On the 1st of November it was time to go again to Verbania - Pallanza on the coast of Lake Maggiore to attend the 25th CDO convention. In Germany we started the trip with the typical dim weather for a day in November but luckily it cleared up and the sun showed up. This year we were are a big team: The 22 German participants were the biggest foreign group at the meeting. Whilst I made preparations for the journey I learned that Miyuki Kawamura from Japan and Román Diaz from Uruguay were invited to be special guests. Roman I knew already because I had met him at the German convention this year in Bonn and I was looking forward seeing him again. I was very excited to meet Miyuki Kawamura. I've seen her modular models in the Tanteidan magazine, where she has published a lot within the last years. Besides the special invited guests other common artists also arrived.
The German group which I traveled with arrived in the afternoon in Verbania. To my delight I got the same room in the hotel which I stayed last year that granted a terrific vista on the Lake Maggiore.
When we arrived at the congress hall there was a lot going on already. It was great to see many friends and acquaintances again who I met last year at the same meeting and the tangle of different languages felt like music in my ears.
The next morning I had the opportunity to learn Miyuki Kawamura in person. Later on her workshop started and the room was crowded and even the very last seat was taken and more chairs were fetched to satisfy all interested parties. The workshop was very interesting and entertaining.
The first briefing of the teams took place until noon because of the establishment of five international teams for the opening at night. Each team was tasked to show a little story at the jubilee party on Saturday, the 3rd of November. I belonged to the team "yellow" and the team leader was Riccardo Quagliarini from Rome. I met him already last year. Our team decided to show a wedding celebration so we had a lot to do that morning!
The afternnoon was spent together with other German guests at the Lake Maggiore. We strolled from dowtown to the coast, sitting in a street cafe and drinking an espresso and with 19 degrees temerature we enjoyed the glorious sunshine and the view of the lake and the mountains.
At night I gave a workshop and showed my model Masu Flexonium. In the nick of time I finished the model to take with me to Italy. Its a further developement of a model created by Paolo Bascetta. Have a look at the pictures! We had lots of fun folding it.
Saturday morning I used the time before breakfast to take beautiful pictures of the sunrise. Whilst my "party team" prepared things for the "wedding" I folded the bridal veil out of pergamyn.
Shortly after noon Christine Bettens - Mélisande - from Switzerland came along. She had just arrived because she couldnt be there before Saturday and it was a great pleasure for me to see her again.
For the night the big party was announced and at 21.00 hrs all teams started to get prepared to show their little story. The women of our team began to customize our team leader Riccardo Quagliarini. Of course the costume was made and folded of paper and we had to be very careful so it wouldn't tear before the performance had to be shown. Fully customized Riccardo appeared being half a bride and half a groom. He even shaved half of his beard off, and the other side of his face he wore women's makeup. He set a good scene and during preparation there was much laughter. I was the father of the bride and led the "couple" into the hall.
It must have been a funny site since Ricardo is much taller than I am. He had a very convincing performance. Jan Polish from the USA was also on the team. When we entered the room she broke into tears and sobbed into a 1 square meter napkin. Everyone thought this was hilarious. The audience has shown enthusiastic reaction.
After the show the German folders sat together with Román Diaz from Uruguay and folded a panda bear. It must have been much later than midnight when I finally fell into bed. The nights at those meetings are known for being very short.
Altogether there were many very interesting workshops. Beside the workshop the guest of honour Miyuki Kawamura and Román Diaz gave lectures of their own models. Pieter Wielinga showed a very small but beautiful elephant; Paul Hassenforder gave a lecture for a hat. Herman van Goubergen showed a variation of his Mare Mosso and David Derudas gave lecture for a grasshopper that sits on a palm frond, just to name some of them.
Unfortunately the meeting finished on Saturday afternoon but many folders extended their stay for one day. On Sunday evening I sat together with Miyuki Kawamura from Japan, Román Diaz from Uruguay, Pieter Wielinga from the Netherlands, Roberto Gretter from Italy und Jorge Pardo from Spain and with an exchange of ideas we concluded the last evening.
The next morning after breakfast we said goodbye, packed our stuff and at about noon we left by train in direction to Germany.
I would like to say thanks to Gigi Gaisbauer and Annelie Kreis for making very good travel arrangements, to Luigi Leonardi, Roberto Gretter and his team for the nice welcome and the perfect preparation of the convention. The hotel staff was very caring and also deserves many thanks. It was an unforgettable time in Italy.

