Picture Gallery
From Baden-Baden Visit March 2004
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A party from Ipswich Orwell was generously entertained by the Rotary Club of Hanau-Maintal on a joint visit
to the Baden-Wurttenberg area of south Germany between 25th and 28th March 2004. Visits to the Mercedes assembly
plant and the 18th century schloss in Rastatt, a day trip to the fine spa town of Baden-Baden and a tour
of the northern part of the Schwarzwald were skilfully coordinated, interspersed with wine-tastings and dinners
and Black Forest gateaux in some very exclusive venues.
Please browse through a selection of pictures from the trip using the buttons above. Click on any of
the pictures to view an enlarged version.
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1 of 12
We were accommodated along with our friends from Hanau
in the very pleasant Hotel Am Froschbachel, part of a German Red Cross training centre in Buhl, Baden-Wurttemberg |
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It was Hanne Schmidt-Mixner's birthday and she stoically
accepted a serenade from Horst Lech and President Derek Firmin in the bierkeller of our hotel. Some stayed rather late |
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The majority of the English and German parties emerged
the next morning for a group photograph in the grounds of the hotel beneath a Rotary banner. |
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On our visit to the Mercedes factory in Rastatt
photographs of the assembly lines were strictly forbidden, but we were allowed to snap Sonja Fox in the Visitors Centre aboard a Formula One Mercedes Maclaren |
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After a generous lunch provided by the Mercedes organisation
in the Hotel Schwert we toured Schloss Rastatt, an 18th Century Baroque palace modelled on the Palace of Versailles |
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At the end of the tour of the Schloss Rastatt we were
invited to a tasting of pink champagne and continental
chocolate, which we gracefully accepted after a very
brief period of reflection. |
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7 of 12
Before leaving the Schloss Rastatt we were given the
opportunity to order a Maybach 5.5 litre V12, 550 bhp,
18 mpg luxury limousine - a snip at about £300,000 Sterling.
Here Maggie Kember tests the upholstery and considers
her choice of accessories. |
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8 of 12
More wine in the evening with a meal at the Gastehaus
Spinnerhof, famous for the schnapps which is distilled
on the premises. We sampled a little and then we sampled
a little more. |
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Here Herr Rudolph Spinner, brewmaster and incendiary,
demonstrates his flame test for proving the schnapps
by spraying a mouthful of it over the hot still. |
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10 of 12
After dinner and a few beers (and some schnapps) there
came the log-sawing competition supervised by Rudolph
Spinner. Here Presidents Gerhard Wussow and Derek Firmin
tackle the two-handed cross-cut saw with enormous gusto
and questionable skill. No lives were lost. |
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Proud winners of the log-sawing contest were Bob Fox
and Michael Trower. Here they delightedly show off their
prizes – Winners’ certificates and 70 dl of schnapps
apiece. |
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12 of 12
The booby prize of schnapps miniatures for the two most
inefficient sawyers went to Peter Smith and John Field,
both of whom appear equally proud of their success.
Why? Could it be the schnapps? |
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