Choir Tour #2: Central Europe

Choir Tour: Bavaria, Austria, Czech Republic

Summer 2011

It’s our 2^nd choir tour, a follow-up to the wonderful Italy experience in 2007.  We’ve held enjoyable and successful fundraising events (and thanks especially to Terry for her efforts on these events!): 2 “murder mysteries” (1 set in a 1920s speakeasy, 1 in the 1950s w/ Marjorie as a Catholic schoolgirl and me totally out of character as a nerd), and an Octoberfest.  Tour arranged again by Peter’s Way, flights on Air France (more on AF below), and we were delighted to learn that Elisabeth will again be our tour manager/guide.  We’ll be a smaller group than Italy – 24 choir members, 33  family & parishioners – so 1 bus instead of 2.  No priest with us, guess it lacks the cachet of Rome and the Vatican.  M & I have covered almost all the same ground on our own trips, but don’t mind seeing the beautiful cities and countryside again; and Marjorie missed the special Italy experience of traveling w/ the choir.  She helped arrange an after-Mass gathering of tour members to get acquainted and share information. 

We’ve dodged a couple of dark clouds.  The world-ending “rapture” prophesied for May 21 didn’t come to fruition; or maybe we’re all part of the eternally damned who didn’t get called.  And there was a nasty E. coli outbreak, but pretty much confined to northern Germany and the WHO website says new cases have declined significantly.  Plus, with reports that it’s due to green veggies, Director Charles says don’t worry, we won’t see anything but meat & potatoes (and pastries?).  [During the trip it’s reported that imported Egyptian seed sprouts are the source of the problem.]

As for Italy, Charles has provided an extensive and challenging musical repertoire: 15 pieces, from “Ave Maria” to “Psalmo 150” (a complex piece in Latin by a Brazilian composer – Fr. Farano asked, “Now what psalm is that?”) to Mozart’s “Laudate Dominum” from Solemn Vespers to Beethoven’s “Hallelujah” from The Mount of Olives.  Singing Mozart in Vienna?  No pressure there!  And Charles keeps reminding us how musically informed audiences will be.  We have trial runs for Masses, and a “kick-off” concert of the entire program.  It’s nice, but perhaps a bit daunting, to have son Matt & daughter-in-law Anthea (professional musicians) plus colleague Glenna & husband Paul (accomplished singers) there to hear the choir for the first time; they seem to think it went well.  Charles should be especially pleased that G & P commented on the choir’s balance and articulation, both of which he prods us on.  Charles seems pleased, not so hyper as he’s been at times, so maybe we won’t have to medicate him in Europe.

Wednesday, June 29:  

          We’re ready to go!  Marjorie is particularly pleased with her efficient packing – 2 medium-sized suitcases + carry-ons; wash-and-wear shirts & undies cut down on volume.  Off to St. Pius to catch a bus to JFK.  The group is split in 2 (conveniently, A & B), w/ different 1^st flights to Paris and different flights home at the end.  We’re among the 36 A people.   

Yankee Trails bus is late.  Fr. Farano leads a short prayer service, the bus arrives, he takes credit for the power of prayer.  On the road about noon, we partake of lunches from a generous anonymous donor.  Don hands out a cheat sheet of German words and phrases, ending with Wieviel kostot die Kaution? (How much is the bail?).  We’re OK over the Tappan Zee Bridge, then THE WORST TRAFFIC JAM EVER! (or so it seems to us), combined with some unfortunate routing decisions by the driver.  We’re caught in gridlock for several hours.  We learn that the A flight is delayed, so should be OK, but the earlier B flight is becoming a problem.  But we get to JFK in the nick of time, the Bs are hustled thru to make their plane.  There, that should take care of everything (but read on).  Off we go, interesting views from a camera mounted on the plane’s tail as the sun sets, plus some unusual views below the plane and satellite images of the areas we fly over.

