Monash Educational Symposium

July 6 – Day 8

Today was the first day of the Monash 5th Pharmacy Education Symposium. The theme for the conference is “Fitness to Practice: Competency based teaching and learning in pharmacy”. This symposium occurs every 2 years, and for the last 3 symposium, they have been held here in Prato. There are roughly 80 participants here. Cheri, if you are reading this, the student’s poster arrived this morning just in time for me to take to the technology session. The early morning session was a debate about competency. The speakers were both from the UK and kept the audience quite engaged. I only wish you all could be here to hear them…. As I am afraid words can’t properly describe the session so I am not even going to try to explain.

I was privileged to sit with Dr. Henri Manasse at lunch today. Dr. Manasse was one of the guest speakers and he is the CEO of the American Society of Health –System Pharmacists. I also met a colleague from the University of North Carolina…. Interestingly, he grew up in Ligonier, PA, not too far from my hometown of Derry. It is such a small world……..

I presented posters for both the student’s Pharmacy Insights project and DM Educate. Both were quite successful in the discussions I had with the many participants here. I met individuals from Canada, Malaysia, Indonesia, Australia, the US, the UK, New Zealand, Saudi Arabia, and Ireland. I certainly hope that some of them contact the school to discuss signing up for DM Educate (fingers crossed). This technology session had very interesting and innovative advances in pharmacy education, most notably about 4 different types of Virtual Technology. I would have to say that Keele University out of the UK has gone far beyond any another program I have ever seen…. (Randy, I got you their brochure and contact information). They are now working in collaboration with the Monash University faculty in developing multiple types of virtual experiences for the students. They are using a combination of real life patients (paid actors) via video technology, and then turning some of these real life patients into Avatars for the virtual reality exercises. While I was manning my booth (and I was the only one fully decked with candy and pens (thanks Cheri)), I was approached by a gentleman from Colorado that told me he will soon be coming to Pittsburgh. This gentleman is no other than Ralph Altiere, who is the Dean of the University of Colorado School of Pharmacy and he is going to be one of our Accreditors for the ACPE accreditation in November. I was once again, honored.... Hopefully I will see him on campus in November.

I also met a pharmacist from Malaysia. After we chatted for awhile, I asked him if he knew Haniki Nik Mohammed. Every time I meet a pharmacist from Malaysia (which happens more often than you might think) they always know Haniki..... Haniki graduated from PharmD school with me in Memphis, TN. Apparently he is quite well know in Malaysia as an advocate for smoking cessation. We keep in touch occasionally via email. I will have to email him and tell him hello....

The day was long for me…. Starting at 9am and ending at 7pm. I did learn something interesting about Prato – Prato has the largest Chinese population in Europe outside of Paris.

Daddy and Isabel spent the day resting and touring the city. Prato lies in the middle of the northern area of Tuscany, a few kilometers from Firenze (Florence) and also very close to other cities in the region such as Siena and Pisa. Prato is famous for its production of woolen fabrics which has been ongoing here since the middle ages. Prato currently has 180,000 inhabitants and the city is divided into three main sections : city centre, eastern zone, and industrial zone. The city centre lies within a hexagonal circuit of walls that date back to the 14th century. The center of town is dominated by the Emperor’s Castle, which is the only example of Schwaben architecture of it’s kind in Northern Italy. (Schwabia is the area of Western Bavaria east of the Black Forest). In addition to the Duomo (cathedral) there are a number of other Catholic Churches within the city walls, and I am sure we took pictures of all of them. When I finally met up with my family, we had a delicious dinner at one of the outdoor restaurants on the Piazza. We were all exhausted from the heat and the long day… We made it back to the Hotel Flora and managed to cram the stroller into what is possibly the world’s tiniest elevator enroute to the 3rd floor to room 50, where we are residing. Ciao…..

A room with a view......

July 5 – Day 7

Today we left Munich and traveled via our huge VW Caddy to Prato, Italy. Today is also the first time in a week that we had access to wi-fi. As I know you have all been waiting for the updates of the trip, I advise you to please scroll down and read them chronologically after reading this sentence……..that means now…. Come back to this paragraph later…..

