Travel German Travel Belgian Travel Requirements Components Components and Guidelines Itinerary Itinerary
Michigan Farm Bureau & Indiana Farm Bureaus AgriTours Canada / Farm Tours Germany / GET To Belgium
AgriTours Canada/North America • AgriTours Canada Inc. owned and operated by Richard and Barbara Buck, Guelph, Ontario, Canada. • Richard has been organizing agricultural tours since 1982 • Was Assistant Manager of the University of Guelph Dairy Cattle Research Farm – Chief Technician • Teaching Instructor at the University of Guelph, Ontario Agriculture College, OAC Dean’s Office
Michigan/Indiana Farm Bureaus EU Tour 2015 Preparing for your trip Documentation? What to pack? Health and Safety! The Tour – what to expect…..
The Charlemagne building, the second largest building of the Commission housing its external relations departments. The European Union has attempted to manage an entire agricultural production system consisting of many countries with different cultures, farming methods, climatic zones and political systems. During the time of the visit by the Michigan/Indiana Farm Bureau, there will be protests taking place in Brussels, by EU farmers who are looking for better management of agriculture. You will be there during a critical time in the European Union Commission history of the EU.
The purpose of your trip – Learn about CAP • Your eventual destination is the European Union Offices in Brussels – Learn first hand about the Common Agricultural Policy after 2013 – CAP - Check it out before you travel. • http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/policy-perspectives/policy-briefs/05_en.pdf • Specifically CAP introduces a new architecture of direct payments; better targeted, more equitable and greener, an enhanced safety net and strengthened rural development for agriculture production.
Be Ready To Travel
Communications while you are away • Cell phone service is exceptional in Europe, but it is not cheap. Be sure if you are planning to use your mobile phone that you have an “off-shore plan” for use in case of emergency or for text, e-mail or surfing purposes. • WiFi is available at most hotels, some is free, some have costs involved. Unlike North America, not all restaurants, or coffee shops have free WiFi so do NOT expect such services. • Phone “cards” can be purchased for using regular phones. • European Time - 24 hour clock – 13:00=1 pm, 14:00=2 pm, etc.
Weather, clothing and personal “stuff” Germany and Belgium - climate Clothing to bring • Average Temperature predictions for • Layering your clothes will allow you to September in Germany is an average of adapt from morning low temperatures 20 Celsius while you will be there. to afternoon heat and again for evening coolness. • 16 C = 60.8 F • Bring waterproof jacket, good • 18 C = 64.4 F footwear, short and long-sleeved • 20 C = 68.0 F shirts/blouses, long and short pants. • 22 C = 71.6 F • DO NOT BRING ANY FOOTWEAR OR • Prediction is for some rain early, but CLOTHING YOU USE ON YOUR FARMS sunshine for the balance of your tour. AT HOME IN INDIANA OR MICHIGAN.
Food and beverages while on tour Germany – alcohol not included Belgium - alcohol not included • North American food is very similar in many • It is sometimes said that Belgian food is served in respects to German food – not just Hamburgers and the quantity of German cuisine but with the quality Frankfurters. You’ll get a mixture of German food. of French food. • Meals will include basic components – meat and • Outside the country, Belgium is best known for its potatoes in various traditional German recipes. chocolate, waffles, fries and beer. • Breakfasts in Europe are somewhat different than in • Ingredients typical in Belgian dishes include America. Cold cuts, tomatoes, cucumbers, fresh potatoes, leeks, grey shrimp, white asparagus, fruit, yogurts, muslix (mixed cereal), eggs, cereal, Belgian endives and local beer. strong coffee, juice, etc. with some meals having Belgian and German beer is generally higher in • cooked eggs and bacon/sausage/breakfast weiners. alcohol content than in America – be careful as this • Lunch and dinner will be a mixture of hot and cold may have adverse side-effects for your tomorrow! meals, including pork schnitzel, chicken, beef • As they say, “dessert is to die for” in Belgium. dishes, rinde rouladin (beef specialty) etc. Note flags – same color, reverse order •
Europe – A different World Accommodations and Services There’s no place like home…. • Power in Europe is 220 Volts. Your computers, • Beds in most hotels are singles (not queens or I-Pads, phones, etc. will need adaptors that doubles) when two people are sharing. Some are universal and can convert from 220 to 110 beds are 2 singles joined together. Volts. • Instead of bedsheets, many European hotels • Sockets in hotels have 2 round pin plugs so have feather “puffs” or comforters as we your adaptors will need a pug-end adaptor to know them. fit into those sockets. • Time – you will be 6 hours ahead of Indiana • Hotels have business centers and WiFi and Michigan – you will need to adapt quickly services, check with front desk upon arrival if to the time difference. there are access passwords. Many people speak English, many more don’t • If leaving a hotel for a “walk-about” take the – learn a few German or Belgian words for • hotel name and address with you-just in case. use in restaurants, bars, etc.