Thursday, June 30:

          Our A flight a bit late into Paris and it’s a tight connection – but surely they’ll wait for a group this size.  We watch security people let others cut in front of us (for a plane that’s already due to leave), but it seems we’re OK as a number of us board to rejoin B folks already on the plane.  The plane pulls away from the gate, then sits for some time.  Here’s the scoop (we learn later): they did not wait for everyone, so 22 As are missing (including our Director!), yet they were now taking the time to sit on the tarmac to unload luggage of those who didn’t make it!  So we’re a little late and a little light out of Paris.  The missing folks will be coming on 2 later flights, but they’ll miss our touring in Munich.  It’s beautiful weather, as we take off Marjorie points out the Eiffel Tower in the distance.  Into Munich a little late at 12:15 PM.  Many of us make an ATM stop (1 € = about $1.40).

          Elisabeth greets us, introduces driver Gunther (“as tall as the Bavarian Alps”).  As we head into Munich we’re being oriented right away w/ info about Bavarian cars and beer, how to eat white sausage, other essentials.  We have a driving tour plus stops, a much nicer PM than expected (forecast was heavy rain), we’re seeing much more than we thought.  

A walk by an opera house, columns brightly decorated, to the main square w/ Neues Rathaus (New Town Hall) and nearby Frauenkirche (Cathedral of Our Lady), many flowers and fountains.  

M & I share sausage (what else?) at the pretty Viktualienmarkt (food market), where we’d had a first meal w/ friend Kay, who accompanied us on our other trips in this region (we’ll have many nice Kay flashbacks).  

Into Dallmayr’s, a deli that seems a colorful work of art.  Past a music store window displaying Drums: Das Komplette Know-How zur den dein Instrument; but we think our percussionist son probably doesn’t need it.  

Elisabeth keeps giving us information (can’t process it all!), but there are gaps: I inform her that the women’s World Cup soccer is now going on in Germany, so I feel I’ve made some guiding contribution.  

A stop at pretty Schloss (Castle) Nymphenberg w/ many swans and geese.

          An hour drive to our Hotel Residence overlooking Starnberger See.  A popular and sizable resort area, we pass very fancy homes (“cottages,” I suppose) along the lake.  This is where “Mad King Ludwig” (aka “The Fairy Tale King”) drowned; murder or suicide?  ̶  it’s still a mystery.  

The hotel is up some distance from the lake, but has its own indoor pool and spa.  And what Marjorie says is “the best shower we’ve ever had anywhere in the world!”  Hyperbole perhaps, but a hot shower is one of life’s necessities, especially after long flights and bus rides.  

Our 1^st official meal: a good Bavarian buffet.  There had been some dissatisfaction with hotel meals in Italy, including a lack of local dishes, so this is a fine start!  Hotel staff very friendly, accommodate to the missed-flight latecomers, who arrive to make us whole again.  TV here and other hotels is mostly German or American dubbed w/ German (which can be interesting: colorful cartoons, tho “Roadrunner” needs no translation; Fran Drescher in German; over-the-top game shows), but also CNN, BBC, and such in English.  Today’s news: the Duke & Duchess (William & Kate) are welcomed to Canada, will be part of Canada Day this weekend; Greek austerity plan goes forward.

         

Friday, July 1:

          Temps at the start of the trip: lows in the high 40s, highs in the high 60s.  Today begins mostly cloudy but bright, cool but comfy; later AM breaks of sun & blue sky.  CNN: It’s Strike Day in London, good thing we’re not there.  And more Air France news: luggage is missing for 4 in our party (Drew, Jolene, Cindy, Cecilia).  But people are still willing to sit near them despite no change of clothes.  Drew already has a touristy t-shirt.  

Onto the bus, thru pretty countryside: farms w/ cows and sheep, pretty towns w/ colorful houses and flowers, hills and forested areas.  Elisabeth says Bavaria is the “Green Lungs of Germany.”  She relates much info on Bavarian culture and history.  We pass asparagus and strawberry fields, many chestnut trees.  A stop at Wieskirche, aka “Church in the Meadow,” w/ fabulously extravagant rococo interior.  The colors seem brighter than when we were here before on a darker day; and we don’t recall there being so much touristy stuff around it.

