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Villa Widmann in Mira (Ve)
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The 2008 EEE (European Exchange Exhibition) of Mira, the first European meeting hosted in Italy, has been the
conclusion of more than one year of hard work. Indeed the 2007 meeting, hosted in the same wonderful Villa Widman,
had been a kind of rehearsal that was absolutely intended to be perfect for the visitors' expectations: or better unforgettable!
Many volunteers coming from the whole Italian peninsula, with their unmistakable orange t-shirts, met each others
the day before the meeting in order to organize the open space, the exhibition and the welcome areas.
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Close to the entry, in the nice "Campiello" (a typical and animate little Venetian square), there was an
aristocratic and enjoyable cafe'; beyond there was the Secretariat, first interface where the visitors could
have information, the meeting schedule or become AIPC's member. On the other side of the "Campiello", there
was the Association worktables: next to the cafe' there was the "Materials Bank" where the AIPC's member could
get supplied of the cultivation items; then the "Seeds Bank", a indispensable stock of carnivorous species
for the members; the "Library" proposed books and, moreover, a space dedicated to the Authors who could
present and autograph own their books.
To follow there was the "Welcome Corner" a free refreshment with typical Italian food and beverages,
offered by the AIPC's member for all the guests; finally next to the box with the ancient coaches, there
was the desk with the carnivorous plants offered by the member for the guests who could get them with a
free oblation, a good way to get beautiful plants and sponsor AIPC.
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Furthermost, at the other side of "Barchessa" (a typical Venetian villa's architecture used as boats shelter)
between the "Campiello" and the Villa, below the large arcade there was the little restaurant, where guests and
members could taste the Bavarian specialities enjoying the view of the park and the white peacocks that live inside there in.
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Beside the Secretariat there was the access to the "Barchessa"; at the ground floor there is a big auditorium,
where Conferences were carried out: more than one hundred people, sit on comfortable armchairs, could participate
to the countless and interesting topics presented.
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At the first floor there were the plants for the "Carnivorous Olympic", one of the traditional appointment of
the AIPC's meeting; members could subscribe their own most beautiful plants in order to be rated by guests, other members and the jury.
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Additionally there was the terrarium's zone, nice naturalistic carnivorous arranging not so easy to deliver to Mira!
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Finally, still in the first floor, the corner for the other European Associations; they could get their
publications, plants, and exchange ideas and suggestions for the European "carnivorous' future"; and last
but not the least to present the next EEE 2009, that will take place at Botanical Garden of Ghent, Belgium.
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Along the way which lead to the greenhouses, it has been set up the big tent structure for the market area,
under which sellers, coming from every part of Europe, have offered their plants (carnivorous or not) to
visitors. Plants usually not easy to find in usual garden centers, which allowed many growers to enlarge
their collection. Thanks to the volunteers always visible, the great number of CP growers or simple curious
people, had the opportunity to ask and share info useful to improve their own growing technique, in a very pleasant associational spirit.
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In the next ancient renewed orangerie, the plant expo has found space, in which unique specimens, amongst
the best in Italy and not only, queens of own private collections. A demonstration of their beauty is the
continuous affluence of public which constantly filled the rooms.
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On Friday the gates opened in the afternoon, and a conspicuos group was already pushing to enter and
make first precious deals, with a shy look around and enter the area, a greeting to who was arriving
and to who was preparing the sales area and evening suddenly came.
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After a shower and a quick change, we didn't have even time to relax for a while and again we were together
for dinner, in a wide local pizzeria, making the most of the occasion for a cultural exchange, renewing friendships,
see many friendly faces or finally meet who has been known only by name or through the web, a lovely evening full
of expectation for the day to come, but also pleasant because finally reached the goal, all together, after hard
work to arrange the meeting, adding chairs and tables for the latest arrived.
Decisely another good opportunity, considering that at the end, because of the late night, somebody was doubting to come back to the hotel!
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The demonstration got full operative during Saturday, more over the stands and area at guest
disposal, there was in fact a full scheduled calendar of events.
First of all the conferences: in the morning there was the Jan Schlauer's one on 'Rare Utricularia
species in Europe', while in the afternoon took place the A. Fleischmann's lecture on 'Drosera tepui
of Venezuela- including the recently discovered D. solaris' and the J. Nerz's lecture on 'Distribution of the Nepenthaceae in Sumatra'.
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The conferences has been always attended by our foreign guests, particularly the numerous German growers
of the GFP society didn't miss a single word of them, surely helped by the English language of the lecturers
(all 3 of German nationality) which introduced the conference.
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Still in the afternoon the first carnivorous auction took place, surely one of the most wait moment of the
Italian meeting, in which CP enthusiasts dispute, in a both hilarious and spectacular competition, more
unique than rare plants were offered by the professional sellers and the AIPC's members, to finance the
costs of the meeting organization. Andrea Amici, irresistible showman of the situation, this year has been
helped by some lively volunteers; the result was indeed a spectacular show so involving that many foreign
guests, although not completely understanding the meaning of the Italian words, didn't left the area to don't miss a so happy moment.
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Also in the evening we have met at 20 o'clock with a long car caravan to get to a local restaurant to
offer to our guest and enjoy together the Gala dinner, further wonderful and delightful occasion to stay
together in absolute peace, tasting series of local goodness.
Like in ancient Babel, a mix of languages from 140 people has greatly enriched our first European meeting,
thus giving inspiration other societies for their own meeting.
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Sunday morning, at opening of gates already a big group of people pressed to join, if a whimsical
sun didn't want to give us again the fantastic weather of day before. But the happines has easily
passed too the temperature and the gray cloudy, then we restarted with the passion that is never sure miss between of AIPC's members.
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It continued the cycle of lectures: at the morning, Andreas Fleischmann had captivated the peopled
audience with a lecture about "Zambia and Sierra Leone: Drosera, Utricularia, Genlisea and Triphyophyllum",
follow by the exposition of new work of Siegfried and Irmgard Hartmeyer, an remarkable DVD presented at Mira
for preview; at afternoon Lorenzo Peruzzi offered an interesting work about "Diversity and distribution of genre
Pinguicula along the italian peninsula" and in the end Stewart McPherson delighted us with a work about "Forgotten carnivorous plants".
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In the afternoon had taken place the second carnivorous auction, so much peopled and interesting, where
the public a few cold it whatever isn't missing and it hasn't lost chance to rider and with so generosity.
In the course of auction there was a moment of "naturalistic" involvement, when the AIPC President informed
the Members and the public of the result about the last found-raising of Association for the preservation of
a little piece of "carnivorous" nature in the USA, offering at Stewart McPherson, on behalf of Meadovwiev BRS, a symbolic check of 400 Euros.
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After the auction, it went on the involving of public and the guests of meeting into the lecture room for the
award cerimony for the Carnivorous Olympics and the deliver of prize and the special mentions that the speakers
of lectures was called to give, chooseing plants or compositions whom could think for them judgment deserving, inside of entire show.
At this time, slowly it started to see goodbye and departures, while the last lecture of McPherson was end on a high note the show.
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