Hi, I am Ken Greenebaum, and these are the photos from my December 1999 trip to Italy to study yoga with Dona Holleman.  I traveled with John Nordlinger and Kim Lacy and visited Verona, Venice and Milan as well.

Please email me if you have comments or corrections for this page (especially if you were among the group at Dona's)

 

• On the road to Soiano:
  • John's rental 1.6 Litre Opel with which we terrorized the countryside.
  • Our first view of Lake Garda on the way to Dona's from Milan (taken from the speeding Opel).  We actually got quite lost from here but explored the lovely town of Salo before making it successfully to Soiano.

   

• Dona Holleman's Villa El'anor Soiano Del Lago

The villa

The room John, Surata, Michael and I shared.

Surata demonstrates his arm swings to John and Michael.

• After lunch we would have a few hours to explore between morning yoga and our evening yoga. This day Kim and I explored the local Castle (which we snuck into to get the photographs)
• The neighbor's exotic pets!

• View of Dona's property and olive trees.  I don't know how much wonderfully fresh olive oil I consumed during my visit!
• The neighbors
• These would be a panaramic view from Dona's if I would stitch the photos together.  Too bad it was overcast the day I took the photographs (you can't make out the granduer of the alps or even see lake garda!)
• Desenzano
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  • At the market
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  • Christmas ghost ship
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Lake Garda from Desenzano

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• John on the way to class one morning
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• Dona on her balcony
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• Sunrise.  It was either overcast for many of our first days or we were in meditation during sunrise.  I was happy to finaly snap these photos.
• Moonrise the day before the big moon
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• John racing the Opel
• Baby a bordo!
• Desenzano
• Wonderful alleys.
• Carrying the produce home from the market for Giovanna to turn into wonderful meals.
• Giovanna and Teresa
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• Sutata coaching John on yoga.

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• John, Surata and Giovanna wonder what that could be (with Charlie the Penguin looking on from the couch.
• What is that?  A Christmas tree?  How could that be?  Did Yael ever figure out how it happened?
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• Chocolate Christmas ornament portraits:
  • Teresa Caldas
  • Giovanna Schender
  • Yael Galili
  • Kim Lacy
  • Dona Holleman
  • Emily Furman
  • John Nordlinger
  • Michael Calignano
• The communal dinner table with Dona at the head.  We spent many pleasant moments together around this table.
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• Yael's Posture Lessons
• Giovanna cooking something wonderful.
• Night of the big moon
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• Giovanna and Teresa insisted we return to the lovely Christam Pageant in the neighboring village of Polpenazze where the whole town pitches in and creates a wonderfully elaborate re-enactment of Bethlehem.
• Didn't realize they had wooden bicycles in Bethlehem?!
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• John blends in with his bright yellow marmot jacket!
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• John told me I had to take this photo or nobody would believe me.
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• Giovanna accosting a boy who was playing a role in the pagent.

• John, Kim and I stop at Verona for lunch on our way to Venezia.
  • This buildin is under restoration and had a huge photograph of the building on the scafolding!  Really confused me that the building didn't change perspective as I walked.  How do they do this?
  • Ken and Juliet (there is a legend about rubbing up to Julie, notice the shiny spots on her anatomy)
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  • Coliseum (with strange sculpture)
• Venezia (we got lost in the fog at night driving to Venice but we made it!)
  • The room we shared at the Hotel Marconi in Venice on the Grand Canal.
  • View from our room.
  • Very high water on the grand canal in front of our hotel.
  • Sergio Boldrin wearing one of his signature masks at his shop: La Bottega dei Mascareri. In the background you can see some of his wonderful masks. He made the masks for Eyes Wide Shut as well as the masks I brought back. Please email him at mascarer@tin.it, he is happy to ship masks internationally and speaks delightful english!
  • John being chivalrous with Kim at the surprisingly deep water.
  • The flooding made St. Mark's especially beautiful.
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• Milano! I took leave of John and Kim and traveled to Milan by  train.
  • My room in Milan at the Hotel Gran Duca Di York  Wonderfully located very close to Piazza Del Duomo but with terribly soft beds!
  • View from my room
  • My first glimpses of the Duomo
  • Galleria with its iron and glass!
  • Piazza Del Duomo, site of the Milan Year 2000 celebration!

World famous stained glass:

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• What an impressive view!
• The bronze doors of the Duomo.  Look at the incredible relief!
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• Old and new atop the Duomo.
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• La Scala Opera House
  • View from the Street
  • Interior
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• Walking on the roof
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• Nice folks took a photo of me!
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• Milano
  • Duomo by night
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  • Last Supper
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• Trinkets I brought home for myself and for gifts:
• Mirano Glass
  • Elephant and Kitty
  • A variety of Mirano Fish!
• Venetian Carnival Masks
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