Rotary Recap 9.4.2013

Thank you Sandy Harris and Pauline Hintz for sharing your England adventures with us. The tag team story telling was the best part. Again, the photos were gorgeous and the best I can do in sharing the experience is to give a highlight reel with tidbits of things the couple learned along the way.

When honoring a big anniversary, destination celebration is evidently the way to go. Sandy and Pauline have made it 20 years together and decided a two-week walking tour of England was the best way to commemorate the event. Note: it's also their first trip without Patrick.

Their first goal was to get in shape. There could be up to 15 miles of walking a day, and they wanted to be ready. It turns out that Pauline's knee was not so ready, so they opted for a driving tour with the option of walking from time-to-time. Sandy learned quickly that the $60 insurance coverage on the rental vehicle is an excellent idea, especially since the english drive on the opposite side of the road, drive on the opposite side of the vehicle, every lane is the fast lane, it's unclear if it's mph or kph and the signs make no sense. The crash course in driving is simply...to drive.

They took the recommendations of Rick Steves of PBS, and it turns out that the travel guru really knows his stuff--Sandy and Pauline were not disappointed. The first stop was in the Cotswolds where they stayed with a very nice family for four days. The man of the house once won the Shin Kicking competition for which the Cotswolds are world famous. Contestants' only protection is the amount of hay they can stuff in their pants before the kicking begins.

In Chipping Campden they don't hide their dead--they are buried in floors and walls--they're everywhere. Sandy's highlight reel includes Shephard's Pie. It turns out that mashed peas is their gravy, and it's good.

There's no such thing as a small church or castle. Pauline has had a lifelong love affair with Royals, so naturally they went to every one they could find. She once invited Prince Charles to her sorority formal. He refused. At the Sudeley Castle they saw the Queen's throne and Sandy's fascination was piqued...as was ours as he shared the history.

The rolling hills are pastoral and picturesque. Pauline particularly enjoyed the sounds of sheep and the walking paths. Note: if someone walks a path just once a year, then that path will remain public land.

After the Cotswolds they ventured to Bath and saw every church they could. Sandy was quickly named The Vicar from America and was privvy to the behind-the-scenes workings.

The only wrong turn they took lead them to Whales and they had to backtrack to London so they could admire the crown jewels and the sites of beheadings. Pauline's shining moment was when a guard asked if she was there with her father. All of those guards are former special forces who live on and keep safe the grounds as part of their pensions. Sandy enjoyed the Churchill War Rooms where he ran WWII. (Winston, not Sandy)

They found a Pizza Hut and dined there in Patrick's honor, as he has worked at a pizza place for two summers.

Along with 22K of their closest travel companions, Pauline and Sandy watched the changing of the guards at Buckingham Palace. They arrived an hour and a half early to make sure they could get a good spot...and it was worth it. There were no Royal sightings on this trip and Sandy was pretty palaced-out by the time they got to Kensington, so Pauline took her own 40-minute whirlwind tour and got an excellent selfie with Princess Di.

They still plan to take a walking trip when Pauline heals, although they are kind of glad they didn't do it this time. "We would have been so intent on walking that we might have missed something," Pauline said. Welcome home.

In other news:

• Damon Dennis toured Branson this summer
• Wildcat Concessions will begin at 6pm this Friday
• Ron Weers Park clean up will be on Saturdays September 7 & 14th from 8:30-11:30. Please bring: pruners, clippers, a weed eater, a chainsaw, loppers, shovels and a keg. There will be tree trimming, mulch spreading and more
• A Rotary group has invited us to participate in their clean up in Shawnee, Oklahoma after a tornado. September 19-22. Please contact Shelley Haines if you would like to help.
• DG Gary Duggan is looking for a District 5710 Club Trainer. Contact Shelley Haines if you would like to try it.

Guest List:

• Andrea Hoelting
• Pauline Hintz

Next Week in Rotary: a forecast of spring sports from Louisburg High School coaches.