We left Munich this morning after eating breakfast at the Pension Mayr. The drive from Munich to Prato took us about 8 hours, as we stopped for lunch in a beautiful little town called Bosen. (We have decided to add Bosen to the list of places we would like to visit again in the future). Words cannot truly describe the beauty you see at each turn while driving through the Alps to Tuscany…. Just when you think you have seen the most beautiful church atop the most magnificent peak with rolling hills, you make another turn or go through another tunnel to find the next breathtaking view. I did manage to take a few shots as we were racing down the autobahn, and as soon as Bela downloads the pictures we will have some up on the blog. Isabel slept a good portion of the way here today. Her sleeping patterns are surprisingly normal since our arrival, but I guess riding in the car can be quite tiresome even for little people.

When we finally arrived in Prato, we had only slight difficulty making our way to the Hotel Flora, as the TomTom kept wanting us to travel down one way streets the wrong way. The hotel is quite modern despite its appearances. We have AIR CONDITIONING!!!!!!! I didn’t realize know how we take such things for granted, until sleeping in conditions where air is truly warranted. And, we have our own bathroom here…. Now, if you didn’t scroll down and read in chronological order, then I guess you will have to wait to see what this means…..

After a leisurely stroll through the city, we found a side walk restaurant so that we could eat dinner. Bela was worried he wouldn’t be able to remember his Italian, but it came right back to him. I, however, don’t speak Italian, and am still responding in German as best I can. We are pretty sure we had dinner next to a table of transgendered individuals… in any event, they were 3 women with very large Adam’s Apples, and Bela kept staring at them.

We located Monash University so that I know where to go in the morning for my conference. And, Cheri, in case you are reading this…. The boxes arrived, but no poster (unless the poster is inside the box??)

It is getting late here…. Sweet Dreams Family and Friends…..

No fireworks here.....

July 4 – Day 6

Happy Birthday America!! We celebrated the national holiday today by walking for what felt like miles all over Munich to shop for Tracht… we were in the shopping area around the Marien Platz, which is the famous square in Munich. There is a beautiful old clock tower that resembles a cuckoo clock – the life size characters come alive and dance on the hour. Isabel and I trailed behind Daddy the majority of the day, as he walks much faster than us. Isabel was an absolute angel until we tried to attend Mass at St. Michael the Archangel (down the street from the Dom Frauenkirche (which is the Cathedral of Our Lady). Her version of singing resonated quite nicely in the glorious sanctuary, and as such… I had to take her outside. I spent the next hour praying that Mass would be over soon. Isabel spent the next hour trying her hardest to get into the fountain. We attempted to eat some himbeere (raspberries), but Isabel practically threw them into the fountain, too.

The day was long but successful….. we found a few Dirndl that we purchased for Mom, Isabel and Dorothy. Isabel’s, of course, is super cute!!! Holly, if you are reading this…. Bela snagged some “buttons” for your mom’s gift…. We ended the day in the true German Fashion – drinking beer at a Biergarten near our Pension.

The Dancing Angel

July 3 – Day 5

We were sad today leaving the Landhaus Anetsberger to travel to Munich, as we made some nice friends of Holly’s family. Holly left to go back to Chicago today and we said our goodbye’s and drove to our next location….. the Pension Mayr in Obermenzing in Munich. We were looking forward to going to see our friends, Hans, Ingrid, Vroni, and Hansi at the Mahltszeit (eating time) with Hans’ Verein at Vereinsheim (Club Home). We took back roads to Munich, as today was the first day of the summer break for the school children, and traffic was expected on the autobahn. The drive was a nice way to see the country side and it took us about 2.5hours to arrive there.

We found the Pension Mayr with no difficulty. This beautiful little guest house was selected for us by Hans. We had our own private room in the back (kind of like in a carriage house) as I think we might have been the only guests. Some of our soon to be friends from Hans’ Verein brought us a crib for Isabel….. (these Germans are the nicest people). The room had a shower, but the bathroom was a shared bath in the hall. As I said, there weren’t any other guests to share the WC (water closet) with, but still… it was kind of like being back in the dorm at college. No air conditioning in this place so it was a little warm.

