Europe Tour of Austria, Italy and Switzerland
May 26 to June 5, 2006
Date: May 28, 2006
The choir has arrived safely in Europe! After a 3-hour delay (on the 27th) in the Kansas City Airport, we took a short flight to Chicago, then hopped on a jumbo plane that took us across the ocean. We received both dinner (chicken and beef) and breakfast (croissants and yogurt) on the flight. We landed in Germany and zipped through customs, then got on our bus to drive for several hours. We arrived at our hotel in the afternoon and after freshening up, we all received a fancy dinner in the hotel (meat in wine sauce, bean soup and bread, asparagus and pasta). We all explored a bit of the city Zurich then turned in early for the night.
This morning (the 28th) we all loaded up the bus and drove to a nearby mountain, Mt. Pilatus. We took a cog car to the top and enjoyed the wonderful view. Then, right before we came back down, John Cannon took Anna Kepka over to a particularly scenic spot overlooking the lake and knelt down and proposed to her! It was amazing. We came down and ate lunch in the city Lucerne. Then we took a foot tour of the quaint city, and on the way a Turkish television news show anchor interviewed Theresa Smith. She sang some German for him and was on TV in Turkey. We think. We drove back safely and tomorrow morning we will drive to Italy. We are all doing well and are having a blast!
More updates coming soon.
-Taryn Trousdale
Date: June 1, 2006
Hello again! The choir is doing well and having a blast. On the 29th, we got to our hotel in Stresa, Italy. It was a gorgeous resort, complete with a lakefront view. We took a 10-minute boat ride to a small island visible from our hotel. It had food and small shops. After we were done there, we went to Isola Bella, an island with a mansion on it. It was filled with paintings, statues, lovely archcitecture, tapestries, armor and more. It also opened up to a back plaza and garden. Words can't describe how beautiful it all was. We all took as many pictures as our camera could hold. We went back and visited a small Italian marketplace. The alleys were narrow and cobblestone, and the little shops were tucked in nooks and corners. The outdoor cafes were fun to eat at. That evening, we gave our first concert for the people of Stresa. It was in a small Catholic church with amazing acoustics. The old architechure was lovely. We sang a folk Italian song and a few of the concertgoers sang along! They enjoyed the concert so much that they wouldn't stop clapping. We ended up giving two ovations.
On the 30th, We went to Como, a small town on the lakes of Italy. We boarded a boat and took a 2-hour cruise up the lakes, viewing the wonderful scenery and enjoying the boat's luxuries. We disembarked at a town called Bellagio. We got to eat lunch and do some shopping before we boarded our bus to drive to Venice. When we arrived, it was late so many of us had to eat at Mc Donald's, the only place open. The next morning, the 31st, we drove to a port and got on a boat to go to the island of Venice. We reached St Mark's Square and had a walking tour of the pillars, the clock tower, the cathedral, the Bridge of Sighs (the bridge named that because it connected the courthouse and the prison) and other beautiful buildings. Then we had the day to explore Venice. There were many things to see and do. The shopping was good and the food was delicious. Many people went up in the clock tower to get a view of the whole island. Others fed the pigeons, getting swamped by the hundreds of birds in the square. We got to visit the Merano Glass Factory, the world-renowned Italian glass factory. Many of us purchased vases, necklaces, glasses and bracelets all embossed with the symbol of Venice Glass. That evening, we went back to the cathedral and participated in the mass. We sang several of our latin pieces for the offertory and at the beginning and end of the evening mass.
We are now on the road, headed to Austria. More will be posted soon! Unfortunately, with the poor internet connections at the hotels, pictures will not be available until after the trip.
-Taryn Trousdale
Date: June 3
We are now in our hotel in Innsbruck, Austria. We visited the Dauchau concentration camp this morning, and the Swarovski crystal factory this afternoon. We will be castle-viewing in Germany tomorrow and flying home the day after. We are all doing well and will be home soon.
-Taryn Trousdale