          On to King Ludwig II’s Schloss Neuschwanstein, reportedly the model for Disney’s Sleeping Beauty Castle.  The view of the castle from Marienbrücke (Mary’s Bridge) is better than our previous trip when we had snow blowing into our faces at the end of May!  

No interior photos allowed (we find this other places on the tour), so I get postcards to scan of the ornate Throne Room (w/ 2 million stones in the mosaic floor), King’s Bedroom, Singer’s Hall.  

Many of the decorations, and an artificial cave, have Wagnerian themes.  Charles had talked about maybe impromptu singing in the beautiful Singer’s Hall; the group seems ready, the guide says OK, but Charles is a party-pooper.  

  A walk down into the village thru lush forest w/ ferns and moss, horse carriages passing us (and watch where you step!).  We join up w/ Terry, Carol & Gary, and it seems nice to eat outside on a terrace . . . then rumbles, some rain, hail, lightning, temps drop, heavy rain & wind.  We’re (mostly) under an awning, but get rather wet nonetheless.  Elisabeth had said the weather could do anything today, but she didn’t say it would do everything!  Well, at least no snow.  It lightens up, back to the bus and to the hotel to relax awhile before dinner.

          I hike down to the lake, passing others who did the same and tell me that George (an outdoorsy guy) was taking a dip in what seemed a rather cold lake.  I come upon George with John, who tell a tale of encountering a Bavarian damsel in distress; they’re not sure why, since she didn’t speak English and even voluble John seemed tongue-tied by her presence, but she may have missed a tour boat.  It remains a mystery, and will be the source of much ribbing the rest of the trip.  Coming back I pass pretty vegetation and houses along the road, a tennis club w/ beautiful red clay courts, a very large Bavarian snail on the sidewalk.  Another good buffet, especially the desserts, we hang around talking until about 9:30, when we remember how tired we are.  CNN is spending way too much time on the IMF official accused of rape and whether the victim is “credible.”

Saturday, July 2:

           New stuff today, places we haven’t been on previous trips.  CNN: the Monaco royal wedding of Prince Albert & Charlene Wittstock is today, but another “royal couple” is splitting up – Maria Shriver has filed for divorce from Arnold.  After a hearty breakfast, Elisabeth introduces new driver Anton (Tony), suggests we pray to St. Anthony for the still-lost luggage; Marjorie remembers the ditty: “Tony, Tony look around; something’s lost and can’t be found.”  We’re off with a wave from the friendly hotel sales manager. Thru more pretty countryside and towns, going from Bavaria to Tyrol.  E continues to educate us: Salzburg means “Fortress of Salt” (when salt was “white gold”), 1^st brewery there was founded in 1492.  

          A rest stop w/ a fountain and other local color plus a Burger King, a 1^st spotting of Mozart kugeln (truffles).  Gas here is calculated by one of the group (factoring in liters & euros) to be about $8/gallon!  M spots a white deer as we leave the rest area.  We join w/ Elisabeth to sing the German anthem, E later solos on the Austrian anthem as we enter Austria – Grüß Gott!  We’re seeing some snow on mountaintops now.  I eavesdrop as Don & Maureen have a lexicography discussion of the rationale for German words being masculine (der) or feminine (die).  Cool & cloudy bright at first, then a mix of light showers & sun as we reach Innsbruck a little before noon.

Past a commercial area on the outskirts of Innsbruck, from Toys R Us to Erotik Markt, then a walk thru a pretty park to the pedestrian area.  We pass Forstwettkampf (a “forestry contest”), the cacophony of chainsaws adding to the ambience.  [Later on the bus, Don & I sing Monty Python’s “Lumberjack Song”: “I’m a lumberjack and I’m OK, I sleep all night and I work all day…” – Don knew the rest.]   

          Past the palace to Hofkirche (the royal court church), intriguing interior full of statues.  Marjorie & I break away from the group, passing a flock of young Franciscans (whose monastery is just down the street), for strudel and kaffee in a nice little café. 

