President’s Note

 

Well, we are now into the second half of August with a real Okanagan Summertime – and the livin’ is easy ! Perhaps you have family and/or friends visiting or perhaps you have been travelling and visiting family and friends yourselves  - whatever , I hope you have been enjoying life.

As I pen this note from the deck at home - looking out at the boats on the lake, the Humming birds occasionally stopping by for a quick sugar fix and the rasping exhaust rattle sound of a Harley Davison with an old guy (like me) cruising down Boucherie Road – I take another sip from the glass of wine and pinch myself and say “ this life aint so bad”.

So, as Summer slowly draws to an end and thoughts of the Fall creep in , it’s time to think about the months to come and the good times to plan for with our great “ Kelowna New Plus 3 Friendship Club”.

The new Executive is in place and starting  to plan for the coming 2010/2011 Club activities.

In addition , we have a full line-up of Activity Conveners :

 

Speaker Co-ordinator -           Marjorie Keenan      

Ladies’ Lunch             -           Joyce Forrest

Mens’ Lunch               -           Brian Galton

5-Pin Bowling             -           Rick Pringle

Walking Group           -           Dennis Davies

Opera Group              -           Irene St.Laurent

Stitch & Chat              -           Mary Beveridge

Ladies’ Bridge            -           Charlotte Chabrian

Couples’ Bridge          -           Gert Steyn

Wine Tasting Group    -           Peter Stefan

Sunday Brunch           -           Beryl Carnine

Muffin Basket             -           Ellie Stinson

Non Ficton Book Club –        Gabriel Thomasse

Travel Club                –          Paul Shearing

 

We all really want to continue with the good work and enthusiasm which has been built up over the years by the many Past Presidents, Executive Members and Activity Co-ordinators.

This is a great club which is so closely related to the Newcomers’ Club (all Plus 3 members have previously been in Newcomers) and it provides great opportunities and channels for members to continue to maintain and develop friendships built up over the years as well as meeting and engaging with new members graduating from Newcomers. To this end I want to encourage and further develop this natural bond between Newcomers and Plus 3 – we are all in this together.

As with all clubs, participation and involvement are key elements to your satisfaction of membership. I urge you to please get involved in those activities which appeal to you and do not hesitate to offer suggestions for improvement or change – we would love to hear from you.

So, the Club is in good shape – both financially and organizationally .We have a number of events coming up and will be advising you of these at the monthly meeting s as well as in the club’s Newsletter.

The next meeting of Plus 3 will be on Wednesday, September 8^th.I do hope to see you there.

Best regards to you all ,       

  Reg

 

‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘

 

 

Plus 3’s June Cruise on Lake Okanagan Event

Please click on the Printed Copy of the Newsletter to view the pictures

 

Speakers for September – Marjorie Keenan Convener

 

Ray and Valerie Parkes

of

 

Parrot Island is a unique sanctuary for abandoned and abused exotic birds. We are located in beautiful Peachland, B.C. in the sunny Okanagan Valley. We invite you to visit us to share in our passion for the care and love of these beautiful animals

Where In The World

Northern Europe and the Baltic - Spring 2010  by Linda & Dong Long

 

TEN countries and TEN different languages - a magnificent trip! Our minds are bursting with all that culture and history. In northern France we often had to use French in the smaller places. In Holland and Belgium we noticed similarities between Dutch and German. However, for the most part the people spoke English. They have to learn it at school. In Russia and Poland our tour guides had strong accents so we had to concentrate on what they were saying. Sometimes it was cute as they translated a word literally which was not really an English word. I have printed our photos and in spite of culling have 263 plus a few postcards and tickets. My usual album holds 200 so I had to buy a second one. 

