Lecce - Citta d'Arte

Lecce is known as the city of art - Baroque art, specifically. While in Lecce, we visited the Duomo, Santa Croce, Amphiteatre, and many other buildings and churches of the Baroque style of architecture. It was beautiful! The first picture above, is from the Basilica di Santa Caterina in the town of Galatina. The painted frescoes on the inside of this church were just magnificent!

Italian Transportation

We have had lots of fun conversations about Italian transportation while on this trip. We have seen many of the Smart Cars, and grown quite fond of them. Kristin personally wants a little convertible one to bring home, but doesn't think it will fit in her suitcase. There are tons of Vespas, or scooters around - especially in the cities. Motorbikes come with two, or three wheels, and can have plastic covers. And then there are the Alfa Romeos - which Jean is enjoying a ride in with our friend, Mimmo, in Taranto. Oh, and the giant vans! That is what we are seen in occasionally. When in Brindisi, we called it the Fun Bus! It was pretty obvious that we were tourists from another country - especially when they saw how full the van was with all our luggage!!!

Here in Italy, kids get a license to drive Vespas or scooters at the age of 14. They can get their driver's license for a car (or macchina) at age 18, and a license for a motorcycle at age 21.

Driving and parking in Italy is one of a kind. People pretty much abandon their cars close to their destination, but sometimes they park at an angle, on the curb, or even 2 or 3 lanes into the street. It is crazy! Not sure if any of us have a good picture of the parking in Bari, but it was a riot. When driving in Italy, signs are really just a mere suggestion. People will plow through stop signs, slow down at 4-way intersections, and there is really no "right of way". But instead of getting annoyed that it is your turn to go, people just take turns and eventually get where they need to. On the highways, there is a lot of horn beeping. This is not a bad thing, but really just a "ciao - I'm beside you, and am going to pass you". Then, the people who have been driving down the center of the highway, straddling the dotted line, move to the right and let the car or Fun Bus pass. At times, it looks like a symphony of cars swaying in the wind. Quite an fun and interesting adventure:)

Submarine Base in Taranto

On May 21st, we were in the city of Taranto (not Toronto) in the region known as Puglia. Taranto is a naval city, with a history of being an important military point in Europe. It is where 3 of the 8 sections of the Italian navy are based. While there, we visited the Navy Yard, which included seeing the Arsenal of Ships stationed there, the military ships they are restoring, and learning about their submarine school. One of the best parts was going into the submarine simulators they have. Very cool!

Senise Rotary Presentation

When we arrived at Senise, a town in the south of Basilicata, we met our host families at a restaurant on a lake. It was beautiful. All the bouginvilla was in full bloom, the sun was shining, and the lake was shimmering.

That night, we returned to the same restaurant for a Rotary Club meeting. Our Group Study Exchange team from District 7890, gave a presentation. We gave it from a computer, and passed around small photo albums that we had prepared before the trip. These photo albums were a big hit for everyone! - I would recommend that future teams consider bringing them on their trips. Everyone likes our professional attire, and flag scarves and ties. I think the club was very pleased to have us there, and I think we represented our sponsoring clubs (Farmington, Avon, Simsbury-Granby, East Windsor, and Torrington) and District 7890 very well!

Oh, in the second picture is Daniela - one of the GSE Italy team members, who was from Senise, and had just returned from her trip to Connecticut and Massachusetts. It was nice to hear what a great time she had in the USA!

Castelmezzano

On May 14th, we spent the day in Castelmezzano. It is a gorgeous little town nestled in the middle of the Dolomiti Mountains. It has a population of 970 people, and according to some books, it is in the top 35 villages in Italy. While there, we took a little hike up in the mountains for some fantastic views. We also met the Mayor of the village (seen in the second photograph).

Across the valley is another little town called Pietrapertosa. Apparently in June there is a festival where someone ziplines between the two villages - maybe a mile long!!! Where can we sign up to do that???

Kristin - Vocational Day in Potenza

In Potenza, I had one of my best vocational days. I appreciate the work of Gaetano LaGuardia (Rotary GSE Chair in District 2120), as well as the clinic owner and his wife, who showed me around and answered my questions. So I visited a new Rehabilitation Center in Potenza. It opened a few months ago, and already it has a staff of about 45 therapists. This includes Physical, Occupational, and Speech Therapist. And, they work both in the clinic, and doing home therapy services.

