The 50
th
International Submariners Congress Catania Italy 20th-23th May 2013
Congress 2013 Italy
Monday 20th May
Welcome buffet.
Tuesday 21st May
Archeological Park of Syracuse
Tuesday 21st
War Grave Cemetery
Tuesday 21st
Lunch at Farm
Wednesday 22nd May
Etna volcano visit
Arrival
of
Delegation,
welcome
buffet
at
the
Bai
Verde
hotel
and
a
informal
meeting head of delegations.
After
breakfast
at
the
hotel
we
departed
for
a
guided
tour
of
Archeological
Park
of
Syracuse
After
visiting
Archaeological
Park
of
Syracuse,
the
guide
asked
everyone
on
the
bus
if
it
was
possible
for
the
bus
to
stop
at
the
War
Grave
cemetery
to
look
for
a
fallen
Dutch
sailor
MLunch
at
farm
‘’‘a’
Palumma’’
in
Augusta area
A
guided
excursion
to
Etna
volcano.
Transfer
to
Rifugio
Sapienza,
visit
to
Crater
Silvestri,
and
Taormina
and
to
the
old Greek theater
ISA Congress Catania Sicily 20- 23rd May 2013
By Ian Vickers
There were seven of us flying from Manchester and we all arranged to meet at the airport. We flew to Sicily via Munich and we were
met at the airport by members of the congress, mini buses were laid on for all the participants as they arrived for transfer to the
hotels. We were one of the first groups to arrive and we had two days before the congress started. Both of the hotels were 4* and
only 500 yds. Apart so there was no difficulty mingling, also there were several cafes and shops in between. Everything in the hotel
bar was 4 euro, so, as we all had fridges we stocked up on beer and wine.
The first day of the congress is the registration day. Both hotels were set up with a team of committee members to do the registration
and also a shop set up by one of their sponsors’ selling gifts. This year we received bags, baseball caps, polo shirts, badges, and
the program, the ladies received the same apart from a scarf instead of the baseball cap. There were 22 countries participating this
year from all corners of the world with 301 people attending. Our first event was the opening buffet which was in our hotel, the food
was plentiful and the speeches short, unlimited sparkling wine along with soft drinks. This was a very good way to meet people and I
fell into conversation with the party from Croatia, it was their first congress and they were keen to meet people.
Tuesday, after breakfast we were out onto the coaches, 6 in all, allocated by spoken language. We were on coach 4 with the
Americans and the Dutch. Our destination was the old historic town of Syracuse, where we toured the old Greek and Roman ruins.
We left there around 1300 and headed back. On the way the Dutch group wanted to stop at one of the Second World War
cemeteries to find the grave of a Dutch Naval Captain buried there. After paying our due respects we set off to join the others at
lunch at a farm in the Augusta area. This was a long lunch with several courses plenty of wine by the jug, good musical fun
entertainment form a group and shops to look around.
Wednesday, we set off early for a full guided tour of Etna, those who were capable had the option to go to the top by 4x4 buses. I
was surprised, Etna is not one volcano but many, and we were taken to the 2002 eruption crater about 1000 ft. below the summit
and we spent some time walking around. The crater is still partially active with steam coming out of a vent and the ground was warm
to touch. We ate lunch in a café at the visitors centre and then on to Taormina, a quaint hillside town overlooking the sea. We spent
the rest of the afternoon there looking at the shops eating ice cream or sitting in one of the many bars enjoying a beer (or wine.)
Thursday, we departed at 0830 to the Sailors Monument in Catania for the commemorative ceremony. The ceremony was presided
over by the Chief of the Italian Navy, C in C submarines, C in C Sicily and the Mayor of Catania. After a fly past by two Navy
helicopters a wreath was laid at the monument. All the Heads of delegations made their customary short speech accompanied by
their respective National Anthems. On completion, the Heads of Delegations were taken to the port to embark on a boat to review
the laying of a wreath from a submarine out in the bay. The rest of us were taken by coach to watch from the harbour wall, we then
joined the heads of delegations on board two Italian warships for drinks and a light buffet.We had the rest of the afternoon to
ourselves giving us plenty of time to prepare for the Gala dinner in the Sheraton hotel up the road. The dinner started with canapés
and drinks. These were very good and gave the participants a chance to mingle, chat and exchange gifts with friends. Later we all
moved downstairs to the main banqueting hall for the official dinner speeches and dancing. The handover of the ceremonial totem
from Italy to Greece was deliberately kept short with no speeches from heads of delegations just an exchange of official gifts, and
then it was time to eat drink and have a really good time. The band was brilliant and played music from the 40’s and 50’s just right
for dancing until around 0100 and we started to drift off some earlier than others, I know two of the Americans had flights at 0600.
We were lucky as we had two more days to recover.
Thursday 23th May
Commemorative Ceremony
Sailor
Monument
in
Catania
for
Commemorative
ceremony.
Then
on
board
IT
Navy
ships.
The
head
of
delegation
on
board
IT
Navy
ship
for
the
laying wreath at sea.
Thursday 23th May
Free time before Gala
Free
time
at
the
Baia
Verde
hotel
before
the Gala
Thursday 23th May
Gala dinner
Gala Dinner at Sheraton Hotel
Friday 24th May
Free Time
Free time Friday
test