Finally, we feel we have reached a place in our incredibly complicated move from Hickory, NC, to Naples, Florida, so that we can take an evening to attend one of the many events taking place in Naples. We choose a visit to Études de Ballet and to take in the annual Romanian Festival held there. 
First thing we saw when we arrived was an art exhibit by Viorica Ghetu-Vuono. Lovely work, with amazingly deep emotional details, particularly with respect to some of America's darkest involvement in matters of the soul, like slavery, the Orphan Trains, and the attack on Hawaii in 1941. I found the work to be probing, full of thought and emotion, yet tempered by the acknowledgment of historical unfoldment. I met her and talked with her and was very impressed with her work. She is from Moldova, in the eastern Czech Republic, and has studied art in Russia, Moldova and Ukraine. Currently, she is living and studying in Connecticut. More information on her work and photographs of her art can be found at www.vioricavuono.com
Once inside the festival hall, we found wildness unfolding in the form of dancing, singing, shouting, stomping, swirling, all at a very LOUD level of musical noise. However, the people were obviously enjoying themselves and almost all of the announcements were made in some language other than English. The food was good, and we sat with another couple at at table in the far rear, away from the awesome sounds. During a lull in the music we found out that they were from Asheville, NC. So – our first excursion out to meet the people of Naples, after our trip from Hickory, NC, turned up two: One from Moldavia, and another from Asheville. An awesome beginning. Actually, kind of the way everything else has gone so far!