The building is huge, and very nice. It has about 20 or so examination or treatment rooms where therapists do everything from manual techniques to ultrasound to laser therapy. (There was quite a lot of laser therapy used to decrease pain). Then, there was a large gym that had exercise equipment and therapists that worked only there. Downstairs, there was a therapy pool (one of the few in Italy), as well as a combination set of pools - one warm and one cool - used to increase circulation.

They have done so well in this building, that they are planning on doubling the size. The part open works on Orthopedic services, while the part that will soon open will be for Neurological services - both adult and pediatric.

It was a fantastic Vocational Day experience. I will be sure to share more with my colleagues at CT Children's Medical Center when I return!

Ciao - Kristin

Grotteglie

I was lucky enough to spend some time in the cute town of Grotteglie - known for it's ceramic pottery. My vocational day was spent visiting a Rehabilitation Center and Elementary School in town, so my wonderful host for the day, Sandra, took me to see how the pottery is made. There are many pottery factories and shops in this one town. The one that we stopped in gave us a personal tour. They even let me try my hands out on the wheel! Lots of fun! They work so hard there, and the pottery is amazing. (And yes, Cherri, I am bringing back their catalog). Actually, the shop that I stopped in supplies these beautiful products to Pier 1, Bloomingdale's, Pottery Barn, and other places. Thanks Sandra for adding a special trip to my vocational day!

Kristin - Vocational Days

A few pictures from my vocational days that I have had: in Matera with Mimmo (a great host Dad to Matt and Brian, and Nephrologist at a hospital). Also, a picture with some of the doctors I spent time with at a Pediatric Hospital in Bari. Pediatric Hospitals are fairly uncommon in Italy, with only 4 or 5 total. I saw many patients with hip displasia, and a few with fractures. Lastly, a new friend from an Elementary School I visited in the town of Grottigle, outside of Taranto.

Alberobello

Today, our wonderful Rotarian hosts from Taranto treated us to a visit to Alberobello. This little town is a fairy-tale experience! The charming little houses called trulli are found nowhere else in the world other than in this region of Italy. They are so unique that they have been named a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Although today Alberobello is quite a tourist attraction and most of the trulli have been turned into gift shops, it is still a wonderful place to visit. For more information on these curious little structures, please see http://www.geocities.com/trullihouses/

Pompei

So I have a few late entries I plan on making. There are just too many things we are doing and seeing that it is hard to keep up with it all. Thanks so much to The Rotary Foundation, the GSE committee for choosing us to be here, and for our sponsoring clubs! We all appreciate it!

Above are a few pictures from Pompei. It was so interesting to see a place just saturated with history. I've read about it, and seen shows on the history channel about it. But to see it in person was just crazy. Hard to imagine that we only saw just a small bit of a flourishing city at the time of the eruption. The pictures include the group, the amphitheatre, part of someone's house, and the absolutely biggest oranges and lemons that I have ever seen. (Filomena - you were right that they are about the size of a football). Yummy orange juice and lemonade!

Albania? I thought this was Italy!

On Saturday evening, May 19th, our Rotary GSE group had the pleasure of attending a meeting of Rotary Club Bari Sud (South), and to our surprise we were not the only foreign guests. The sister club of Bari Sud is Terrano, Albania, and there were a number of members of that club, including the President, who is pictured above on the right, along with the Bari Sud president (left), and Jean Atwater-Williams, team leader GSE-7890(center).

Santa Claus in Italy?

This is the beautiful old city of Bari. It is the meeting place of the ancient eastern and the western worlds. Many cultures have had their influence in this place: Islam and the Saracins, the Ancient Greeks, and the Romans, Spain and Russia, just to name a few. Here you will find the Basilica of Saint Nicolas. Yes, the very same saint who inspired the legend of Santa Claus. During the time of the crusades, a group of sailors from Bari, went to Myrna and managed to "transport" the remains of San Nicola to Bari, where they remain today under the altar of the basilica (and some members of the group are still having a little trouble getting over the news).