 

In our rental car we left the airport at Amsterdam and were at our little Delft inn within half an hour. It was only 8:30 a.m. but the innkeeper gave us a room and served us breakfast at no charge. We loved staying there right on a canal and a block from the medieval town square. The medieval building has been in the same family for 4 generations. It was started as a bakery by the great grandparents but has now been changed into a hotel with some additions full of CHARACTER. After a nap we strolled around the town, enjoying the Saturday outdoor markets. The recommended restaurant for dinner was terrific. The next day was rainy so we toured the Vermeer Centre where the painter's work was very well explained. This was one of many tours where individual audio phones are provided. We really like these as we can proceed at our own pace and enjoy the explanations of what we are observing. Then we drove into the countryside to admire the tulip fields which were gorgeous strips of various colours. It was still raining the next day so we toured the 2 old churches and learned  the history of the House of Orange. After that we had a great tour of the Delft porcelain factory. I have always loved that blue and white china which originated in China. From there we drove to Bruges.

 

Our B&B there was in an old house very close to the town squares. We parked the car and left it for 2 days. Poor Doug had to carry our luggage up 2 flights of steep spiral stairs but he thought that the location was worth it. We had a great dinner away from the touristy areas. A Dutch couple who were sitting beside us started a conversation which we thoroughly enjoyed. Their English was a lot better than our Dutch!!!!  We had breakfast with people from Florida and Las Vegas. After a morning canal cruise we strolled around the cobblestoned streets and squares admiring the old buildings which are similar but not exactly like Amsterdam's. We had French fries (invented in Belgium) with mayonnaise in the old town square. In one church we admired a Madonna and Child carved by Michelangelo. It is exquisite and I can still see the beautiful smooth white marble in my mind.  In one museum we had a history of Flemish art. We returned to the same restaurant for dinner. Our B&B friends turned up there because we had told them about it at breakfast. They sat beside us and we had a great time.The next morning we rented bikes and rode out into the countryside to the village of Damme. It is wonderful the way there are bike paths beside all the streets and country roads. We had Belgian waffles with chocolate sauce in the village. After returning the bikes we left for France. 

 

The GPS was very helpful throughout our road trip. It got us to Vimy Ridge with no problem. The monument on a hill is very impressive from a distance. We arrived at closing time so searched with difficulty for a hotel. These were the little towns where not much English was spoken. However, we managed to settle into a chain motel and the next day returned to Vimy Ridge. It is a very moving monument to the WW1 Canadians. The sculptures on the towers are beautiful especially "Mother Canada" mourning her dead. Having read "The Stonecarvers" made it even more inspiring. There is absolutely no commercial activity there - not even postcards for sale. We toured the trenches and Doug went with guides into the tunnels. Afterwards we drove to 2 cemeteries. They are beautifully maintained. Most of the stones have no name but are inscribed "Known Only Unto God".

 

From there we drove south to Giverny in order to see Claude Monet's home and garden. It is truly beautiful. The water lilies were not yet blooming but the gardens were full of tulips, wisteria, lobelia and many other flowers. This was our only tough night because hotels were full to our surprise. We ended up in Rouen at 10:00 p.m. and got the last room in an Ibis hotel. However, the elevator was broken and the room was on the fifth floor. Doug is still alive. 

 

We headed to Bayeux in Normandy the next day and checked into a chain motel for 3 nights. It was very comfortable and convenient for day trips. We first toured the museum which holds the Bayeux tapestry. It is 70 metres long and displayed at eye level. We had the audio phones which described each scene of the 1066 conquest of England by William the Conqueror (Guillaume le Conquerant). We went through twice and then enjoyed the lifesize displays and models of the time. It is incredible that this tapestry has survived so long. The pictures are very detailed and all done in embroidery on linen. The wool and its colours have lasted this long. We had a terrific seafood dinner in Arromanches in a restaurant overlooking the artificial harbour built with sunken ships and huge cement blocks called "Mulberries" in order to deliver supplies to the Allies after the invasion.

 

In the morning we headed to Juno Beach at Courseulles-sur-Mer which was the Canadian landing site on June 6, 1944. A memorial museum has been built there which we entered via a "landing craft". It was quite realistic. We had a tour of the beach with a Canadian History student. There is still a German bunker there which we entered and also some structures to prevent advances of tanks from the water. The Nazi defences stretched along the coast from Norway to Spain! After a quick lunch from a bakery we headed along the coast to Honfleur. The beaches are beautiful - resorts and condos for the Parisians. At Honfleur the Seine meets the English Channel. It is an old fishing village from where Champlain left for North America in 1608. Many Impressionists, including Monet, painted there. We strolled around the old inner harbour admiring the historic buildings. Dinner crepes and homemade apple tart (with wine,of course) were wonderful in one of the cafes. How do the French cook so well?!?