We had a lovely dinner before going to the Vereinsheim to meet up with the Menzinger’s. Isabel made many new friends while we were there. She also dazzled her audience with her dancing skills….. for those of you who have never witnessed my daughter dancing, she is quite talented….. After a few hours of dancing and entertainment, we went back to the Pension to get some much needed rest. Guten Nacht!!

Dinner with Friends

July 2 – Day 4

Today we drove to Regensburg (about 100 kilometers from Ranzing). This city is in the Bavarian Forest, and I must say, I have NEVER been in a town with more Apotheke’s (Apothecary’s).. and yes, I must have taken pictures of everyone I saw (not too exciting for you non-pharmacy people). We walked, and shopped and viewed the city.

When we arrived back at Ranzing, Bela took Holly into Passau to do some shopping for her. I stayed back with Isabel. We had fun playing with the chickens and watching the horses. When Bela and Holly came home, we had dinner with the Anetsberger’s and made some nice new friends. I have promised to email my new friend, Michael. Michael is the oldest of 4 children in the home and will soon be in 9th grade. He wants to learn more English, and I want to learn more Deutsch. His parents, Nora and Willie, were quite gracious and made us feel at home. They talked fondly of all or their relatives that we know from Chicago and had to explain many many times how everyone was related.

We truly enjoyed our time in Ranzing and hope to visit again some day. We both decided next time, we will bring the Oma's with us (Mom and Mom... pack your bags)

Passau and the world's largest organ

July 1 – Day 3

After eating breakfast today we went back to Passau. The city is beautiful, with cobble stoned streets everywhere. This city is the home of the world’s largest church organ, and as luck would have it, Bela was able to go to an organ concert this day instead of Thursday night as originally planned. Isabel and I went to the park, where she made friends with a little boy. After the concert, Daddy came to find us and we continued our day of sight seeing and shopping.

Landhaus Anetsberger

June 30 – Day 2

We met up with Hans at the airport as planned and had a drink with him to start off our trip. He brought us the car seat for Isabel to use. We made our way to the Budget Rental and when the young lady waiting on us saw our luggage, she said, “I’ll give you an upgrade”….. so we are driving all over Germany in this minivan like vehicle made by VW called the Caddy…. No pictures to post, but you can google it, I am sure….

We drove 2 hours or so to a tiny village called Ranzing, where we were to spend our first few days. As we left the autobahn and began driving on the back country roads, there was a moment of panic (once again) that we weren’t quite sure what we were getting into. Once we arrived in Ranzing, however, all of our panic was gone…… The Landhaus Anetsberger was absolutely perfect (and highly recommended).

We stayed in one of the back suites with a small kitchen, living area, bedroom and bath. We also had a small private deck. Out the front door, you saw the neighbor’s horses and chickens (which Isabel grew to love). When I say village, you have to understand that there might have been 15 homes in this tiny village – and most of the people were probably related. We found our friend, Holly, waiting for us and she introduced us to Anita and Sepp and their children (Anita and Sepp own the Landhaus). After we became acquainted with our surroundings, we took a short drive to Passau – a beautiful city of 3 rivers (very much like Pittsburgh). We plan to go back to Passau tomorrow for more sightseeing and shopping.

Up, Up and Away

June 29 – Day 1

We left Pittsburgh on time and had a short layover in Chicago. Dad drove us to the airport as planned, and commented only once on how much luggage we brought with us.

The first leg of the trip, Isabel was a joy. Fingers crossed that she is a good girl on the long flight to Munich…

For one short moment in the line to get on the plane in Chicago, Isabel was squirming a bit… it is just about this time that you know everyone in line is looking at you and hoping to God that they don’t sit next to the screaming baby on the plane. Alas, the worry was for nought. Isabel slept about half of the way to Munich, and for the other half she either read books or watched Elmo DVDs.

Our Itinerary

Day 1 - June 29, 2009
Ride to Airport – transportation provided by my father-in-law (thanks, Dad!!)