Senise What a Beautiful Place

We are now at the end of our Time in Senise and I am not sure if I (Mr. Ryan) will ever find a place with so many wonderful sights to see.
On Tuesday we went to San Severino and went to the largest National Park in Southern Italy Pollino Park. The park is know for its breath taking views and the Pine trees that can be found in the park and one other place in Canada. We had to hike to get to see the trees and man was it worth it. Some of the mountain tops that were around us still had snow on them. The views were incredible from about 8,000 feet about sea level. If you like nature you would love this park. We had lunch in a field and just took in the views. What a day.
On Wednesday I had an opportunity to first visit a Middle School in Senise. It was a small school because the town only has 7,000 or so people. The school however, does something to counteract how small it is. They participate in an internet style classroom with others schools from Europe. Students find out about how other students in the other counties live and tell what their lives are like. I was invited to be part of it and will be bringing it back with me.
Our GSE group today also got the chance to see the biggest dam in Europe "Monte Cotugno" dam. The dam helps to supply the areas of Puglia and Basilicata with water. Basilicata is rich with water and Puglia has none so with out the Dam and its water the people of Puglia would have no good water supply.
We then went to visit the town of Tursi. The town is high in the mountains. There are many caves around the city were early people lived before making a town. It was very interesting to see how the old city is being rebuilt.
Thursday we leave for Bari and The Fiera Del Levante of District Convention. It will be very interesting I am sure.

Hope my students are working hard and are not being a problem for Mrs. Steiner. See you all soon.

Matthew Ryan

Our Weekend in Potenza

Our Weekend in Potenza is now over and I am sorry to see it go!

On Saturday we went to visit the ruins of the city of Pompei. It was like walking through a city that time just stopped in. You walk down the streets and see the paths that the carts took when riding through the city. You see the bread shop where the grinding wheels are still standing and the ovens are ready to have bread put in to be baked. You walk into the theater where tragic and comedy plays where put on for all to see. Pompei was a very important city for sea trade during its time. Although the city is now 1 mile from the sea, before the volcano destroyed it, the city was right on the sea. Traders from all over the then know world would use the city for a port and to trade goods.

The city was a wonderful place to visit and get an idea of what it was like to live in B.C. time period. We think of our modern cities and all they have, Pompei shows us that man has been doing wonderful things for many centuries.

I (Mr. Ryan) can not wait to return here one day to spend even more time seeing the City.

After our visit to Pompei we went on to visit the city of Naples. Naples is a very modern city with a rich past. It also is an important port city where many ships dock to load and unload goods. The port is very beautiful and on this day many ships where sailing in the water. We walked the streets to see the old with the new. On the same road you would have small old shops selling items that an artist made him/herself and then right down the street a Prada or other modern store. It was very interesting.

Naples is know for the sea, the shopping but what I will remember it for will be the PIZZA.

We went to a pizza shop that has been making pizza since 1860 or so. The pizza we had must have been the best I had ever had. It was a simple pizza but it tasted out of this world. They make it no better ( I think) in the world.

Well we leave Potenza on Monday and will be going to Sinese.

We will post again soon.

GSE Team 7890

Now we are in Potenza

This is Mr. Ryan's second posting on the blog so Gabby no comments on the spelling. It is hard to check for spelling errors in a country where everything you write is misspelled. LOL

Today was our first full day in Potenza. Potenza in the mountains of Basilicata and is at the highest point of an important city in southern Italy. They have a population of about 60,000 and has an old and new section. Potenza in 1980 was rocked by an earthquake that killed about 3,000. Because of this many of the older buildings are no longer standing.

Today was a Vocational day so I went to see a Middle School in Potenza. Istituto di Istruzione Secondaria di I Grado "Domenico Savio". I got a tour of the Middle School and had an opportunity to speak with the Teachers and Students about what school was like in Italy and they asked me about America. This school was a little different than the others I visited. The Major difference was that ALL the girls had to wear a uniform that was like a black robe. The boys however did not have to wear one. Sorry Laddies! Every thing else, however, was very similar. In Italy the use the Inclusion Model when it comes to students with special needs. They have a one on one teacher for students with extreme needs but everyone is in the classroom. This school also was different because they do swimming at a local pool for gym. Tim could you work on that for us? Just kidding. In Art class they study the classic artists and copy them so they can get a point of view of what is beautiful. Music is also very important from musical instruments, to singing, to putting on plays and musicals they do it all in these schools. The more time I spend in Italy the more I have come to realize that we are not very different from our Italian counterparts.

