December 2019
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CCE
Cyclists for Cultural Exchange
Newsletters
A message from co-founder Frank Pritchard
Hi All,
We’re ramping up for the New Year and Strawberry Fields XXXI, which will take place on Sunday, May 17, 2020. Mark your calendars. We’re doing something a little different this year. We opened registration on December 1 and are offering our 2020 ride to you for the super-low early-bird starting fee of just $45. Sign up now, because this special offer will only be good for the month of December.
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This is our way of thanking you for your support and loyalty over the past 30 years. Sorry we couldn’t work things out with the “weather gods” last May—instead we had to endure rain, hail, thunder and lightning. Kudos to the undaunted riders who faithfully turned out.
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We’re planning the same great ride, fun, country music, pie a-la-mode, lattes and espressos and, of course, our signature fresh strawberries, chocolate ganache and whipped cream at the end of your ride.
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On January 1, we’ll revert to normal pricing: $65 until March 15 and then $75 until online registration closes on May 10. So sign up now! You can find the registration form on our website www.strawberryfields.org/sff.
Hope you’re enjoying this beautiful fall weather, and see you in May.
Sincerely,
Frank
31st
FUNdraiser ride
Strawberry Fields Forever
Planning is well underway for next year’s 31st annual FUNdraising event, so join us for outrageously scenic cycling for our worthwhile cause.
Save the date: Sunday, 17 May 2020.
You’ll find all details, routes, support info, maps, and FAQs here as our planning evolves.
Got ideas? Suggestions? Send them to us and we’ll incorporate as many as we can.
Registration
Early-bird registration now open: only $45 until 31 December.
Join us! on this beautiful ride through miles of Santa Cruz County’s famous strawberry fields and support our worthy cause to further peace and understanding among cyclists the world over.
Participants raved about our Spain program in beautiful Andalusia
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Rafa Serrano, our Spanish organizer and friend of CCE, led our international group of more than 30 riders through his ancestral homeland in southern Spain. We thoroughly enjoyed challenging rides through rolling hills of olive orchards, vineyards and charming villages in this region so exceptionally rich in history and cultural highlights. Read our inspiring travel report.
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International guests impressed by California 2019 program
“Santa Rosa – Casini Ranch – San Francisco – Half Moon Bay – Santa Cruz: Every leg of our journey was a real discovery. We visited amazing places, met interesting people and had wonderful activities. Every evening after dinner, we shared our experiences and emotions around the campfire...” —Alla
We were delighted to receive not one but two travel reports: Here and here.
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Another successful Armenia program
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Participants in this year’s program in stunning Armenia were full of praise. CCE riders enjoyed incredible scenery, beautiful mountain landscapes, waterfalls, ancient Christian orthodox monasteries, a rural family homestay and so much more. This program will probably be repeated in 2020, so stay tuned.
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A CCE tale
Fetching our Armenian guests for the California spring program.
Serine sees the ocean for the first time in Pacifica.
Oops, pulled over for speeding, but we get off with a warning.
Armenians? Oh hi! The cop says “How are you?” in Armenian.
Posing with (perhaps?) the only cop in America who speaks Armenian.
More travel reports
What do past participants say about their experiences on CCE programs?
Read these informative reports.
Australia 2018. We started at the Gold Coast, south of Brisbane, and cycled along Australia’s eastern coast to Sydney. [More]
Italy 2018. 400 miles from Venice to Pisa, featuring a daily cultural experience in a country brimming with historical sights. [More]
Cuba 2018. Our local hosts Ana-Beatriz and her friends led us on a lovely and memorable ride from Gibara to Guardalavaca. Roberto joined us back to Holguin with several of his riding buddies. [More]
Armenia 2017. A uniquely simple but truly authentic adventure to explore an out-of-the-way destination and be utterly charmed and humbled by ancient traditions of hospitality. [More]
The Golden Ring of Russia 2013. Historic architecture, music, food, and demonstrations of traditional lifestyle and vocations with timely stops at many points of interest and spectacular sights. [More]
What else have we got planned?​
Spring
Yunnan, China
Sorry, this program is full, but you can still read about it here for inspiration—Join us on a future tour, as this one will probably be repeated at a later date.
Stayed tuned and check our website for additional information as it becomes available. We’ll announce more programs as they develop.
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In memory
It is our sad duty to inform you of the untimely and unexpected passing of Tina Armer, our dear friend and avid cyclist. In retirement, she traveled the world, tandem bicycle touring in Europe, Asia and Australia with her husband Rod, and crossing the United States and Canada in their RV. She is fondly remembered by her many friends in the Santa Cruz County Cycling Club, as well as CCE. Tina was a great advocate for CCE. She served faithfully at our annual Strawberry Fields Forever event for several years. She was a kind person and a good friend, and will be sorely missed.
Cyclists for Cultural Exchange is a non-profit with a purpose:
Furthering peace and international understanding through exchanges among people
with a common interest in cycling.
Strawberry Fields Forever is an annual FUNdraising event that provides
the resources distributed in support of our mission.