Porto Tores

4 million pounds of corn can be stored here!!!

Left Siniscolla after the wine tasting competition. GSE OKC got to pick the 2nd and 3rd place wine for the Sardanian competition. There was also a huge Italian wedding in the same location and it was quite the experince! The team later went to Porto Tores and had another great experience. Antonio and Nina were so much fun and hosted most of the team. We were able to break away (quickly) for a trip to the beach, but later visited the fertalizer, feed, and seed plant of Antonio. It was very impressive!! He imports fertalizer from all over the world and exports feed and seed to areas in Italy. A true entreprenuer and self made man. He loved to kiss the GSE OKC girls on the cheaks!! A totally fun guy!! The team celebrated with a bottle of champagne after the tour in true Antonio style. Thank goodness for our few interpreters.

Tivoli, Rieti, Viterbo, Bolsena....4 cities/1 week

In Viterbo I got to visit another geologist office where he gave me two presentations about the types of rocks in Italy and how they utilize seismic data. I even got to play with some of their geologic software and we discussed the differences between Oklahoma rocks and those in Italy.


In Bolsena we were blessed with a wonderful translator! Francesca is only 16 years old and she was absolutely amazing! At lunch she was even able to translate a conversation between her dad and I about wind energy b/c he is an engineer that builds wind farms (so interesting)!


In Rieti my host mom, Monica Palazzoli, was the best cook in the world! I can't wait to try her pastry recipe. I'm still missing her food. Although Giampiero and Monica (host parents) didn't speak English it was as though I could understand them perfectly. They're son Gian-Marco also informed me that he knew of OKC b/c he watched the THUNDER in the playoffs! So, OKC is officially famous!


While in Bolsena we toured an olive oil production company.


In Tivoli I spent a day with Francesco Poggi. Francesco is a geologist that owns a Travertin Quarie. The production process was pretty amazing and so was the sulfur water. The sulfur water is known for it's healing powers and I will say that my feet were SUPER soft for a couple of days after I got in it. He was even kind enough to give me a piece to take home!

Siniscola

Doing these presentations is getting pretty easy, but I need to practice singing OKLAHOMA. I keep getting the words wrong. We ate well and had Carpretto, which is goat in Italy. It was pretty good. We all got gifts from the club and the girls wanted to show off thier traditional Sardinia wedding rings. I got a cool pocket knife made out of a goats horn and Michelle got a fancy pendant. Earlier in the day, we got to go sail on the Mediteranian with Mimo our Rotarian Capitan. It was a great day overall.

They actually serve sardines in Sardania! These little suckers were brought out with the wine and cheese at a pre dinner get together. Visited a local grocery store, more like a Wal Mart of Sardania. Food, clothes and everyday home stuff. Very nice. Finally visited a huge meat plant that makes Salame, Salsiccia, Pancetta and PROSCIUTTO!! It was very impressive. This is me with the owner's daughter and our tour guide. Great family business that started small and grew to the best in Sardinia. They supply Sardania and several parts of Rome. The team is staying in the same home while we visit Siniscola, Sardania. We are staying with Partizio and Orieta. We got to sleep in a little bit today and are actually having eggs and bacon. Eggs are right from the hen house (litterally) and we had chicken eggs and duck eggs. The "bacon" is really ham, Italian style. Very salty and very good! We are finally wearing shorts due to the nice weather and lack of piove (rain). Ciao!

What a great trip with the Bolsena Rotary club. We did so much here and had wonderful places to stay!! We visited the town where the 1965 version of Romeo and Juliet was filmed (hence the death scene photo with me and Lacey). The team had a great lunch on day one with a ton of great food and wine. Many tours of museums and old Etruscan ruins, very interesting!! We also toured a sheep and lamp slaughter facility (Bose and Lacey could not take it). The olive oil company was way cool! Next time you are at an Italian restaurant, take a piece of bread and cover it with salt, apply the olive oil and WOW!! It is delicioso!! The wine cellar was the best!!!! We are now off to the island of Sardinia. Thank you to Francesca for being such a great interpretur for the team. Very smart 16 year old who will make it big one day!!! And thank you to Carlo and Lucia for being great hosts. I loved smoking your cigars!!!

Bolsena

We arrived in Bolsena and have been touring most of the day. Got to visit a lamb and sheep slaughter facility today. Lacey and Bose had a tough time, but Michelle and Penny did great!!! We finally got a little gelato again today. I am staying with Carlo and Lucia and they have a beautiful home!! I am all set up in Bolsena (bit I am actually staying in a town called Moltanto). Having a hard time getting on wireless so I may not be able to upload pics for a few days. We are off to dinner now, Ciao.

The team has had a great time in Viterbo. Stayed with Massimo and his family at thier little cottage. What an adventure!! Toured the Civita de Bangiorego and the Piazza de Papa. Had some great food, the antipasta was one to remember. The next day I was able to tour a cow farm and tabacco farm. The group was part of a major copo that serviced some very nice grocery stores all over Viterbo. More tours in the morning with a few young translators (Drew, Megan and Veronica) from the states. There were high school exchange students and they were very polished!!! Nice tour of Universita degl stud della Tuscia. I had dinner with Giuessppe and his girlfriend, Barbara. Grert couple. I sat between her parents and we all had a blast trying to speak Italian. Not one of them spoke English, but we made it by and made great memories. Thank you to Alberto (Club President) for organizing a great trip for GSE Oklahoma.