Retreats » Fall 2011 Retreat
Come join us for a thought-provoking and enjoyable weekend with activities for all age groups, including a full religious education program for children and teenagers.
A Sense of Place
What gives you a sense of place? Location? Culture? Food? Family?
Many of us have faced this question while we have made our homes in places quite different from those where we grew up.
The Members-at-Large of EUU invite you to join us and Unitarians, Universalists and UUs from all over Europe (and even farther away) to share your sense of place with us. Gather with us for a wonderful weekend with activities for all age groups - a theme talk, workshops, worship, contemplation, singing, socializing, and a full program for children and teenagers.
There's something for every age at a retreat, so please come and bring your family or friends.
Our speaker will be coming from a place as far away from Europe as you can get - New Zealand. We are very pleased that
Derek is the minister of Unitarian Universalists of Christchurch,
a group about as big as an EUU fellowship. He is past president of ANZUUA, the Australia and New Zealand Unitarian Universalist Association. In addition to his church ministry, Derek has been running an eco-friendly B&B {Ka Whare Rehua}. He is also an international barbecue judge. You can learn more about about UUs in New Zealand, as well as about Derek's beliefs and how he came to become a UU and a minister - and even how he became captain of the New Zealand BBQ Team - in this streaming video, My God made by a New Zealand TV station. Derek has lived in the US as well as New Zealand, so he can relate to our experiences of living in rather different places. His own place in Christchurch was badly damaged by the earthquake earlier this year.
THE RETREAT PLACE
We will gather at the popular Jugendgästehaus Oberwesel, in its spectacular setting directly next to the Schönburg castle, high on a cliff with breathtaking views of the romantic Rhine and the surrounding vineyard-covered mountainsides.
Oberwesel is a charming town between Koblenz and Mainz, in the valley of the Lorelei. This part of the Rhine has mountains, castle ruins, marvelous walking trails and a variety of sightseeing possibilities. It is not far from Bingen, so you may want to combine the retreat with a visit to the abbey associated with the versatile and venerated Hildegard of Bingen.
EUU retreats offer something for people of all ages. Here's what you can expect.
Friday
People begin arriving in the late afternoon on Friday, but the first event is dinner that evening. After this, an evening activity helps us get to know each other. Informal socializing goes on into the night, and if you like to sing or play a guitar, you will find lots of good company.
Saturday
The theme talk for adults takes place on Saturday morning. At this retreat, Derek will help us explore our sense of place and its relationship to spirituality. After lunch you will have a choice of various workshops, tours and other activities. The young people have their own program in the morning and afternoon. Saturday evening activities will include a presentation by the children and a talent show where you can share your own particular talent, or just enjoy watching the show. In the past, we have seen young and older performers share karate demonstrations, classical music played on a garden hose, serious and more informal music, comedy routines, poems, and dances. You are assured of a good audience, so bring your talent!
Sunday
The morning worship service is followed by a retreat closing and invitation to the following retreat. After the noon meal, there are a lot of hugs and goodbyes.
Every day
Conversation and music continues each night until the early morning for those who are interested and don't mind missing some sleep! The entire weekend is filled with activities but they are all optional, and there are many opportunities to relax, meet old friends and make new ones, and generally have a good time. EUU retreats are like family reunions where newcomers feel like members of the family right from the beginning.
ACCOMMODATIONS
The modern guesthouse has single, double and 4-bed-rooms. The 4-bed rooms have additional pull-out beds, making them 5-bed rooms for families or groups who want them. All rooms have sinks, shower and toilet. The site has an indoor swimming pool - bring your own swimming towels. Bring your ping-pong paddles and balls, too, to play indoors or out. All meals are included, from dinner on Friday through lunch on Sunday.
REGISTRATION
Note the prices for this retreat are lower than for most recent retreats, especially for children. Adult EUU members in a shared double room pay 170 €, young adults 120 €, teens 50 €, children 30 € - children under 3 - free! So take the leap and come! Single rooms are also available. Please register early, as we cannot guarantee that you will get your choice of room if you register late.
Registration is now open - follow this link
EUU RETREAT GRANTS
We firmly believe that no one should miss a retreat for lack of funds. That is why EUU has a grant fund. When you register, please consider adding a little extra for the grant fund.
To apply for a grant, please write to EUU Treasurer John Hertz (treasurer@europeanuu.eu) explaining your situation. We understand that there are many reasons you may need some help to attend - please don't be shy. All requests are treated confidentially.
WORKSHOPS
Saturday afternoon activities center around workshops led by volunteers attending the retreat. Can you offer a 1 to 1.5 hour workshop? Is there some particular aspect of a Sense of Place that you would like to discuss or explore with others? Workshop topics and formats are always diverse, and past workshops have involved activities like dancing, art, writing, yoga, wine and beer tasting, walks in the woods and vineyards, and a walking tour of Oberwesel, as well as discussion of a myriad of other topics. Send us your proposals when you register, or write to the workshop coordinator, Elizabeth Malone (eliza.malone@gmail.com). We will contact you in advance of the retreat to confirm the details of your workshop.
MUSIC
EUU retreats offer a variety of musical opportunities, for both performance and listening, over the course of the weekend. Bring your instrument and/or your voice and join in the EUU Choir, instrumental music for the Sunday Service, the Saturday talent show, or the late-night singing and playing sessions. Music Director Marcie McGaughey leads our Sunday service choir and co-ordinates formal music for the weekend. If you want to join either to play an instrument or sing, write Marcie (gmmcbehl@web.de).
TRANSPORTATION TO THE RETREAT
BY CAR: Put Auf dem Schönberg, Oberwesel, Germany into Google to get a detailed map of the area or directions from your starting point. The retreat site is up the hill in from the town of Oberwesel, next to the castle (Schloss Schönburg).
You will almost certainly approach Oberwesel on autobahn A61 from either the north or south, rather than from the river road.
From autobahn A61, take exit 44-Laudert, toward Kisselbach/Wiebelsheim. Merge onto L217. Continue straight onto L220.
Turn right on Perscheider Str./K88 and continue to follow K88 for about 5 km to the village of Perscheid. The main road turns slightly left and becomes Römerstrasse/K90. Keep following it for about 4 more km, passing through the village of Delhofen. Then turn left toward Schloss Schönburg. (If you don’t turn, you will go down the hill to the river and the town of Oberwesel.) The retreat site is on your right, before you get to the castle (Schloss) itself.
BY PLANE: Frankfurt Airport has a train station where you can catch a train to Oberwesel about once an hour. See the information about trains below.
Frankfurt Hahn airport, served by several budget airlines, is closer to Oberwesel, but you may need to rent a car to get from there to Oberwesel.
BY TRAIN: www.bahn.de will take you to the German railways site, which has a nice English version. Note that German railways offer various discount possibilities, including group fares, so you may be able to save money. Ask when you buy your ticket.
Oberwesel is on the Rhine, south of Koblenz and west of Mainz. There are direct trains to Oberwesel, or ones that require only one change, from the main train station in Frankfurt (Hauptbahnhof) stopping at Frankfurt airport on the way. The direct train takes about an hour from the airport, and 15 minutes more from the main Frankfurt train station. The standard one-way fare is around 15€ (a little more from Frankfurt Hauptbahnhof (Hbf), a little less from the airport).
We’ll help you get up the hill from the railway station: let us know ahead of time what train you plan to be on, so we can be sure to make arrangements to meet you.
RetreatCommittee@europeanuu.org
QUESTIONS?
Ask the Retreat Committee (RetreatCommittee@europeanuu.org).