From Kendy...

May 12, 2007 (I know I am a few days behind, but we have been experiencing technical difficulties)

Kendy here, today is exchange day and we will be leaving the B&B of Ca'Milone in Conegliano to set off to our new region of Cortina d'pazzo. We were met by the Rotary President, Renalto and Daniella, a Rotary friend who is along to help us with translation. It was about 30-40 min drive to our first stop of Longarone in the Region of Cortina. Longarone is known for the Disaster of Vajont. If you get a chance it is definetly worth a "Google"

Vajont is the story of a massive disaster which claimed the lives of half of the towns inhabitants. Including, as we were to find out, Renalto's family. After the disaster he was raised in a nearby town and has returned to Longarone to live and work as an Architech. The way that he tells the story of the disaster and the towns rebirth is so passionate and you can tell that he feels like it is his duty to tell this story so no one will forget.

This town is unbelievable and has so much history, pain, and suffering yet so much rebirth. Our host Renalto gave us a tour of the town and let us see his office. He has one of the Olympic torches fom the Torino games and was a torch carrier.

Quick stop at the hotel to drop off our things and then it is off to the next stop. We met up with another Rotary member, Olga, and toured around in the mountains, visited the museum of Tizione, the famous painter and also his family home.

After a full day we are headed back to the hotel for a quick pit stop and then more touring and dinner.

Tomorrow it is off to the DOLOMITES!!!!!!

Kendy

New Fotos!

Michael here, I've put some fotos up (some of Kendy's) on the slideshow section of our blog (listed on the right) there is a mix of very warm people we've met and will hold deeply in our hearts. Rotary has opened a world unapproachable to a tourist, altough the feeling of community can easlily be grasped. We've visited some breath taking places, eaten until we can't eat no more, bouno café, and created a bond between our team that will carry on. The Italian Alps (Dolomites) are everything I've imagined since I was little, a dream fulfilled, although we only stayed for 2 days. We are off to Belluno domne which is close to our halfway point of the trip. Not a man of many words, so check out the fotos and whenever we have time and an iternet connection we'll add some more, also to include other fotos from the rest of the team. Bouna Notte, We miss you all! Hugs from Italy... Michael