Aug. 12, 2008

A Message From Branden Conrad | Space Shot Footage | Roller Coaster Footage

Photo Gallery

VIENNA, Austria -- The Gamecocks arrived in Vienna, Austria, on Tuesday afternoon after making the short drive from Bratislava, Slovakia.

After checking in to the hotel, South Carolina took a bus tour and saw a great deal of Vienna with a professional tour guide. The Gamecocks stopped for a brief time to walk around and then headed back to the hotel for a couple hours of rest.

For dinner, the team ate at Schweizerhaus at The Vienna Prater, a popular amusement park. The majority of the traveling party ordered the wiener schnitzel, a natural choice when visiting Austria.

Following dinner, the Gamecocks had a little over an hour to experience some of the rides the park had to offer. Most took a ride on the Giant Ferris Wheel (Riesenrad), a famous attraction that stands almost 200 feet high and offers a beautiful view of the city. Check out the video above to see a message from Branden Conrad from atop the Giant Ferris Wheel.

Another video above includes members of the team taking a trip on the Space Shot. Pay close attention to Sam Muldrow, who motions to the ride operator to get it started and then listen for the operator's quick reply of, "Ok, bye-bye!" In the other video, several members of the team enjoy a roller coaster ride.

Throughout the day, the Gamecocks' athletic trainer Mark Rodger proved to be even more invaluable to the team than he already is thanks to his ability to speak fluent German and help bridge the language barrier. Rodger was born and lived in Germany for 20 years before coming to the United States for college and has lived there since.

South Carolina will enjoy some more sightseeing of Vienna on Wednesday before playing its final game of the tour in the evening.