HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Times Advocate, 2005-04-13, Page 16Crossroads
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Wednesday, April 13, 2005
Exeter Times Advocate
Klopps in Europe on business and pleasure
By Pat Bolen
TIMES -ADVOCATE STAFF
ZURICH — Two members of a local
family each visited Europe recently,
except Tim and Heidi Klopp were on
separate trips.
Tim Klopp spent five days in March
visiting England seeing the countries
white bean industry, while Heidi
Klopp spent her March break in cen-
tral Europe as part of a St. Annes
Secondary School class trip.
A 19 year old student at Ridgetown
college studying agriculture, Tim was
the winner of the Hensall District Co-
operative draw for a trip to England,
and was accompanied on the trip by
Murray Insley, Fred and Gerald Van
Osch, Ed Van Osch and Steve Eilers.
The group toured a canning plant
just outside of London owned by
Premier Foods, and met buyer
Martin Dickension.
Klopp said the purpose of the meet-
ing was to establish a good relation-
ship between buyers and sellers and
let the English know where the beans
were coming from.
"They were just showing us where
our beans went. They want a good
relationship with us and they want
to know where the beans are coming
from so they can produce a safe
quality bean," said Klopp.
It was the first trip to England for
Tim, who said it was a busy four
days, with a lot of traveling and a lot
of good food and credits the co-op
with putting on a really good trip.
On the other side of the English
Channel, 16 year old Heidi Klopp was
exploring Central Europe at around
the same time.
Thirty three students and six chap-
erones from St. Annes were on the
trip.
Heidi said the trip was planed since
around last may and there were vari-
ous options as to where the group
could have gone,including England
and France.
After researching various countries,
the trip to Central Europe was voted
on by the students.
Although some fundraising was
done by other students, Heidi said
her trip was paid for from her sum-
mer jobs.
Leaving on March 12, the group
arrived in Vienna and spent the next
12 days crisscrossing between
Austria, Germany and Switzerland.
With the trip also being her first
time overseas, Heidi said she "loved
it, and can't wait to go back again."
One of her favourite cities on the
trip was Vienna, and while there was
able to take in a concert of music by
Mozart and Strauss.
"We went over to Innsbrook and
stayed right in the Alps. It was really
amazing and the scenery was breath-
taking," said Heidi.
Along with tourism sites, the stu-
dents took in educational experi-
ences such as museums, and palaces
as well as the Second World War
concentration camp at Dachau.
"It was very high paced and we
were always doing something," she
said.
Knowing things were going to be
different, Heidi said she didn't have
much of a culture shock, except that
Europe seemed more relaxed than
North America.
"I thought it kind of different that
everyone drinks their tap water, no
one worries what could be in the
water.
"It was very relaxed, it seemed like
no one even worked. There were
always people sitting in cafes and it
was always busy in the streets."
After seeing Europe for the first
time, Heidi said it has changed her
outlook on the world.
"It really made me aware...there is
a whole different world beyond here.
It really opened it up for me, being
able to go at this young age and I
have my whole life ahead of me to go
back again."
Heidi Klopp, part of a St.Annes Secondary School March Break trip to Europe
stands front of a fortress over ooking Salzburg,Austria. (Below) Klopp, Brittany
Becker and Kathleen Hosang at the site of the Olympic ski jump over looking
Innsbruck,Austria. (photos/submitted)
Klopp in front of a statue of the composer Mozart in his birth place of Salzburg,
Austria. (photo/submitted)
LukasVeens , Mary Anne Carter, Jen Kloepfer, Klopp, Kathleen Hosang, and Mike
Van Aaken on a bridge in the city of Heidelberg in Germany. (photo/submitted)