 

The next morning we spent at a marvellous memorial museum in Caen. The Canadians were major players in freeing that town after the attacks on the beaches. This museum traces in very interesting ways the lead-up to WW2, the war in France and the aftermath. It also stresses the need for a different future of peace. After lunch and a brief rest we headed to the American landing sites at Omaha and Utah Beaches. We walked in German bunkers and along the beach. It was really windy and cold. We also drove around the countryside through little villages where the old stone barns and houses hug the twisty narrow streets. Northern France is lovely farmland. Cows seem to be very important. We had yet another fantastic French dinner in a hotel restaurant overlooking Omaha Beach. 

 

The next day we hit the main highways in order to get back to Delft. As long as we were in France we were constantly paying tolls. However, we did go through big tunnels and over some bridges. The Europeans certainly are efficient with their traffic circulation but then they have to be with all that water and so many people. Canals and rivers are everywhere. Fortunately, we had reserved a room at our little hotel in Delft since they gave us the last one and upgraded us to their best suite, the Vermeer Room. It has a loft with 2 extra beds and overlooks the little bridge over the canal behind the cathedral. I was worried about the chiming bells all night but did not notice them. The suite was full of antiques and the walls held many copies of Vermeer's famous paintings. Our favourite restaurant was closed but we had fun ordering tapas at a Spanish/Cuban place. The tapas were listed in Spanish and Dutch so we spent quite a bit of time figuring out the translations. 

 

Our last day of this part of the trip was at the Keukenhof Gardens and it was sunny!  MAGNIFIQUE! We spent hours strolling the acres of tulips arranged into gorgeous displays with fountains, pathways, etc.  There are also pavilions dedicated to judged displays of different flowers. One was full of lilies, another of orchids. Since it is open only from mid-March till mid-May we lucked out. I could have filled our photo album on this day alone! After a great dinner at our favourite restaurant in Delft we accepted a packed breakfast from our innkeeper and prepared for Part 2 of our adventure. (Part 2 continues in the October issue)

 

Plus 3’s Meeting dates 2010/11

Meeting’s are at the Water St. Senior Center, Kelowna.

Doors open at 6:30pm

 

2010	2011
September 8th	January 12th
October 13th	February 9th
November 10th	March 9th
	April 6th
	May 11th

 

 

KELOWNA NEW PLUS 3 FRIENDSHIP CLUB

Membership Enrolment and Renewal Form

September 1, 2010 – August 31, 2011

 

PLEASE PRINT

 

Your Name_________________________________________________

 

Spouse's Name (if a member) ________________________________

 

ADDRESS

Number and Street _________________________________________

 

City_________________________  Postal Code __________________

 

Telephone_______________________

 

E-mail_______________________________________

 

NOTE: If you are renewing your Plus 3 membership form from last year (i.e: from 09/10) is the personal information above exactly the same as your information on the 09/10 membership roster? Please circle one.

 

 

 

            YES                                                                NO

 

 

NEW MEMBERS:  Please indicate the year (s) you were Newcomers__________________________

 

 

The Kelowna New Plus 3 Friendship Club (the "Club") collects your name, address, telephone number, and e-mail address if applicable, for the sole purpose of notifying you of Club events and providing a roster of names and contact information to Club members only.  The Club does not sell, disseminate or otherwise provide your name and information to any other organization.  By signing below, you agree to the above use of your personal information for Club purposes only.

 

Signed___________________________________

 

Date_______________________

 

To mail this form, please send a cheque in the amount of $20 per member, payable to  "Kelowna New Plus 3 Friendship Club", to:

 

Marjorie Papple, 54-1020 Lanfranco Rd.  Kelowna V1W 3W7