The trip to Verona, Italy, started out with a nighttime flight across the Atlantic. Flying east, the light of dawn hit the airplane wing as we flew over Ireland.

I traveled to Verona with Karen Pryor for the TAGteach International World Summit. This conference was all about how to use the science of behavior and positive reinforcement in applications as diverse as earthquake safety training, to teaching modern dance, to improving the skills of call center employees. It was a week of intense conversations,  a hah! moments, making connections, and deep thought. But, because it was in Verona, Italy, there were plenty of distractions. Around every corner was something to see, which started for me at the door of the hotel, which was this ancient behemoth.

This was the Hotel Scalzi. The staff were superbly helpful, and the cappuccino in the morning (in a walled garden) was exactly what one should have to start the day in Verona.

The hotel also happened to be next to the best gelato store in Verona – Romana Gelato. I made it my mission to try every flavor. There were days when I had two cones (pre-lunch and after dinner.) But, I didn’t succeed in my quest because they frequently introduce new recipes!

The conference was right in the center of old Verona. Walking to the venue, I passed facades that were beautifully textured. These buildings, most centuries old, are still inhabited and used in normal, daily life.

There were, of course, fountains in plazas.

And there were bits of Roman walls that one could touch and walk through.

I’m not one that likes to tour cathedrals, but the San Lorenzo, a small church dating back to the 12th century was one of the most beautiful and peaceful spaces I’ve ever entered.

There was a castle with a bridge over the river.

Verona has a Roman amphitheater, which in September hosts opera. We had tickets for Aida, but they were the inexpensive seats, well up in the stands. You have to buy a cushion to make the 2,000 year old benches more comfortable.

There were 200 actors on stage and a complete orchestra. We stayed through Act II. The opera goes on until early morning hours.

Karen and I did go shoe shopping!

We had dinners with colleagues, and some on our own. Conversation centered on work and the conference. I was surprised that not all of the food was good, but a few meals were excellent. This was one.

At the conference, I was introduced to Michaela, who lives two-hours away in Parma. She invited Karen and I to get out of the city to meet her horses. It was supposed to be a not-so-difficult train ride. The first train was very nice. Karen and I settled into the journey.

But twenty minutes later we switched trains and boarded this. It was noisy, smelly and hot. There are always unexpected challenges when traveling!

Driving through the countryside and meeting Michaela’s horses (and spending hours discussing horse training theory) was worth it.

Her mare likes scratches. I found the sweet spot, as you can see in these two photos.

We were in Parma, so of course we had to stop at a cheese shop.

I didn’t go to Verona to sightsee. I went for the knowledge and inspiration that only these sorts of gatherings at conferences can provide. One night I had dinner with Dr. Susan Friedman and Karen Pryor, two indomitable women who have both changed the world in positive ways (and continue to do so.) The conversation ranged from how to train bumble bees to handling angry parrots to statistics. Susan and I talked at length about working with horses. What I garnered from these conversations, and from the seminars, is still percolating. I’ll be blogging about it in the months to come.

How lucky I was to have my head filled with thoughts in a place that looks like this!

While I’m in Verona, Italy (!) I’ll be sharing some of my most popular posts. The one that has had by far the most views is the FAQ, What To Feed Your Chickens.

Since January of this year it has been viewed 157,000 times. I take my responsibility for providing the most sensible, accurate and current information available seriously. I’ve recently rewritten this piece, so take a look if you haven’t read it for awhile.

While I’m in Italy this week, I’m revisiting and sharing my top posts. A lot of you (tens of thousands!) have found me via my FAQ about feather picking and bare butts. 

Seeing a usually sleek or fluffy, full-feathered hen with bald spots can send the chicken keeper into a tizzy. Sometimes it’s a cause for alarm, but often, it’s a part of the animal’s normal lifecycle. Seeing a hen pick feathers off of a flock mate can also send the owner into a panic.

Sometimes it’s cause for concern, but sometimes it’s a social behavior that all of the hens are happy with. I’ve written about that in the pecking order FAQ. Right now we’re heading into molting season. Feathers are flying. Loose feathers are enticing the hens to pluck. Bottoms are bare. Necks are scrawny.

Unless your hens have raw or bleeding skin, there’s no cause for concern. However, it does mean that you have to schedule a thorough coop clean after all of the feathers drop. Your hens will start the winter with new coats in a tidy coop.

I’m in Italy! Later this week, Karen Pryor will be speaking at the TAGteach World Summit, and I’ll be there. It’s so exciting that this effective and positive training method that she helped to create is spreading around the globe. Karen is a good friend and we enjoy traveling together. We’ve done a number of writing retreats to delightful small cities in New England – we hole up in our rooms during the day, typing away on our keyboards, and come out for meals and conversation, (And often to pop into a shoe shop.) So, when she asked if I’d like to join her in Verona, of course I said yes! We’re taking a few days before and after the conference to explore the area and enjoy the food.

I’m looking forward to spending three days immersed in TAGteach. Using TAGteach protocols enables me to impact on behavior in a clear, effective and positive way. It helps me to focus on the goal behavior and break it down into incremental, doable, rewardable steps. I’m using it more and more as I move further into my work with horses, It’s my preferred way to communicate to a horse owner about how to engage with her animal. I’m sure that I’ll come away from Verona with new tools and a better understanding of this training perspective.

I’ll likely also come home with a pair of shoes.

While I’m away, Steve will be holding down the fort. I’ve told the boys that they are to be on their best behavior.

I’ll be gone through September 8. I won’t be able to blog from Italy, but I didn’t want to leave this space blank for so long. So, I’ve looked over my most popular posts, revised them, and have queued them to go up while I’m away.

Ciao!