Stories from Italy 02: Paolo Ruffini - Clara Woods

The day after Radio Deejay, we went back to Florence. We had a full day ahead, one of those days when so many things happen that, at night, you just sit and think… wow.

We started the morning at TuttoBene. If you’ve never been, it’s a coffee shop. It’s the place where everything started for Clara. Her first exhibition, the first people who believed in her and her art when we had no idea what we were doing. Walking in there is super cool.

We met Claudio. He is the owner, and he is the one who said to me: Betina, you need to make it big. You need to make it perfect and show Clara as an artist! Everyone there is so good, and you will not believe the treats (cappuccino chiarissimo and pistacchio croissant). (If you want to find them while in Florence sear on google for TuttoBene - Campi Bisenzio)

(Clara e Claudio in Clara's first exhibition in 2018)

Then we drove to Lucca for lunch. We went to see Rene, one of my Dutch mentors, someone who has been part of my life for so many years. We worked together for a long time, and today he is a dear friend. Anna cooked for us, and being with her feels like home. We worked side by side for 10 years while I ran my company in Italy. She was my right hand. Now she is like a second mom to me.

After lunch, we went back to Florence, met Laura, and went for an interview with Florence Magazine. I will write a full blog about LAURA because she deserves it. She is one of the most genuine, kind souls I’ve ever met.

Then we headed to the theater.

Wait… quick stop for pizza on the way, because priorities

Clara was super tired! But as always, her way is: never give up, keep going. So we kept going.

When we arrived, we met Giovanni Vernassa, one of the owners of Teatro Verdi. From the first second, he was so nice to Clara. He made everything possible to make a good experience for Clara.

And then… we met Paolo.

Probably, if you are not Italian, you do not know Paolo. He is an example to be followed everywhere and for everyone.

He made "Din Don Down" a theatrical show, described as a collective rite and variety show blending comedy and poetry to explore themes of faith, humanity, and divinity. It features performers with Down syndrome and promises an experience aimed at curing hypochondria and providing emotional relief.

Other than that, he has a podcast and a radio show where he interviews and exchanges ideas with people with disabilities (also moms), sharing what is really going on in the lives of people with disabilities, so bringing to a mass audience what is important to showcase to break barriers and the fears of interaction with people with disabilities. We loved and loved.

And now… we can’t wait to be on his podcast 😄