Breaking Bread at Bellagio

Lake Como’s stillness has been interrupted by an afternoon shower. A look out the window of my room reveals that the thunder and lightning have made the storm sound more aggressive than the pepper of drops turns out to be. But, where the “storm” is lacking in moisture, it makes up in fog. My view, just moments ago, was of three or four hills converging on the lake. Now, there is just a gray cloud, and barely any hill to be seen at all.

I am here for a 4-day workshop at the Rockefeller Foundation study center in Bellagio, Italy. The property is set on more than a few acres of land that have, over the last 500 years, played roles as diverse as that of princess’ villa, Capuchin monastery, fortress, and hotel. Fifty years ago, the aforementioned princess bequeathed the property, with its many villas, landscaped hillsides, Lake Como swimming hole, and views of Italy and Switzerland to the Rockefeller Foundation.

Today, I climbed up the switchback paths to the leftover fortress, followed by bumble bees and scaring up quite a few lizards, to see the view of the other side of the lake. On the way, I passed through a dark, wet cave, and before that, went through a few gardens where it looked like a sane Edward Scissorhands did some handiwork. It is quiet here—perfect for thinking. But here there is an energy to the quietude.

That energy was apparent at dinner. Around the table sat men and women from Tanzania, Thailand, Vietnam, India, America, and Nigeria (and that was just one table of 7). We are all here to share our findings and methodologies from foresight research we’ve been conducting over the past 6 months. But, conversation at my side of the table focused on the World Cup, dowry practices in East Africa, relations between Pakistan and India, and flying times from Milan to everywhere we came from.