...by popular demand we plunge back into the preparation of the party.
By the time we contact the potential speakers Dr. Joahnn Jauernig, a leading expert on Mexican cactus (... which by the way was already "booked" from last year ...) and Dr. Mark Preston, an expert on plants epiphytes (new and fascinating topic for most lovers of succulents and cacti ...) willingly accepting the invitation.
Found the lecturers are there to prepare all the other things you need: tent, gazebo, grills etc etc and logically recruit the workforce ... our dear friends Belluno, real engine of the party for the success of the whole. Fortunately, the group is ready and enthusiastic.
Saturday, in the afternoon, the first guests begin to arrive, those who live farther away from Rome, Florence, Bologna, from Carinthia and England ... and so on with the work: preparing the field kitchen, the place for conferences, tables, gazebo, etc. Time is not a friend, at 16 it starts to rain and it seems that the sky should fall, so we fix all in the greenhouse, making their fingers crossed for tomorrow.
In the evening we go to a "spaghetteria" not far together: a nice evening!
Sunday morning, luckily no rain, and this is already a good start. It ends in place and everyone takes a stand: who for prize draw, some for the kitchen, those who follow the system for viewing the conference and those who prepare the appetizer.
Belluno's group is ready to receive the friends begin to arrive ... from Friuli, from Trento-Bolzano, Lombardy, Emilia Romagna, Tuscany, Lazio and Veneto.
We are a wonderful group of friends all with the same passion: the succulent plants.
Both conferences are very popular with many warm appreciation; between the first and second Sonia, Antonio and Francesco have a drink and some tapas (... most welcome ...)
Then everyone in the queue for lunch.
At the end of a tribute to the two speakers, we remember friends who have birthdays and celebrating the wedding anniversary and finally a little thought to each participant ...
At 17 comes the rain but it is no longer a problem, after some chatter 18.30 per share past draws back home.
They leave on monday friends of Rome Sandro and Daniela Pensa and Roberto Rastelli, Mark Preston and David Donati. We prepare a quick dinner and we discover Mark our typical liquor: "grappa"! As you can see from the pictures he loved ... and then, tired but happy, Goodnight and GOODBYE to next year.
Moreno and I would like to once again thank all of our Belluno's "workforce" because without them we could not have a party for 140 people (not counting all the people coming in the morning but did not stop for lunch), foreign guests that prepare us of high level conferences and all, but everyone, friends of cactus that come from many parts of Italy just to spend a day together.
Thanks again to everyone!
TO SEE PARTY IMAGES CLICK HERE