Torino & GOLD!

A gold medal!  It sounds good doesn't it.  After enduring the heat and vagaries of travelling to and from our games on Italian trams, whilst lugging hockey gear, we deserved it.  With 17,000 athletes from various parts of the world in town to participate in the World Masters Games, Torino was great fun.  However Italy was in the grip of a heat wave and our first game was played in 35* heat in the middle of the day.  It was like being double roasted, and took our bodies many hours to cool down.  Due to the heat, injuries and age, I didn't get to do much sight seeing, however Robert toured.  He wasn't interested in seeing a lot of old women chase a hockey ball round the field.  Here's what I saw!

So just to prove we won it, here it is.  Sorry I'm not in uniform.  Camera battery was flat on the day of the match. My uniform had to stay with a team mate returning to Australia, as it was needed for a competition later in the year. Yes! I washed it first !! 

                                                   Me in uniform. I was no. 8

                                             A group hug.  Very casual. 

These two photos were taken during the opening ceremony. Some people got carried away nationally.

            Our team had transfers applied.  Sorry about the scowl.  Italians have a very elastic sense of time.  We were told to marshall in the piazza at 4.00pm and the parade would begin at 6.00pm.  We aimed to get there at 5.00pm because we didn't want wait in the heat for too long.  The tram conductor misunderstood where we needed to alight and put us off at the end of the march!! So we walked the route in baking heat, got to our marshalling area, rehydrated ourselves and settled in to wait.  It was great fun with so many nationalities all fairly merry.  At 6.00pm an announcement proclaimed "The parade will start at 7.00pm"!! There was nothing to do but have another drink, which of course lead to a few more.  The hockey group were lucky to be on the shaded side of the piazza. However, the parade eventually finished with a show at the end.  It was pretty cool walking the street with thousands along the way cheering you on. 

This is captain Judy, standing in the huge piazza where we assembled for the opening ceremony. She won a silver medal for the 50m backstroke, as well as a gold for hockey. Amazing eh!

Just to show we did more than play hockey. These were taken near our hotel.  The one above, from our bedroom window.  For most of the time the mountain range was covered in cloud, however one morning we woke to find there was snow on the top of the Alps. It was quite spectacular.

Below is a view of the hotel with the cathedral sitting up on top of the mountain.  Some brave souls travelled to the top for the view, and the religious experience.  

Well that ends to the Italian chapter. Much to our sadness.  We loved the country and would go back in a heart beat.  However London calls.  Til then, 

Arrividici 

From the Tourin'Travellers