Our club at REM, Turin, Italy (January 2012)

Members of our club represented Serbia at the recently finished REM (Rotaract European Meeting) in Turin, Italy (26-29.01.2012.). We have made new friends and get new ideas for future activities of our club. On this “expedition”, RTC Belgrade Dedinje represented Igor Mijatovic, Nikola Stojadinovic, Nikola Stojanovic and Milos Dosen. Below you can read a detailed report of our trip.

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Day 1 (01.26.2012.)

Our members arrived in Torino after a 14 hour drive from Belgrade via Zagreb, Ljubljana and Milan. Check-in at the hotel, Duo Mondi in Turin was around noon. Duo Mondi Hotel is located in the center of Turin a few hundred meters from the main railway station, the location of the meeting point with the organizers of the REM. The hotel itself was very nice, with decent rooms and pleasant staff.

During the afternoon, members of RTC Dedinje went for a walk throughout the wonderful city of Turin; the place where the Italian Republic was founded (Turin and Piedmont are known as the birthplace of the modern Italian state), the first capital of Italy (1861-1864), a city full of history and beautiful architectural buildings. The capital city of the district, Turin is the fourth largest city in Italy and the largest city that lies on the River Po. Today, it is a major industrial center, primarily due to auto industry. In Turin, headquarters of Fiat, Lancia and Alfa Romeo are located. Turin is also home to two great soccer clubs: Juventus and Torino. 

The afternoon walk around the town RTC Dedinje members used for exploring Turin, Italian cafeterias and pubs. In the evening, the organizers planned a dinner in Italian style (pasta and beer), after which a Casual style party took place. The dinner and party were a great opportunities for our members to make contact with other international Rotaract clubs from Turkey, Bulgaria, Poland, Italy, Lithuania, Slovenia, Ukraine.

Day 2 (27.01.2012.)

For the second day of the REM the organizers have prepared a guided tour of the city center. About twenty Rotaractors had a chance to glance the magic squares and the monuments of Turin. The city is rich in culture and history on every corner, with beautiful architecture and clearly marked streets. Luck was on our side, the day was warm full of sunshine, which made the tour even more stunning and unforgettable. During the tour, our guide had tons of interesting and educational stories and facts for us. Among other, we heard about and saw: the place (restaurant) where the Italian Republic was created; the royal palace of the Savoy family with a separate castle for the queen (Palazzo Madama) and the King (Royal Palace of Turin); a lot of chocolate shops (for which Turin is well known); the Egyptian Museum; the Museum of Cinema; various churches; gardens; theaters; galleries; etc.

Upon completion of the sightseeing were purchased a universal ticket, used for entrance to all museums and public transport in duration of 2 days. For a full impression of Turin, the members of RTC Dedinje advise that you must visit the Museum of Cinema and experience the divine viewpoint. In the museum itself, you can see various game of light, the first video, camera and the camcorder ever made, a variety of optical illusions. One very interesting amusement is that  you can shoot yourself in a Matrix movie.

The evening hours of the second day they were scheduled for the reception in the city parliament where the official opening of the REM took place. The town Parliament building hosted about three hundred Rotaractors and with the introductory words of the organizers and the ERIC president, REM Torino 2012 was open. This was followed by a roll-call of the participating countries which included Serbia represented by members of RTC Novi Sad, RTC Belgrade Center, RTC Belgrade Metropolitan and RTC Belgrade Dedinje.

After the opening ceremony, Rotaractors continued the association at the Pub party. A lot of various food, good music and positive energy  marked the night. Members of RTC Dedinje made the most of the night by socializing and getting to know other Rotaractors throughout Europe.

 

Day 3 (28.01.2012.)

The last day of the Rotaract European Meeting 2012 family members spent mainly buying souvenirs and preparing for the upcoming Gala Ball and Dinner. That night, more than 700 Rotaractors, in a variety of elegant black suits and gowns gathered at the Fiat showroom, where the main event, the Gala Ball was organized. Our friendly hosts prepared an appetizer and the possibility of browsing the showroom until all guests arrive. The official part of the Gala dinner began with the intonation of the Italian national anthem and the closing speech held by the organizers of the REM, as well as the president of ERIC 2011/12, Mr. Darko Sovran, who thanked the Turin Rotaract clubs that organized the event.

During the rest of the evening in-between of delicious Italian traditional meals, rotaractors had a chance to meet members from clubs around Europe and exchange club flags and business cards. Members of our club marked the evening in their own special way, On their table the brand RTC Dedinje Plum Rakia was promoted. The unique traditional packaging of the bottle and excellent quality of the drink quickly attracted a large number of Rotaractors to taste the Serbian Rakia. Rotaract Club Belgrade Dedinje congratulated the organizers of REM, ERIC president and president of Rotary Club handing them an RTC Dedinje brandy. After the gala dinner, a party followed in a separate room of the salon. The dancing and singing lasted until the early morning hours.

 

Day 4 (29.01.2012.)

 

Around noon, members of RTC Dedinje, left Turin and headed to Milan, where they spent the night. Milan, a city of fashion and design; the Scala (La Scala) and the magical Gothic Duomo cathedral; football clubs Inter and Milan was worth all the mileage traveled from Belgrade to Italy.

 

 

Day 5 (30.01.2012.)

 

After a night in Milan our members settled of towards Belgrade via Verona, Trieste, Ljubljana and Zagreb. Since they were passing through Verona, they used the opportunity to visit the squares of Verona , Juliet’s House (Casa di Giulietta) and the famous Arena of Verona.

 

Around noon, members of RTC Dedinje, left Turin and headed to Milan, where they spent the night. Milan, a city of fashion and design; the Scala (La Scala) and the magical Gothic Duomo cathedral; football clubs Inter and Milan was worth all the mileage traveled from Belgrade to Italy.