The morning after our first game versus Lutontown, we had a light training session in Holland Park before departing for Manchester. On the way to our next destination, we stopped to visit Warwick Castle. I don't think any of us knew what to expect on our castle tour but I know that the visit definitely exceeded any expectations I may have had.
Knowing nothing about Warwick Castle or its history, I was expecting for our bus to pull up to ruins of a castle that may have be interesting to walk around for maybe a half hour at most before getting back on the bus and continuing our journey to Manchester. Little did I know, the castle had been preserved extremely well and was present in near entirety. Different areas of the castle were devoted to explaining different aspects of medieval life in vivid detail thanks to extremely entertaining actors who portrayed some of the more famous nobility and their servants. Many of the girls enjoyed a tour which explained different artwork, furniture and quirks of the castle itself as well as another tour which reenacted the way a weekend party for nobility and other upper class citizens would have been held. Some of us were also lucky enough to catch a live jousting match. It was also possible to conduct self-guided walks around the castle grounds which were mapped out contained signs which explained unique areas such as the dungeon, jail and towers. In addition to the historical aspect of the visit, views from some of the upper towers showed the beauty of the surrounding countryside which provided the backdrop for quite a few gorgeous pictures. :)
After eating lunch and exploring a bit more we loaded up the bus again and continued on our way. That evening we checked into the Britannia Country House Hotel where we had dinner and hung out as a team.
On Saturday morning we woke up early for breakfast before departing for our second match of the trip versus the Blackburn Rovers. We arrived to the Rovers beautiful facility in plenty of time to take in the sights and get in a good warm up. Both teams lined up before the game to shake hands and exchange gifts. After a hard fought first half we were up 1-0 thanks to Kim's effort to get on the end of a free kick that was well played by Paige. In the second half, the Rovers came back to tie it up 1-1 before a final goal by Natalie put our Polar Bears ahead 2-1 for the victory. Despite varying weather conditions our girls worked hard for the entire 90 minutes to defeat a very talented Blackburn squad.
We left directly from our game to go and see a Champions League professional soccer game (the league below the EPL). We were seated in the home team's fan section, making us fans for Preston North End. It was really interesting to see the stadium as well as to experience firsthand just how exciting a live professional soccer game can be. I don't think any of us could pick up the words to take part in their cheers but we were all pro's at clapping and yelling along with the rest of the fans anyway. Unfortunately, the home team, Preston North End, fell to Dorchester 2-0 but it was a good game to watch overall; we even got to see someone get a red card!
I know that I can speak for everyone on the team when I say that we are having a fabulous time here in Europe. There's so much to see and learn as well as lots of opportunities for team bonding. :) Tomorrow we plan to visit Manchester United Old Trafford Stadium for a tour on our way to our next destination, Edinburgh, Scotland. We'll keep you all updated, be looking for our next post!! :)
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