Flight departure from Pittsburgh 2:46pm – enroute to Chicago

Flight departure from Chicago 6:07pm – enroute to Munich

Arrival in Munich - we will be greeted at the airport by Hans Menzinger, our friend from Wuermtaler. Hans and Ingrid own Trachtenpoellmann, which is a Traditional Bavarian Clothing Store where we purchase our Trachten clothing for our Trachtenverein (GTEV D’Lustigen Isartaler). Hans is being so kind as to provide us with a carseat for Isabel while we are abroad.

Day 2 – June 30, 2009
We will start our travels by driving through the Bohemian Forest to get to our first destination – the city of Passau. Béla tells me it is much like Pittsburgh, as it has three rivers (the Danube and the Inn which merge together to continue the path of the Danube). We will be staying 3 nights and 4 days at the AnetsbergerLandhaus, which belongs to relatives of some of our friends our Chicago Verein. We will be visiting with Holly while we are there.

Day 3 – July 1, 2009
Sight seeing in the area.

Day 4 – July 2, 2009
We will be attending an organ recital at the Passauer Dom. As most of you readers know – Béla is a classically trained organist. He tells me that this organ is the largest organ in the world. Hopefully Isabel will be a good girl at the concert.

Day 5 – July 3, 2009
We will be going to a Vereinsabend with Hans and Ingrid. This is a “club evening” and we will be meeting up with old acquaintances and making new friends.

Day 6 – July 4, 2009
Happy Fourth of July, America. We will be attending the Isar Gaufest in the town of Ismaning with Hans and Ingrid’s Verein.

Day 7 – July 5, 2009
Travel to Prato, Italy in preparation of the Monash Educational Symposium.



Day 8 – 10 July 6-8, 2009

Karen will be attending the Symposium. Béla and Isabel will be touring the town.

Day 11 – July 9, 2009
Leaving Prato and traveling to a little town over the Austrian border called Klais. Klais is right outside of Mittenwald (where my friend Tomie Ann and I went the first time I traveled to Germany in 1998). Mittenwald is where they make the world famous violins.

Day 12 – July 10, 2009
We will be attending the Huosi Gaufest in Steinebach with the Menzinger’s.

Day 13 – July 11, 2009
Personal walking tour of Munich with Hans.

Day 14 – July 12, 2009
We will be marching in a Trachtenparade and attending a Bavarian Mass. After this, we travel south to Oberammergau which is quite close to Neuschwanstein Castle (which is the model for Cinderella’s Castle in Disney World). Oberammergau is also the home of the world famous Passion Play, which occurs every 10 years in honor of the riddance of the plague in the middle ages. The next Passion Play is scheduled for 2010 (next year!)

Day 15 - 16 July 13 – 14, 2009
Sight seeing in the area

Day 17 - Depart Munich to travel to Boston, Massachusetts.

Have passport, will travel

Finally, after having to call the US Passport office and having to pay the extra money to have the passports expedited (note to self and all readers...... just pay the extra in the first place next time), Isabel's passport has finally arrived. My passport is in the city, but we will have to pick it up from the FedEx office in the Strip. Not exactly sure why, but I suppose we will make it down there sometime soon to pick it up.

Tomorrow is Father's Day. Dad, if you are reading this, your present is in the mail.... seriously, and I told Joan what it is and she thinks you are going to LOVE it... Since Béla probably will not be reading this blog, I can tell you what he is getting from Isabel..... hugs and kisses. From me, he is going to get dance lessons.... the first one is free. Béla is in charge of the gift for my father-in-law. That most likely means that Dad will be receiving Good-n-Plenty’s and AquaVelva. At least he will smell good.

Béla is online right now trying to download maps of Germany and Italy on to our TomTom (that is our GPS). He has found that our GPS has the ability to talk like a Bavarian Darth Vader, which is actually pretty darn funny.

In preparation of our absence from the states, I have pre-purchased all the birthday cards that will need to be sent while we are away. I will have to see if Uncle Michael will mail them out for me.

Okay, that's all for now. Sweet Dreams family and friends.

Kik

Preparing for Departure

We will be departing Pittsburgh on June 29, 2009, arriving in Munich, Germany, on June 30th. Isabel and I are still awaiting the arrival of our passports. Less than 2 weeks away, and we haven't started packing yet.