May 2017 4day Visit to Fermo Rotary Club, Italy

Thu, May 18th 2017 at 12:00 pm- Sun, May 21st 2017 - 5:00 pm

An International Visit - we are delighted to accept an invitation from the Fermo Rotary Club to visit them and talk about Rotary in Great Britain & Ireland.


Thanks to Pia Wadhams, a member of the italian Fermo Rotary Club (and wife to our member Peter), we have developed friendly links with her Club.  A group of 14, members and their partners, from the Cambridge South Rotary Club were able to visit and to talk about our projects and Rotary in Cambridge. We were very well looked after by our italian hosts who had planned a wonderful itinerary for us. We look forward to hosting a group in return in Cambridge in the future.

We were treated to a unique and tailor made introduction to the region - exploring places no one else could have shown us - with our very own translators who joined in everything with enthusiasm and care. The area has a great deal of beauty with gorgeous vistas in every direction, being between the nearby adriatic coast and the snow topped mountains

Huge Thanks to our italian hosts and especially Pia Casarini Wadhams, Pio Cartini and our liaison Lorenzo Papetti especially for planning so well !   The Club of Fermo made us so very welcome - we were sad to say Goodbye for now.

Our very full Itinerary :

THURSDAY

Arrive at Ancona Airport in the morning to be met by our own bus and driver to take us to Fermo.

We stopped along the way at the lovely town of Recanati and a tour/visit to the extraordinary shrine of the Lady of Loreto.

Settle in to the Hotel Astoria, Fermo.

Eat together in the highly recommended hotel restaurant.

FRIDAY

Day Tour of medieval/roman Fermo with coffee and lunch along the way - including the vast Roman Cisterns beneath the main square and the 18th century Theatre of the Eagle.

Peter lead us up to the Cathedral area, and showed us the lovely Cathedral crypt plus the Diosecian Museum who treasure a chasuble once owned by Thomas a Becket. Then we were treated to an aperitif with a heavenly view from their top floor flat terrace.

In the evening we were picked up and escorted by members in their cars to the Fermo Club Meeting on the coast - to give a talk and share a late meal -  an abundant and delicious buffet including all sorts of fish and fresh pasta, vegetables and fruit.  Duncan was honoured to help induct their 97th and 98th members.

SATURDAY

Browse the Saturday Market in Fermo.

Day Tour - starting with the pretty town of Ascoli Piceno and it Art Gallery and Cathedral - with renowned art expert Professor Stefano Papetti as our guide.

Visit the 18th century theatre in Offida and also see a demonstration of the local lace-making skills that the area is so famous for - including weaving with gold wire into delicate jewelry.

Visit a Winery in Ripatransone (Cocci Grifoni) & an Olive Farm in Montalto delle Marche (Olive Gregori) - with a tour and taste of their utterly more-ish fresh products.

Eat together in the wonderful Verde Quiete ('Quiet Green') Restaurant nearby - which included wonderful wines from the vineyard, olives from the farm and truffles from the local area - an absolutely succulent example of italian cuisine.

SUNDAY

Free to pack and wander the town.

Transport to Pescara Airport for the return flight home.

Now we will report back to the Cambridge South Rotary Club about our adventures.

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