Sami and I presenting a Milwaukee Rotary Club flag to Rudy, at his home

In San Dona, we stayed in the homes of local Rotarians, which has been rare on this trip. Generally we have had more hotel stays than home stays, which I found curious considering that the stereotypical Italian is known for having this wonderfully loving and social home life. In Venice, our friend Diego (from the Venice Rotary Club) explained to us that the trip included more hotels because Italians are concerned about appearances, and if they think they cannot provide you the best or most memorable accomodations themselves (the country is expensive, and many Italians live in small flats with no extra bedrooms), they would prefer to pay to put you up in a hotel or B&B.

So in San Dona, Sami and I were hosted in a second home (or maybe a third home?) of a Rotarian named Rudolfo, a local radiologist. We had the place to ourselves; Rudy would only drop by occasionally. I think he was embarrassed about his English, but I thought one of the most authentic experiences of the trip was sharing a bottle of Prosecco with him and Sami at his kitchen table, during which we stumbled through each other’s language and passed my Italian-English dictionary back and forth when we got stuck.

The view of Trieste from Rudy's sailboat.

Rudy also took us out on his sailboat in Trieste on Sunday (about two hours away, right on the border with Slovenia). I swam in the Adriatic Sea for about five minutes, but was too afraid of all the schools of jellyfish floating by to stay in any longer than that.

The day before, on Saturday, we visited the winery that belonged to the wife of a San Dona Rotarian. And of course we had another marvelous lunch. Karen and Heather’s host family was in attendance, and since the mom was a school teacher, we had a nice conversation about how education works in Italy, which drifted into talk of the lack of career options for young people in Italy, and especially the problems in the south of the country with corruption and a lack of good education and jobs.

We also met the really nice president of the San Dona club, Massimo, as well as his wife. Massimo was one of the youngest Rotarians we have met, and he and his wife both had really interesting perspectives to share about their area and their club.

Waiting for a lunch of chicken, polenta and sausage to cook at Tessere Winery

A consistent theme on this trip has been the amount of vocational-related conversation that transpires over dinner or lunch. Before this trip, I had assumed that I would have the most intense conversations about journalism and education at the businesses of people involved in those professions. In reality, my visits to workplaces here have resulted in awkward, or at least forced, conversations about these issues. The conversation with journalists and teachers and executives in these settings has felt guarded, like they’re playing the role of a public relations person who doesn’t want to share any bad news, and I’m playing the role of nosy journalist, even when I’m not writing anything.

But once I’ve shared a three- or four-hour meal with the Italians, information starts to roll out — slowly and gradually, but also honestly and organically. It took me a few weeks to understand what was going on. But now, I’ve now realized that my meals in Italy have been more than just a consistently appetizing mixture of fresh tomatoes and cheese and wine and dessert. They’ve been a communal exchange of culture and practice. They’ve been interviews with parents and business leaders. They’ve been a window into the country’s problems and concerns, its economics and the prospects for its future. They’ve been enlightening. And unforgettable.

Massimo, the president of the San Dona Rotary Club, appears to really like the flag we gave him. That's his wife on the left, and Karen on the right.The girls, from a window at Tessere.

 Because of the problems we’ve had accessing wifi along our travels, I’m going to post a few thoughts about each of our previous cities before writing about Padova, where I’m currently writing from the lobby of the beautiful Panoramic Hotel Plaza in the nearby spa town of Abano (“AH-bano.”) The only reason I have time to write now is because I’m still sick and stayed home from the morning tour. The good news: I have obtained antibiotics. The funnier news: it was in a characteristically Italian (and definitely not American) way. More on that later. I’m hoping a few more doses and I’ll kick this sore throat and cough and get back to normal.

Heather’s last post was from Verona, where our team spent about four days after we left the Alto Adige region, near the Austrian border (that’s where we visited the cities of Bolzano, Bressanone and Merona).

Walking to our first Rotary meeting/fundraiser in Verona.

We gave our first group presentation in Verona, at a fundraiser that brought together two area Rotary clubs. Appropriate enough for this trip, which has been full of surprises that alternatively make you laugh or shake your head (or both), the Rotary meeting was in Castle Vecchio, the enormous castle in the middle of Verona. We were treated to a viola concerto before eating dinner on the riverfront, in the shadow of the castle’s stone walls. Not exactly similar to the setting of any Rotary function I’ve been to in the United States.

Ironically, after all the work we’ve put into that 30-minute long Powerpoint presentation, with slides of our jobs and lives and descriptions of what our Rotary clubs were doing, all that the members of these clubs wanted us to do was stand up and introduce ourselves. We also had a translator, because most Italian Rotarians (who tend to be older citizens) don’t speak English.

The team meeting with Rotary presidents at Castle Vecchio, after our first (very short) presentation.

Afterward, Alessandro Lolli (a Verona Rotary Club member and organizer of our overall GSE tour in Italy) took Heather and me to see a bit of the area nightlife. It was a Monday night, yet we found a bar-turned steamy masquerade dance party, which featured shirtless men banging on drums and women in slinky floor-length dresses dancing on top of the piano. The bartender owner, in a top hat and fake black handlebar mustache, poured us three beers while we watched the debauchery.

