Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Milano memories
Tuesday we climbed to the top of the Duomo -247 steps. It was impressive from the topside. The artistry is amazing. We also have seen many museums and cultural sights. The Rotary Club last night was very kind to us during our final presentation. Today we went in the basement of the Biblioteca - with a giant vault and very old books (inspirating for future Vatican novels!) It's pizza time with the family so arrivederci!
Monday, June 15, 2009
Milano
If I only had the computer skills to post pictures, you would be in awe. The sunlight was perfect on the Duomo (Cathedral) today and it glowed. I will figure it out when I get home and share my photos with our fan club from around the world. We also saw the Natural Science museum and the largest convention center in Italy today.
My Milano family is wonderful. She is the daughter of the incoming district governor. He is very invested in the Dave Mathews band and saw Lynard Skynard in concert in Italy. The daughter spend a summer in Minnesota on a youth exchange and the 15 year old son knows more about Obama than I do (including saving all the articles from the last two years.) He needs to be a page at the White House.
We have our final presentation on Tuesday evening at a Rotary Club. I am visiting two more outreach efforts on Thursday. Then we fly home on Saturday. It has been a truly amazing experience!!!!!
My Milano family is wonderful. She is the daughter of the incoming district governor. He is very invested in the Dave Mathews band and saw Lynard Skynard in concert in Italy. The daughter spend a summer in Minnesota on a youth exchange and the 15 year old son knows more about Obama than I do (including saving all the articles from the last two years.) He needs to be a page at the White House.
We have our final presentation on Tuesday evening at a Rotary Club. I am visiting two more outreach efforts on Thursday. Then we fly home on Saturday. It has been a truly amazing experience!!!!!
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Success at District Congress
Our team spoke this morning at the District Congress in front of the representative of the RI president, District 2040 Governor, Our governor, Ron Richards, and 500? other Rotarians. Everyone was very impressed. We even got compliments from those who heard us the first week. Either our italian has improved or our confidence. After we finished, the team that came to Florida shared their pictures. It was a very nice morning.
Now the team is out in the park at Monza with the Italian team. A king 200 years ago set aside a huge track of land for his palace and gardens. It is like Central Park in Monza. The area also contains the Monza track. Yesterday we had a chance to drive the new Fiat Eco-2 around the track. It was fun (even though we did not clear 200 miles per hour!)
Last night Piermarco and I (both GSE team leaders) joined the District Governor and 30 of his special guests (PDGs, family, etc) for dinner at a residence that is used now for catering. It was memorable with the formal setting and the speeches.
In the morning (Monday), we move into Milano. We will park the rental van and take the train everywhere. Lucianno has arranged some exciting vocational visits on Thursday as well as all the signficiant sights. Ciao!
Now the team is out in the park at Monza with the Italian team. A king 200 years ago set aside a huge track of land for his palace and gardens. It is like Central Park in Monza. The area also contains the Monza track. Yesterday we had a chance to drive the new Fiat Eco-2 around the track. It was fun (even though we did not clear 200 miles per hour!)
Last night Piermarco and I (both GSE team leaders) joined the District Governor and 30 of his special guests (PDGs, family, etc) for dinner at a residence that is used now for catering. It was memorable with the formal setting and the speeches.
In the morning (Monday), we move into Milano. We will park the rental van and take the train everywhere. Lucianno has arranged some exciting vocational visits on Thursday as well as all the signficiant sights. Ciao!
Friday, June 12, 2009
Friday from Monza
We have moved from Bergamo to Monza and head to the District Congress on Saturday. Rotary last night was amazing as they had 23 young people in attendance. At least two had studied for nine months overseas, two were headed overseas, and most of the others had been to Rotary summer camps in foreign countries. They were inspiring.
Our tutor in Monza likes to walk so we walked over 3 miles along the River Adda to see the dam, locks, and ferry inspired by DaVinci. Then today we walked all over Montevecchio, a regional park. The long walk was after the tour and lunch at the vineyard so it was an adventure. We have also toured the Cathedral of Monza and its museum. It has a crown from the sixth century that has an iron strip running around the inside which is attributed to one of the nails used to crucify Christ. Even without the tradition, the crown was beautiful and very antique.
Our host families have been very hospitable. Each family has its own personality which makes for great memories. I have 389 pictures after three weeks so be prepared. Ciao!