The guests of honour Miyuki Kawamura and Román Diaz were introduced during the opening of the convention. You can see them on the right side in the picture. Herman van Goubergen (on the left) translated the explanations of Luigi Leonardi, who moderated the opening.

Miyuki Kawamura performing her first workshop.

Pieter Wielinga demonstrates that he folds more than only Mette Pederson rings. Pieter shows a small 3D elephant in his workshop.

Jordi Adell from Spain and Ilona Weidner from our German group are sitting together, fully concentrated to their model.

On the right side is Paolo Bascetta from Bologna. His Flexi Masu inspired me to my new origami model Masu flexonium that I taught for Paolo and other origami friends in a small workshop.

Some women of the Ladenburg group. They are folding my new model Masu flexonium. Wouldn’t I have taken this picture I would sit there with them.

The fisher in his wooden boat was a interesting motive in a picturesque background.

This is Paul Hassenforder his workshop. Using bowls and lots of water he creates the nicest hats. There is always action when he is having a workshop.

Herman van Goubergen is showing a variation of his Mare Mosso. If he is done with folding two dugs are sliding on a sheet of paper form on end to the other. It doesn’t sound very thrilling but it looks very cool!

On the right Paolo Bascetta and in the middle of the picture you see Pieter Wielinga. They are folding a sofa. It’s easy to fold but looks also very real.

This charming lady is gilding herself with a small paper hat. Maybe she was in Paul’s workshop. The picture is perfect with her smile.

This is the model „Gecko and Fly on a Wall“ by Herman van Goubergen. I like this model a lot because I like the approach. It was a challenge to folding it.

This is another gecko, the „Flexigecko“ by David Derudas.

This fashion doll was clothes by Annette and Paul Hassenforder. They are folding beautiful dresses and accessories. The even performed a fashion show and real demonstration models were wearing the paper dresses.

Some models of Miyuki Kawamura.

You see many new models of Nicoletta Maggino.

Vanda Battaglia from Bergamo is folding those gorgeous jewel miniatures. They look the same complicated than my nanotesselations.

This mask is made by Joel Cooper (USA). Christiane Bettens - Mélisande (Switzerland) was so kind to take it over there and present it to us. It was really fascinating to see one of Joe’s masks to see in real and not only as a picture. Its impressing how the masks are performed.

This is a tessellation model by Christiane Bettens – Mélisande.

I think the idea to this model is very amusing. The big star can be grinded into many small starts.

Miyuki Kawamura and Oliver Drewien are assembling one of Miyuki’s models.

Team „Yellow“are preparing their little story.

This year I made it to take a picture of the big jubilee cake. It didn’t look great only, it tasted delicious too. Thanks to the confectioners.

They all are helping to cloth Riccardo Quagliarini. They are fitting the shirt with scissors.

This is Ricardo during his marriage ceremony. He’s just placing the ring on his finger. The spectators broke out in laughter because he was acting so serious. The entire costume was made of paper.

This is a picture with international team composition.From the left to the right: Miyuki Kawamura from Japan / Giappone, Vicente Palacios from Spanien, Ralf Konrad from Deutschland (Webmaster of this HP) und Román Diaz from Uruguay. Thanks for the great memory picture.

This is the glorious view through my window to the Lago Maggiore and the Isle Isola Bella (Bonny Island).

You see our tour group consisting of eight women and myself at the train station of Verbania.

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