Also aware of the debauchery was the local Polizia, who showed up to have a “chat” with Top Hat. The two men took a walk down the block, which was probably spent negotiating the fine that Top Hat would pay for disturbing the neighbors, Alessandro explained.

Then, unfathomably to us Americans (why don’t they just write the ticket and leave?), Polizia and Top Hat shared a couple cigarettes and seemed to engage in leisurely conversation for at least half an hour. We grew bored waiting for the music to start again, and drove to a discoteque about 20 minutes away called the Flair House. Luckily, the dancing on tables and bars there wasn’t interrupted by noise complaints. Added bonus: the attractive bartenders juggled liquor bottles in between pouring drinks.

The team meets with Stefano, an elected government official, at Verona's "muncipe."

Wednesday in Verona (June 1) was perhaps the most organized vocational day for all of us. Karen and Michael headed out to study architecture and stone companies, while Samantha and Heather visited schools and nonprofits that served the community. I met with officials from a media company (PubliAdige) that prints several area newspapers, including the local Verona paper (L’Arena). I also shadowed a couple of L’Arena journalists for a few hours. We mostly walked in the rain and chatted about our jobs, and they took me to the local commune (the city hall, which stands right next to the giant Arena where gladiators used to fight) to talk about covering government and how much access they had to open records.

When I came back, I talked with several executives at the L’Arena offices about publishing trends and readership. In Italy, the cost of hiring trucks to deliver the papers is prohibitively expensive, so papers go out in the normal post, which means they don’t arrive in people’s homes until the evening. Therefore, most of Italy’s newspaper sales are from the kiosks; if people want the news to read before work (and most professionals do), they need to walk to their local newsstand and buy a copy.

Waiting for the execs from PubliAdige, and the journalists from L'Arena, to come down and talk.

If it worked this way in America, I’m sure OUR readership would suffer much more than it already is. Can’t imagine a suburban dad driving down the road for a paper every morning…

Also, the executives of PubliAdige said that they are not seeing much of a decline in readership – it’s holding steady for the most part. But, they do face the problem of some younger readers wanting more of it to be online, and they know that (like us) they can’t charge as much for online ads as print ads. Another interesting fact about Italy’s newspapers: all the papers here are odd sizes from city to city. Some are wider, others taller, and by differing widths on all accounts.

“Italians like to be independent and do things a little differently,” a PubliAdige exec said to me.

From Verona, we headed to Padova for a school visit and then continued to San Dona di Piave. More on those two places next.

Two thousand meters above sea level within the foothills of the Dolomites Mountain, sits a welcome center, an oasis to travelers and hikers.  The lovely wooden structure boasts a restaurant, meager “gift shop” (i.e., a rack of postcards), and vistas that take your breath away.  As inspired as I was by the landscape, it was a bathroom accoutrement that really struck me.

Nestled within a private corner, atop sturdy (and exquisitely crafted) wooden legs sat a think padded mattress, adorned with a soft sheet, pillow, and easily grasped teether; the most incredible changing table I had ever seen.  The presence of such a beautiful furniture piece within the isolated welcome center confirmed not only that infants/toddlers were expected to be hiking with their families but that they were warmly welcomed.  Its placement was so thoughtful within the larger bathroom that I couldn’t help but presume it to have been considered from the start of the bathroom design, unlike the majority changing tables that fold precariously into a wall as an afterthought with US bathrooms.

Our weak maternity leave, inconsistency of paternity leave, and dismal attention to the education of young children (when the brain is most rapidly developing) are constant reminders of how the US culture does not embrace early childhood.  We have a lot to learn in this regard from the Italians and it was all evident within the symbolism of this changing table. The beauty of its construction, the comfort of its design, and the added details confirmed children’s status in this community – they are a cherished group within the Italian culture.

This is not to imply that US families do not cherish their children.  As a child psychologist, I can certainly attest that they do.  But US families are limited by the poor infrastructure within the US culture to support families of young children.

(I would be equally interested to know if there was similar décor within the men’s bathroom.  That would allow some speculation on the presumed roles of men and women.  Thankfully, there remains enough time for a reconnaissance mission…)

A carb-rich lunch of risotto and spinach ravioli fueled us for the afternoon trek through the Dolomites Mountain Range.  A 90-minute meandering car ride along the single lane mountain road (ever vigilant for oncomingcars) found us at the Utia de Borz welcome center, 2000 meters above sea level.  With the Dolomites to our south and the Italian Alps to our north we were surrounded by nature’s beauty.

We hiked slowly (to allow appropriate acclimatization of the reduced oxygen level) another 200 meters and found inspiration in the snow-capped peaks of the Dolomites.  Peter filled the lower valley with a yodel that was heard for miles and Erin found a new item for her ever-growing bucket list: hang-gliding above the Dolomites’ apex and seeing the world from 3500 meters.  Alas, today was not the day to check that off her list, but we were impressed by the ingenuity that allowed that sort of man-powered flight.

