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!