Is Rotary truly International ?

Well some of our members certainly think so. In early June one member, accompanied by his pilot son and a pilot Rotarian from March, Cambridgeshire, flew down in their private plane to Milan, stopping overnight on the way at Lyons where they met another Rotarian pilot from Edinburgh.

Next morning they flew the two aircraft towards Nice and then along the Mediterranean coast passing the famous resorts of Monaco & Menton before turning north to Milan. There they were met by Italian Rotarian pilots and taken to a delightful villa above the shores of Lake Como to meet yet more of their kind, including the occupants of three more light aircraft flown by Rotarians from England. The Friday afternoon was occupied by a seminar on the pleasures of seaplane flying, strong in Italy pre-war and now being revived, before a gala dinner attended by the full party of sixty including local dignitaries, both Rotarian and civil, and Rotarians from Germany & France as well as Italy & the UK.

Saturday saw a relaxed morning and after lunch those wishing were taken on a boat trip around Lake Como interrupted from time to time to allow the visitors to board a launch taking them to one of the two seaplanes provided by Milan Flying Club who took them in turns to see the beautiful shores of the lake from the air. A novel experience for those coming from the centre of England.

Sunday saw the departure above the clouds returning by the same route by which they had come. This time only a refuelling stop before reaching home by 6.30 pm. Warm sunshine and clear skies all the way, and the memories of a warm welcome from Rotarian friends old and new from other European countries.