As we descended, we paused to wander through dandelion fields (far more impressive than that meager description) and paid homage to the local ancestry with a stroll through a mountain graveyard.  Peter escorted us back to the train station and bid us Buon Viaggio before we boarded our train back to our current hub, Bolzano.

Another night of pizza and we returned to the hotel to pack our belongings in preparation for tomorrow’s transfer to Verona.  The solid night of sleep will be well-earned for our weary legs!  Buona Notte….

Merano today was a treat. Unfortunately our meetings with the local Rotarians there fell through. But we had a terrific day getting around on our own. We rented the (free) bikes that are provided by the city, climbed a mountain and then tromped up the walkways at the Gardens at Trauttsmandorf Castle to eat a picnic lunch of bread and cheese and berries that we picked up at the farmers market. Karen spotted a wine store that sold bulk wine for a pittance, so we carried some of that up to enjoy, too.

Heather checks the map to make sure we're on the right way to the Gardens at Trauttsmandorf Castle

We biked our way back through the more scenic residential section; at one point we were huffing and puffing up this hill while throaty church bells rang out from the hundreds-of-years-old church we were passing. In spite of gasping for air, I had to start laughing. There, in the sunshine, on a one-speed bike climbing up a weaving medieval road with a bunch of new friends who are as high on this experience as I am, the clanging wedding bell-like caucophony was almost sensory overload.

Translation: It was a “life moment” that deserved recognition.

A view of Merano and the river that runs through it

We spent the first two nights at the Hilton just outside of Venice, where we were to rest up and enjoy 1.5 days of ”decompression time,” according to the schedule. 

My decompression time began with slicing my foot open on a splinter of wood that jutted out from the pool deck Wednesday morning, but other than that we’re all in fine shape. Rotary clubs tend to have a few doctors in the ranks, and one was kind enough to make a house call to the hotel to clean up my heel. I’m a little gimpy. But the copious amounts of wine we’re consuming tend to make it feel better in the evening.

We had a delightful time with Diego, a local Venetian Rotarian who has led two Italian GSE teams to the U.S. (to California and Texas … he has great tales of visiting Austin) and Alessandro, the district governor who is helping in large part to set up our visits with Rotary clubs around northern Italy over the next month. After Diego took us out for a classic Venetian cocktail – a spritz – on our first night out in the city, we were joined by Alessandro and Roberta, one of the Italian GSE team members that went to Wisconsin this year.

Team leader Karen, and Erin, Heather, Mike and Sami on our first day in Venice.

We have since moved north by train to a beautiful, mountainous region of Italy which is close to the Austrian border and known for being populated by both Germans and Italians. Literally, nearly everyone in the city of Bolzano (if you’re speaking Italian) or Bozen (if you’re speaking German) is fluent in both languages. Most speak English and a couple of other languages as well. 

German-speaking Italians tend to be the political decision-makers here, even though Italian-speaking Italians are the majority. It’s a wealthy and lush part of the country, full of breathtaking mountain scenery, bikers and hikers and vineyards. It’s also a popular tourist destination for German residents.

A view of one of the "fortified homes" around Bolzano

And yet even in a wealthy area where most of the needs of the poor are taken care of and just about anyone who wants a job has one, the Rotary club still faces challenges. For one, it still doesn’t allow women members. Generally, professional women join the Optimist club or one of the other female social-minded organizations, but the older Rotarians here admit that it’s an antiquated rule.

Also, the club wants younger members, similar to how many Rotary clubs in the U.S. are reaching out to younger generations of professionals.

One of the best parts of being here is that much of the discussion about these issues happens over dinner, which consistently includes some of the most fantastic food I’ve ever eaten.

It’s all amazing, but the meals are luxurious – multiple courses, wine, and always dessert – which allows time for plenty of superficial banter AND intelligent discussion. We’ve had a particularly fun time with the Bolzano/Bozen Rotarians treating us to so many German meals. I couldn’t read a single item on the menu tonight except “sauerkraut,” but it’s fun to see Karen and Heather take the lead, as they both speak German. Of course, the Rotarians can translate as well.

The start of a five-course meal in Venice.

Playing around with languages is fun, and most of us have started subconsicously paying more attention to enunciatiation and reducing slang in our spoken English, in the face of international hosts who speak the language with more care than we often give it in normal speech.

Tomorrow we’re off to Merano to meet some Rotarians, and on Sunday I think we’re scheduled for a hike with the president of the club in Brixen. We’re still based out of Bolzano; we leave here Monday morning.

German dumplings. Italian colors. A nod to both cultures in Bolzano.

Our other team members are going to be out – Heather and Sami had prior obligations and Mike had some other matters to take care of, so Karen and I have are going to have to represent … (insert fist pump).

Looking forward to seeing the Italian team again. I hope they’ve settled in OK.

Teams meet at War Memorial in Milwaukee

The Italians arrived safely in Milwaukee at the beginning of May, and presented to the downtown Milwaukee Rotary Club earlier this month.

We took them on their first brewery tour, to Lakefront, at the end of the week. Nothing says Wisconsin like ending the week with a fish fry and polka band.

We’ll all meet up again this weekend at the district conference in Waukesha.