Our tutor in Monza likes to walk so we walked over 3 miles along the River Adda to see the dam, locks, and ferry inspired by DaVinci. Then today we walked all over Montevecchio, a regional park. The long walk was after the tour and lunch at the vineyard so it was an adventure. We have also toured the Cathedral of Monza and its museum. It has a crown from the sixth century that has an iron strip running around the inside which is attributed to one of the nails used to crucify Christ. Even without the tradition, the crown was beautiful and very antique.
Our host families have been very hospitable. Each family has its own personality which makes for great memories. I have 389 pictures after three weeks so be prepared. Ciao!
Monday, June 8, 2009
Mapello and Bergamo
We arrived in Bergamo on Saturday morning. I am actually in Mapello, 10 km outside of town with Antonio and Bibiana. We had dinner Saturday night with their 2 sons and their wives, and three grandchildren. Beautiful children!!! They also have a small dog named Pepe. The next community over is the birthplace and baptism site of Pope John 23rd. It is impressive how proud they are of him.
Sunday we walked all over the upper city of Bergamo. Its walls are over 1000 years old. Several beautiful churches and a palace with a garden. The Rotarians who showed us around have limited English so matching it with our limited Italian has been amusing. It has strengthened our Italian skills. We took the cable car up to the upper city and walked down after dinner. I was thankful we did not reverse the order. The upper city is THE upper city.
Bergamo has 100,000 people and much industry. I am spending Monday at Caritas International who is working in Africa. Tonight we meet the Bergamo Rotary club and tomorrow we speak to Bergamo South Rotary. Both evening events. Wednesday we move to Monza.
Ciao!
Sunday we walked all over the upper city of Bergamo. Its walls are over 1000 years old. Several beautiful churches and a palace with a garden. The Rotarians who showed us around have limited English so matching it with our limited Italian has been amusing. It has strengthened our Italian skills. We took the cable car up to the upper city and walked down after dinner. I was thankful we did not reverse the order. The upper city is THE upper city.
Bergamo has 100,000 people and much industry. I am spending Monday at Caritas International who is working in Africa. Tonight we meet the Bergamo Rotary club and tomorrow we speak to Bergamo South Rotary. Both evening events. Wednesday we move to Monza.
Ciao!
Saturday, June 6, 2009
Leaving Sondrio
Sondrio is a beautiful city - especially the people. Smaller towns are so friendly and charming. We traveled Thursday through Bormeo to Livigno where we spent the night at Hotel Lac Salin. It was a very nice hotel in the heart of skiing and mountain biking mountains. Fabio, the owner, is a Rotarian and hosted us. He also took us out on a paved bike trail to see the valley and then we rode back through town. It reminds me of Lake Placid or Park City with higher mountains. I had a very relaxing evening.
Friday we returned to Sondrio via the Swiss alps and Tirano. We have pictures of us playing in very icy snow (as it fell many months ago.) Tirano is famous for its church where the Virgin Mary healed a young lady in 1504. Pilgrims flocked to the church for centuries. We toured a winery and then had dinner in a small restaurant in the vineyard with the director of the winery. He makes delicious wine.
We had breakfast with the family this morning and now we head to Bergamo for more adventures.
Friday we returned to Sondrio via the Swiss alps and Tirano. We have pictures of us playing in very icy snow (as it fell many months ago.) Tirano is famous for its church where the Virgin Mary healed a young lady in 1504. Pilgrims flocked to the church for centuries. We toured a winery and then had dinner in a small restaurant in the vineyard with the director of the winery. He makes delicious wine.
We had breakfast with the family this morning and now we head to Bergamo for more adventures.
Thursday, June 4, 2009
GSE update
For those of you that are following our trip regularly, you should know that we have a variety of blogspots. Janet's posts are on the main site because I am not very computer-savvy. The other team members set up individual sites that can be tracked from the column on the right. They also have many pictures of the places we have been on their pages.
Last night we spoke to the Rotary Club of Sondrio. Our Italian has improved since last week so some people actually understood us. We are using it more here as there are fewer English speakers who want to practice their English on us. We also benefitted from having a new friend from Britian who runs an English-language school in Sondrio. He assisted us in a question and answer time at the end. Lucianno, the GSE coordinator, drove 130 km to see us - very sweet of him.
I visited a volunteer agency yesterday. Banks in Italy give 1/15 of their profit to these types of groups and they coordinate grants from the government for volunteer assosciations and help promote the needs for volunteers. In some ways, they have similar coordination efforts to our United Way without the fundraising component. That was their primary focus of questions for me as their funding is not sufficient and they need to develop a donation system.
In the afternoon we saw a historical museum, the church, city hall, and several other sites. The afternoon again closed with gelato and a nap!
