Ascot Rotarians visit Germany

32 members of the Rotary Club of Ascot and their partners spent the May Day weekend visiting the area of Ingelheim, near Frankfurt, Germany. The trip was organised through the Rotary Club of Ingelheim, and is the latest in a series of international exchange visits that have been made between the two clubs.

Leaving from Heathrow on Friday morning, the first part of the programme included a guided tour of Bad Kreuznach, a spa town on the Nahe River, a tributary of the Rhine. In the evening, the party was entertained to a medieval banquet, complete with minstrels and traditional medieval food, served onto wooden plates. The only implements for eating were a dagger and a wooden spoon.

On the Ramparts of Castle Reichenstein

On Saturday the day began with a visit to the garden festival in Bingen, then a trip down the Rhine past some of the picturesque castles. The party disembarked at Trechtingshausen for a guided tour of Castle Reichenstein, followed by lunch in the castle dining hall and then a walking tour back in Ingelheim.

After an hour break it was time for a dinner hosted by the Ingelheim Rotarians, which was preceded by a musical entertainment. The President of the Rotary Club of Ingelheim, Claus Schick, formally welcomed the Ascot visitors, and Ian Valentine, President of the Rotary Club of Ascot thanked the German Club members for organising the visit.

The Ascot visitors stroll through a vineyard above Ingelheim.

Sunday morning was spent on walk in the local vineyards, followed by lunch at a restaurant owned by one of the Ingelheim Rotarians, before returning to Frankfurt airport for the flight home.

Speaking afterwards, President Ian said “There is a great benefit to the Rotary movement from these international exchange visits, building up friendships and understanding across national and language boundaries. The trips also boost the fellowship within the individual Rotary Clubs, which is the basis of the charitable and humanitarian work undertaken by Rotarians worldwide”.