Lunch time meeting - ZOOM Meeting our speaker this week is Wilna Roger Reminiscences of D'Ouro River Cruise

On Thursday 17^th September 2020 President Geoff Sampson welcomed 11 Club Rotarians s and prospective new members Beverley and David Cooper to this lunch time meeting held by ZOOM.

Three Rotarians apologised for non-attendance.

Our speaker armed with many slides this week was Rotarian Wilna Roger who was giving us a talk on her holiday cruise on The Douro River which is a major waterway that flows from Spain and across the entire Douro River Valley in the Northern Portuguese countryside. It is known for its quiet tranquillity, showcasing Portugal’s stunning river-based cities, from vibrant Pinhao to old world Porto, a city that has been deemed a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. Apparently J.K. Rowling lived and worked there, and she was inspired by the students black gowns for the Harry Potter films The cruise commenced in Lisbon where Wilna saw the Rotary club of de Lisboa Norte sign. The D’Ouro was a wild river many years ago but is now water levels are controlled by 5 locks. The river cruise on the Douro allowed her to explore the best of Portugal. The luxury Douro river cruise takes off on the west coast city of Porto and travels to Entre-os-Rios, a town situated right in between the Douro and the Tamega River. They visited the Ducal Palace in Guimaraes, a city often referred to as “the birthplace of the Portuguese nationality,” as well as the birthplace of Alfonso I, the first King of Portugal. This region is well-renowned for its exquisite port wine, so a stop at the Douro Museum for an exclusive wine tasting event was a must. They took in the Regua’s beautiful vineyards and sampled the best range of port wine in the country. There is so much to see in this region a visit  to Casa de Mateus, the castle depicted on the labels of Portugal’s renowned Mateus wine. Built on the terraced slopes of the Douro Valley, they visited Lamego’s famous building, the ancient Our Lady of Remedies Sanctuary. The Douro cruise through central Portugal and into the Vinhateiro region, the heart of the Douro Valley’s wine growing region. With its ornate architecture and historic landmarks, Salamanca offered her both architectural and historical intrigue. They were amazed when the ship cruised into Pinhao, a region reminiscent of old-world Portugal. They became fully immersed in Portuguese culture as they enjoyed the wine tasting, the tour along the Douro River Valley was made complete when they stopped off in Porto, Portugal’s second largest city after Lisbon. Known for its port wine production, this stunning city offers the best in Portuguese culture.

The Rotary vote of thanks was given by Anne Sampson.

President Geoff once again welcomed David and Beverley Cooper and gave David the Opportunity of speaking about the litter pick which Rotary and Friends of Riverside Park were going to undertake this Saturday 18^th Sept 2020 (last week), being a scaled down version of the intended Great Britain Clean up and following recent government guidelines for group activity.

This coming week Thursday 24th September 2020 at 1pm on ZOOM we will be given a talk by our speaker will be Rotarian Phil Godfrey talking about his round Britain trip for the APS Charity

The Rotary vote of thanks will be given by Brian Johnson.

If you were interested in supporting the community and international projects get in touch by Private message on The Rotary Club of Glenrothes Facebook page. You will be made most welcome.