Most of the Rotary clubs here do not enforce the 60% attendance rule so they have many more members than those who actually participate. Last night's meeting had 75 members and about 25 in attendance. They are 10% female and have had a female president. We have been experiencing so much through the cultural events and the vocational visits. Rotarians everyone would be proud!
Last night we spoke to the Rotary Club of Sondrio. Our Italian has improved since last week so some people actually understood us. We are using it more here as there are fewer English speakers who want to practice their English on us. We also benefitted from having a new friend from Britian who runs an English-language school in Sondrio. He assisted us in a question and answer time at the end. Lucianno, the GSE coordinator, drove 130 km to see us - very sweet of him.
I visited a volunteer agency yesterday. Banks in Italy give 1/15 of their profit to these types of groups and they coordinate grants from the government for volunteer assosciations and help promote the needs for volunteers. In some ways, they have similar coordination efforts to our United Way without the fundraising component. That was their primary focus of questions for me as their funding is not sufficient and they need to develop a donation system.
In the afternoon we saw a historical museum, the church, city hall, and several other sites. The afternoon again closed with gelato and a nap!
Most of the Rotary clubs here do not enforce the 60% attendance rule so they have many more members than those who actually participate. Last night's meeting had 75 members and about 25 in attendance. They are 10% female and have had a female president. We have been experiencing so much through the cultural events and the vocational visits. Rotarians everyone would be proud!
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Wednesday in Sondrio
It was another late night last night. Italians do not even gather for dinner until 8 and then serve sometime much later. Everything is in courses so it takes longer. Great conversation last night. We are with a family in Sondrio. He is in insurance and owns most of a building. His office is on the first floor as well as her headhunting business. They have a very large flat on the second floor and there is a small apartment on the third floor. Trish, Chris, and I are on the third floor. Rebecca and Michelle are with a couple across the town. Sondrio has 20,000 people so it is very charming.
Sunday we went to the Palio which was the medieval horse race and parade. After we went to Gian Luca's house for pizza and dancing. They have a discotheque in their basement (teenagers). Monday we were in the van for 12 hours seeing Lake Maggiore, a cake products company, a two hour lunch, and then a lake in Switzerland. We eneded the evening at a Chinese-Italian restaurant. Got back to Paula's at 11:30 and was on the road Tuesday morning at 8:30. We went to an abbey that makes liquor and then had lunch with an older Rotarian in his villa. When we arrived here, we went walking in the older section of town and had the barbecue with the Rotarians.
Tomorrow we move to a hotel in the alps for one night. It will be much colder and we may see snow. I will have many pictures to share with everyone when I return. Arrivederci!
Sunday we went to the Palio which was the medieval horse race and parade. After we went to Gian Luca's house for pizza and dancing. They have a discotheque in their basement (teenagers). Monday we were in the van for 12 hours seeing Lake Maggiore, a cake products company, a two hour lunch, and then a lake in Switzerland. We eneded the evening at a Chinese-Italian restaurant. Got back to Paula's at 11:30 and was on the road Tuesday morning at 8:30. We went to an abbey that makes liquor and then had lunch with an older Rotarian in his villa. When we arrived here, we went walking in the older section of town and had the barbecue with the Rotarians.
Tomorrow we move to a hotel in the alps for one night. It will be much colder and we may see snow. I will have many pictures to share with everyone when I return. Arrivederci!
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Palio de Legano
Last night we went to a dinner for one of the eight groups participating in the Palio de Legano - a reenactment of a 12th century battle. Each group has a horse in a race today so the dinner resembled a giant pep rally. Earlier in the day Paula, Peter, Emma, and Sophia took me into downtown Busto Arsizio to see several churches and the town center. I also attended a party for Paula's niece's confirmation. It was fun to see an Italian family in action!
Friday, May 29, 2009
Janet's journeys
Paula, my host, and I spent the morning at a soup kitchen. They have been open for six years and are all volunteer driven. The clientele looked very familiar. Paula's family has three children/youth so we are all practicing other languages.
Previously the team stayed at Minoprio which is a park, research center, school and educational facility. The grounds were beautiful and the greenhouses impressive. The hospitality of the principal and her husband was a blessing.
Our first day we went to Castgiglione Olana to visit a 14th century college for monks and the church of Corpus Christi. Then it was an early night for me in the motel.
We then moved to the Como region and Minoprio. We had meals with two different families on Sunday as well as climbing the Volta lighthouse which looks over Lake Como. 143 steps to the top!
