Thirty Northern California Chapter members and guests attended the March 2 luncheon at the Basque Cultural Center in South San Francisco. Keynote speaker Lucy Hsu, a teacher, explained that she dedicates her four months of annual school holiday to travel. Specifically, it has been her goal to travel to all 193 UN Member States, the last of which was Syria. When she was finally was able to obtain a visa to enter Syria, she jumped at the opportunity and spent a week exploring Damascus, Palmyra, Aleppo and other important points of interest. Her impressions of this ancient, yet troubled part of the world, were fascinating especially as some of those in attendance recalled their own experiences during peaceful times.