Your Host Companies Farm Tours Germany GET to Belgium • Based in Munster, this company • This specialist in agriculture is has been in business many years. based in Brussels and they have specialists in agriculture • It is owned by the largest throughout Belgium who work agricultural publishing company for them part time. in Germany and as such, has access to subscribers from all • The program Tour Directors from aspects of German agriculture. this company will step-on daily to assist Dr. Weiers in Belgium. • Your German Guide is a specialist in agriculture - Dr. Carl-Josef • Each day there will be a different Weiers. specialist to accompany you.
Your Program – Berlin, Germany August 31 • Depart Detroit, Michigan – Delta Airlines – try to sleep on the flight, resist the urge to watch the “late, late show”! • Don’t over “imbibe” in the free alcohol – the effect will be troublesome when you arrive the next morning at lower altitudes. • Get up and walk around at least a couple times before settling in for the night. • Wear compression socks to avoid swollen legs and ankles, bring a blow-up pillow – SLEEP! September 1 Arrive, Berlin: Met at the airport by Dr. Carl-Josef Weiers (mobile phone: 0049 – 152 – 244 958 34. • • Look for a Farm-Tours Germany Sin • Transfer to Hotel Leonardo, Wilmersdorfer Straße 32, 10585 in the heart of Berlin. • Time to freshen up before you hit ground running.
September 1 – Berlin, Germany 09:30 Meet and greet with the local guide Dr. Carl-Josef Weiers (mobile phone: 0049 – 152 – 244 958 34) at the Arrivals Level. • Because hotel rooms won’t be ready, the group will go to the hotel where two day rooms are booked so that there is a room one for women one for men for freshening up. • Light lunch at the hotel • Start 2,5 hours city tour - end at the US embassy At 3:00 pm: meeting with Kelly Stange (1 hour) • • 4:00 - Return to the hotel to check in - Official check-in to the hotel, time to freshen up. • Possibility for the participants to introduce themselves to each other before dinner • Dinner at the hotel Overnight: Hotel Leonardo, Wilmersdorfer Straße 32, 10585 Berlin – free WiFi.
September 2 – Berlin, Germany Potsdamer Platz Wed., September 2nd – Central Germany – Berlin in the Center of (B, L, D) Berlin’s Business • Breakfast. District and near • Visit to Lübars, small village with traditional agriculture close to Berlin. (In the German political center of language an ‘ ü ’ with two dots over the u, can be Germany. written with an ‘ue’ when keyboard symbol for the umlaut –> ü - is not available.) • The group will make a guided stroll in Lübars and following they will have a farm visit (arable farming and horses) Tier Garten or Lunch in Luebars. • Animal Garden • Return to Berlin city center. is like Central • 15:00-meeting with Cornelia Berns at the German embassy for agriculture (1 hour) Park New York, • Free time in the city center in the center of • Dinner in the center Berlin and near • Transfer to the hotel the Bundestag Overnight: Hotel Leonardo, Wilmersdorfer Straße – the German 32, 10585 Berlin – free WiFi. Parliament.
Recommend
More recommend
