"). Munich is a traffic hub with excellent international, national and local connections, running a fast and reliable public transport system. Munich achieved fourth place in the frequently quoted Mercer livability rankings in 2011 and 2012.