INSTAzione – One of the most amazing Instameets… in a train!

It took us some time… But we wanted to feature this amazing Instameet who took place in Italy 3 months ago. Probably one of the most amazing meeting of Instagramers ever! An Instameet in a train! Here´s teh full story of a creative and funny event organized by our @IgersReggioEmilia @IgersBologna @IgersFC @IgersModena and @IgersRimini.

Sunday 11th March was the day chosen by Instagram for last Worldwide Instameet,  several groups from the IgersItalia network planned a fun and creative Instameet on a train.

INSTAzione (a word made up of Instagram and the Italian word for train station”Stazione”) was the first Instameet with train stops and planned by the outstanding brains of Instagramers Bologna, Instagramers Forlì-Cesena, Instagramers Modena, Instagramers Reggio Emilia and Instagramers Rimini on the occasion of the Worldwide Instameet.

The initial idea was an Instameet for the Italian Emilia-Romagna region in just one city. It might have been fun but the 5 groups in the Emilia-Romagna area were not really sure about the idea.

Laughing, talking and joking they asked themselves ‘Why don’t we try to visit all our cities in one day?’. Unfortunately we’re not superheroes (not yet) so we had this insane idea to start off from Rimini by train and finish in Reggio Emilia, involving all the 5 groups from Emilia-Romagna and being able to meet as many instagramers as possible. At the beginning we thought it was a fantastic but impossible idea, but looking up the trains timetable we realized that it wasn’t that impossible!

In this post we listen to each group experience and their own INSTAzione story-telling. (see here the #Instazione tag of the day)

We woke up, excited by the splendid day, we loaded our luggage so we could get in the center of Rimini early, where a few instagramers were waiting for us at the ‘Briocheria’ (bakery), in front of Augustus’ Arc.

The slow departure, due to the generosity of our sponsor, didn’t lower our spirits. Trolleys were full, and one of them was named ‘the sarcophagus’, another lost a few wheels during the way, until it abandoned us for good. At the ‘Briocheria’ we were greeted with a wonderful #instacake baked by Sandro just for the occasion, it was a blast on our instagramer feed, collecting approvals and ovations from all the parts of the world.

After the photographic seige of instagramers and people waking by, the #instacookies single packed arrived, the were going in each travel kit for all the instagramers. In the kits just given out, there was even a ‘AMA’ beer by Amarcord, our heavy supporters with cantinadellabirra.it, besides the gadgets and the instructions for the event.

When it was time to leave, the cake was already melted and despite the poor mobility of our trolleys, we managed to cross the center of Rimini. We were at #INSTAzione (at the train staion) in time and we said goddbye to all the igers that stayed in Rimini, until the arrival of our train when a voice on the loudspeaker said ‘away from the yellow line….the instagramers are arriving!’

For the Instagramers of Forli-Cesena, #INSTAzione was double important because, besides being the first event of its kind organized in Italy, it was an occasion and a support for the first official meetup of the community.

In a beautiful sunny morning, the part of the group from Cesena  gathered up in the lovely Corte Dandini, near ‘Nero su Bianco’, that we thank for the hospitality. In between old acquaintances, new friends and the curiosity of children (the new generations of Instagramers?) we gave out the Travel Kits, and handed out the badges with the names and, in the traditional relaxed way of people from Emilia-Romagna people in front of a appetizer drink, we waited for the group from Rimini with a load of smiles and supplies literally overwhelming.

Overloaded but happy, with trolleys running down the road, we started the tour through the center of the city, that was shorted than planned: Piazza del Popolo, a group photo on the Masini Fountain, the Duomo and then back to the station.

While on our iPhones appeared one after the other, more and more pics of happy igers waiting at the train station of Forli`, we got on the train from the Cesena train station.

At our arrival at the station, the first of many wild brilliant moments of the day: we gave a badge @InstaTrainDriver to an amused train driver and lined up all our iPhones, like paparazzi.