Monday was a boat ride on Lake Como and visits to Villa Carlotta and the village of Bellagio. The evening was an interclub meeting with a guest speaker who published one of the two major newspapers in Italy. His speech was in Italian but it was interesting to watch the listeners respond. They have been very kind and placed us next to English speakers at the club meetings.
Tuesday we toured a private art high school and a museum in Cantu of early woodworking tools and furniture. Then it was lunch with the Cantu Rotary Club. In the afternoon we toured Minoprio and then had a delicious home-cooked meal with Anna and Luca.
Wednesday we started at a veternarian's office and then met with the director of government social services for the region. He gave the impression that the government is able to meet every need. (National health care helps as well!) As we were leaving, I closed the van door on Michelle's fingers so we spent the afternoon in the medical world. The rest of the team had lunch with two fashion designers and then toured an archeology museum and the theater. Michelle and I joined them at the theater for another Rotary meeting and then late night pizza.
Thursday we experienced Como hospital while Michelle got stitches to repair the skin around her fingernail. We then joined the team for a delightful lunch with the president of Rancillo coffeemakers and then the Rosetti shoe factory. (Les wanted me to bring him a coffeemaker but he gets a much more affordable had instead!) After meeting our host families in Legano, we spoke at an interclub meeting and arrived home at midnight.
This afternoon Paula and I are off to a second poverty project. The weekend will give us time to relax and experience a reenactment of a 12th century battle that led to the region's independence.
Ciao!
Previously the team stayed at Minoprio which is a park, research center, school and educational facility. The grounds were beautiful and the greenhouses impressive. The hospitality of the principal and her husband was a blessing.
Our first day we went to Castgiglione Olana to visit a 14th century college for monks and the church of Corpus Christi. Then it was an early night for me in the motel.
We then moved to the Como region and Minoprio. We had meals with two different families on Sunday as well as climbing the Volta lighthouse which looks over Lake Como. 143 steps to the top!
Monday was a boat ride on Lake Como and visits to Villa Carlotta and the village of Bellagio. The evening was an interclub meeting with a guest speaker who published one of the two major newspapers in Italy. His speech was in Italian but it was interesting to watch the listeners respond. They have been very kind and placed us next to English speakers at the club meetings.
Tuesday we toured a private art high school and a museum in Cantu of early woodworking tools and furniture. Then it was lunch with the Cantu Rotary Club. In the afternoon we toured Minoprio and then had a delicious home-cooked meal with Anna and Luca.
Wednesday we started at a veternarian's office and then met with the director of government social services for the region. He gave the impression that the government is able to meet every need. (National health care helps as well!) As we were leaving, I closed the van door on Michelle's fingers so we spent the afternoon in the medical world. The rest of the team had lunch with two fashion designers and then toured an archeology museum and the theater. Michelle and I joined them at the theater for another Rotary meeting and then late night pizza.
Thursday we experienced Como hospital while Michelle got stitches to repair the skin around her fingernail. We then joined the team for a delightful lunch with the president of Rancillo coffeemakers and then the Rosetti shoe factory. (Les wanted me to bring him a coffeemaker but he gets a much more affordable had instead!) After meeting our host families in Legano, we spoke at an interclub meeting and arrived home at midnight.
This afternoon Paula and I are off to a second poverty project. The weekend will give us time to relax and experience a reenactment of a 12th century battle that led to the region's independence.
Ciao!
I'm still here!
Buon giorno from Italy! We have stayed very busy from morning until midnight. Many Rotary clubs meet in the evening starting at 8:00 with dinner and the program is not until after 10:00! After our first presentation in Italian, it was suggested that we do our program in English. But the team wants the challenge and our third presentation was much more fluent. Many of the people we have met want to practice their English skills so we have not been too lost.
We stayed for four days at Minoprio, a horticultural school for 14-17 year olds. Those from outside the area board at the school. The only internet access was in the principal's office. Chris, our computer guru, was able to type his journal and load his pictures each evening and then upload them quickly each morning. You may not see pictures from me until we meet up again at the hotel for District Congress as I have not deciphered how to load my pictures. I was present for most of Chris' pictures so pretend I took them!
The hospitality of all the Rotarians and friends that we have met is very memorable. I look forward to sharing my trip in detail when I get home. Arrivederci!
We stayed for four days at Minoprio, a horticultural school for 14-17 year olds. Those from outside the area board at the school. The only internet access was in the principal's office. Chris, our computer guru, was able to type his journal and load his pictures each evening and then upload them quickly each morning. You may not see pictures from me until we meet up again at the hotel for District Congress as I have not deciphered how to load my pictures. I was present for most of Chris' pictures so pretend I took them!