Saturday is the day that I have been looking forward to since I was choosen for this trip. We are going to see the ruins of Pompei. As a History nut this will be the first chance to see a place that I have read so much about and can not wait to tell you all about it when I return.

This trip may be only ten days old but I have seen and done so much with my team and my host families that I will have memories that will last many life times.

I again what to thank Rotary International for this opportunity, it is a great program!

Tess, Melissa and Michele I got your last post and Tess I promise that we will go to Singing in the Rain when I get home! Have mom work on the tickets now! :)

Mom and Dad I miss you very much and let Grammy Ryan and Wallace know everything is OK.

EWMS I hope everything is going well. I miss all the students, teachers and staff.

I will be home before you know it.

Mr. Matthew Ryan

Pictures of Matera

Mr. Ryan's first post

I finally have an opportunity to let you all know how I am doing here in Italy. First I want to tell all the students that have been leaving post on the site thank you very much. I did not have a chance to let you know what I have been doing or really get a chance to read your post until today. However I have been getting your messages (whishes) of good luck and that you miss me from my teammates.

Italy is so amazing. We got here over a week ago and were first in Trani. We got to see a festival and eat at a sea side resturant and watch the finals of thier soccer league. This was also the first time I had fish and other foods of the sea.

We then went to Lucera where I met my first family. They own what is similar to a bed and breakfast in an old large home that has painting from the 18th century. I went to two different schools while in Lucera.

One school was really in the city of Foggia which is very close to Lucera. It was a school very similar to a magnet school back home. Families have to try and get their children in and then they have to do well. The students where very similar to students back home. They were very excited to see someone from another place. I went to see the school of music where the students are very good at music and work in classes to get better.

The other school was also a middle school in Lucera. I went on a Saturday because the children must go to school every other Saturday because they only go to school from 8:00 til 1:30. 1:00 is the time when everything stops (shops close people go home) so the children go home. They eat lunch with their families at home. I went to an English class and was meet by about 80-90 students that had questions of me about America. The whole time was going to be an hour. I left almost two and a half latter. It was great, they asked so many questions about schools in America. How students dress and learn, what they learn, what they are like, what I teach and if I am hard or not ( I told them they would have to ask my classes) I think I am hard but fair and that got everyone smiling. I had a great time at both schools.
I have been eating some great foods and drinking so great wines as well. I have visited some outstanding places and have been very taken back by their beauty.

I am currently in Matera which is the city where Mel Gibson filmed The Passion of the Christ. I am staying with a great family and their son Michele(15). They have a wonderful home in new Matera. The city itself is very old and beautiful. The city was orginally made up of caves that man first lived in. He then built homes and then the city. Many here in Matera believe that it was where man began living together . If you want to see pictures of Matera before I get home see just the views of The Passion of the Christ.

Well I have gone on for a while now. Thursday is my lst day in Matera and then I move on toPotenza. While in Potenza on Saturday I will be going to Pompei and see the ruins. I will let you(my students) know if it is like what we saw in the books pictures.

I miss you all very much and look forward to seeing you all soon.

Tess Melissa and Michelle I miss you very much and am always thinking of you.

Don thank you for getting me this opportunity it is the time of my life.

Write soon.
Matt

Pictures from the Gargano Peninsula

Gargano is where the spur of the boot is. Most of it is a national park. It's just gorgeous. This time, I'll just add some pictures, but will try to get back to some stories later. Oh, but we did all go swimming in the Adriatic Sea for the first time! Burrrrr - fredo (cold)! It was refreshing though for a nice, sunny day. By the way, the Italians here think we are nuts because the weather is nice and we are walking around with our short-sleeved polo shirts on. They, on the other hand, happen to be cold most of the time, and are wearing pants, long-sleeved shirts, and sometimes sweaters. Our host families keep asking us if we want jackets when we are going out:)

Presentazione primo!

Our first presentation! We made it through! It was tough doing it in Italian. Some of the jokes we had weren't so funny in Italian (lost in translation). Sometimes it was hard getting the right pronunciation, etc. But overall, the Rotary groups that were represented at the meeting all loved it. They appreciated our effort, enjoyed our pictures, and we all learned a little more. Above are some pictures.