Time to prepare the Travel Kits for our friends from Forli`, hand out the great cookies made by the bakery ‘Dolce Vita di Santa Sofia’ (thank you Alberto!) and all the Instagramers from Forli`, Cesena and Rimini, went for a photowalk that between glimpses of architecture worthy of a De Chirico painting, that will take them to the ‘Piazzale Della Vittoria’ and to its statue of Icarus, historical meeting point of Forli`, not without taking a group photo on a crossing first, like Abbey Road.

At 2:22 pm we say goodbye to the igers that will not continue the trip, with the promise to plan as soon as possible another Instameet with the two cities Forli` Cesena, and we hop on the train that will take us to Bologna.

For all the igersFc it was a great experience that must be repeated very soon: til the next instameet!

While the group that started in Rimini, was getting on the the 2:22 pm train, 15 instagramers from Bologna, some old friends and some new entries of the communtiy, started the instawalk at the discovery of places of Bologna unknown to most people, guided by @bianca_gege (the other half of @igersbologna, @binbaa was on the train eating all the good stuff of her Travel Kit).

The first landmark of the tour, was the almost unknown ‘Oratorio dello Spirito Santo’, in Val D’Aposa street, jewel in red terracotta full of figures in relief, restored between  ‘800 and ‘900, which caught the eye of most Instagramers.

Then we went to a hidden tombstone in D’Azeglio street, that is on the wall of S. Procolo’s church. The latin inscription on the tombstone is nothing less than a tongue twister.

So the group had to almost run to meeting point (through little streets very photogenic and the classic beauty of Piazza Santo Stefano, in which the antique market allowed us to take some nice pictures) with the other igers that were on the train: ITIT Sandwich Cafe`. Here, we were able to have something to eat, hug our fellow igers and print some of the pics with the printer sponsored by BlackSheep.

After handing out the welcome kit, we said goodbye to those who were staying in Bologna, and we took the train to new adventures.

Loaded like mules, we waited for the other igers to arrive at 5.20 pm at the train station of Modena. Luckily this time the italian trains were on time! Scenes like wanderer families reuniting after too long, hugs, greetings, iPhones in our hands and a lot of smiles. After we gave out the k-rations of ‘ciccioli’ (a type of snack made of pork typical of our region) and slipped into our bags battles of Lambrusco (offered by www.surbir.it), we headed to the center of Modena.

The chatting and the insta-pauses had the better of our legs, so we decided to stop directly in Piazza Pomposa to carry on with the best part of this successful instameet: having time to know better our fellow igers.

Glasses for toasts, iPhones for taking pictures and little time to relax, immediately on the run to go back to the station for the last stop of the #INSTAzione.

So happy for the awesome company and the super formed group, a great experience, that should be done again. Is it too soon to ask when?

Igersreggioemilia lived this important event with a little bit of anxiety .

We started the week before, looking for places, choosing the best one and, like in weddings, tasting everything that was going to be served. What you wouldn’t do for igers…

And since the ‘erbazzone’ (a typical salty ‘pie’ with vegetables), was suppose to be very good, in doubt we tasted it even the day before the event! The event was held in a ‘in’ bar of the city and for us it was a great pleasure having our insta-friends in the main square of Reggio Emilia.

This anxiety was well justified, we felt the responsibility of the fact that we were the last mile of the instameet and so we had to end the day in a great way. Don’t forget that in our city there will be an important Photography event very soon! So we hope to see you soon.

(see here full gallery of Photos!!)

.

Thank you to: Black Sheep Store , Beer AMA by Birra Amarcord, Cantina Della Birra , La Briocheria di Rimini (Via XX Settembre 45, Rimini), Industree, Surbir, Emilia By Food, Kevin & Victory’s Bakery, La Dolce Vita Bakery, Foto Ottica Paoletti, Stickygram, ItIt and with the patronage of Emilia Romagna Turism.

We also thank all the Instagramers that attended at this event with so much enthusiasm, thank you at the Instagramers that helped us put during the day and thank you too to the Instagramers that couldn’t attend but were able to follow us from their home with so much enthusiasm and love.