The hospitality of all the Rotarians and friends that we have met is very memorable. I look forward to sharing my trip in detail when I get home. Arrivederci!
Saturday, May 23, 2009
Notes from Saturday, May 23, 2009:
The first site that we visited was a traditional Toscanini village that sits on a hill in the outskirts of Milano, Italy. Castigilione Olona Village is named after the Castiglioni family, which was one of the most powerful families around 401 AD, and is located in the small valley of the Olona River. Surrounded by the ruins of the old boundary wall of the village and constructed of red colored Lombard bricks this site is filled with history told mainly thorough pictures on the walls of ancient buildings.
The first part of the village that we visited was the Church of the Collegiata. WOW! Absolutely overwhelming… Approaching the building you immediately notice the steep pathway of stones from the river to the front steps of the ancient building. The Church of the Collegiata was build between 1422 and 1425 by the architects of Alberto, Giovanni and Pietro Solari. According to our tour guide this location served as not only a church for the village, but also as an educational facility. The teachings included that of the arts, literature, and grammar.
The two main areas of the Collegiata included the Baptistery and the actual Collegiata Church. Inside of each of these areas are original carvings and hand paintings of various biblical stories. Images of the Virgin Mary with Child, St. Lorenzo, St. Stefano, John the Baptist, The Four Gospels, and Jesus being Baptized are among a few of the images that we were able to view. What was most fascinating about these images was the stories behind them. During a time when written language was scarce these images acted as a means of documenting history and transferring information from generation to generation. Also, these paintings though hundreds of years old showed great leaps in the development of painting as an evolutionary form of art. The artist, Masolino da Panicale, began to move past one dimensional designs to depicting movements and hand gestures as well as 3D images. As an educator, this really hit home for me. .. The images that I was able to capture with my camera could never do this section of the village justice…
The first part of the village that we visited was the Church of the Collegiata. WOW! Absolutely overwhelming… Approaching the building you immediately notice the steep pathway of stones from the river to the front steps of the ancient building. The Church of the Collegiata was build between 1422 and 1425 by the architects of Alberto, Giovanni and Pietro Solari. According to our tour guide this location served as not only a church for the village, but also as an educational facility. The teachings included that of the arts, literature, and grammar.
The two main areas of the Collegiata included the Baptistery and the actual Collegiata Church. Inside of each of these areas are original carvings and hand paintings of various biblical stories. Images of the Virgin Mary with Child, St. Lorenzo, St. Stefano, John the Baptist, The Four Gospels, and Jesus being Baptized are among a few of the images that we were able to view. What was most fascinating about these images was the stories behind them. During a time when written language was scarce these images acted as a means of documenting history and transferring information from generation to generation. Also, these paintings though hundreds of years old showed great leaps in the development of painting as an evolutionary form of art. The artist, Masolino da Panicale, began to move past one dimensional designs to depicting movements and hand gestures as well as 3D images. As an educator, this really hit home for me. .. The images that I was able to capture with my camera could never do this section of the village justice…
Friday, May 22, 2009
Saying Farewell
The District 6940 team left 5/22 from Pensacola headed to Milano, Italy for their visit to District 2040. Several Rotarians were on hand to wish them well.
Left to Right: Debbie Bodenstine (FWB), D6940 GSE Chair Jan Pooley, Team Leader Janet Westlake, Team Member Christopher Small, Team Member Michelle Thomas, Area 1 AG Ed Boywid, Team Member Trish Hanson, Sam Foreman (Gulf Breeze), Team Member Rebecca Brudek, DG Ron Richards, Innes Richards (Pensacola), Area 2 AG Leon Hirsh
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Tomorrow We Leave
We begin our adventure domani. I know we are all excited.
To follow our personal blogs please click on our names to the right of this page under "Contributors."
Check back periodically for our updates.
Ciao for now!
To follow our personal blogs please click on our names to the right of this page under "Contributors."
Check back periodically for our updates.
Ciao for now!
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Ciao Amici!
Abbiamo nove giorni fino a quando partono per Milano!
I can't believe that our trip is ALMOST here! I am ready for the adventure. :)
--Trish
I can't believe that our trip is ALMOST here! I am ready for the adventure. :)
--Trish
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Welcome!!
Hello! Welcome to our Blog! We are very excited about the upcoming trip to Milano, Italy. We have all been working diligently for the past 5 months in preparation for our visit and we look forward to sharing updates and experiences with you in the weeks to come.
-Chris Small
-Chris Small
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