 

On to a pretty plaza, buildings w/ decorated facades and window flower boxes.  Goldenes Dachl (Golden Roofs), where Maximilian I watched tournaments in the square below.  A human mannequin has a cute little dog who looks very bored; she blows a kiss when I leave some change.  Heading to the bus, we stroll thru the park and gardens: especially beautiful trees, wedding photos being taken, a mama duck w/ tiny fuzzy ducklings.

          A short drive to the huge Swarovski Crystal factory and Kristallwelten (Crystal World), a crystal museum like a theme park.  We enter via a giant face spouting water, there are 14 underground galleries.  Entry room has a half-ton “jellyfish” w/ 12,000 crystals hanging from the ceiling, a wall of crystal, and the largest crystal in the world (300,000 carats). 

Other displays include a crystal dome, works by Salvador Dali & Andy Warhol, a video of opera singer Jessye Norman in a heavily bejeweled dress.  

Exit thru the showroom, of course, where a lovely dragon would set you back only 15,000 €.  Even the WCs have modernistic faucets and crystals in the mirrors.  But there’s nothing about how the crystals are manufactured; too many trade secrets?  Marjorie takes many jewelry photos to show her jewelry designer/silversmith boss Theresa.  Outside to a pretty park w/ flowers, waterfall, and playground.  Bright sun & mountain panoramas now.  After waiting for some to finish their purchases, a pretty 2-hour drive to Salzburg.  E says gute nacht for some napping.  Rest areas along the motorway are now overflowing w/ trucks; w/ some exceptions, trucks aren’t allowed on the road on Sundays.

          To our Austria Trend Hotel Salzburg, by the large Bahnhof (train station).  Our 11^th-floor room has a panoramic view of Hohensalzburg Fortress and the Cathedral, framed by mountains.  

Soup and wiener schnitzel for dinner.  Marjorie is intrigued by salt mine tours, but there’s no time.  Jolene’s luggage has arrived, but AF remains clueless about whereabouts of the other 3.  Sports news: a Czech woman has won Wimbledon.  We see fireworks in the distance at 10:30, but don’t know why.  A change of plans for tomorrow: we’ll need our black choir outfits for Mass, a change of clothes for touring afterward.  Maybe M & I shouldn’t hold hands while I’m in my “priestly” choir duds, tho we learn that a past archbishop here had a mistress and 10 children, so maybe it’s OK.

Sunday, July 3:

BBC: Vatican finances show a profit for the 1^st time in 3 years, US stocks have their best week in 2 years.  I opine that we’re having a “bavarian good trip,” Marjorie groans.  No lengthy bus rides today!  And it’s a musical day, from Mass to Mozart Dinner Concert.  Cloudy & cool, but not much rain until late PM.  A short bus ride into the city, then a walk to the Cathedral square as bells ring, there’s a pretty fountain, many horses and buggies. 

Marjorie finds some interesting doors, a favorite photo subject for her.  

Into a nearby rehearsal hall. Charles warns us not to let the beautiful sound in the Cathedral envelope us, and to remember good consonants.  He also reminds us (not so reassuringly), “This is Mozart’s church!”  We run thru Mozart’s “Laudate Dominum,” w/ Paula’s solo so mesmerizing that we mess up our entrance.  It’s good to rehearse!   

 Into the Dom, they wheel out a little organ for Charles to play; he’s right next to me, hope I don’t screw up!  We sing our 1^st piece, “Cantate Domino,” the last note echoes over us.  It’s not St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, but nonetheless plenty beautiful and humbling.  Lights are turned off after Mass, giving a very different look to the church.  

After a group photo on the front steps, we join Camille & Drew for sustenance at a café: the waitress brings a large tray of pastries, you just have to point, breaking down any (slight) defenses we might have had. 

We rendezvous w/ Elisabeth for a city tour.  Back thru the Cathedral (w/ commentary, of course), ornate & atmospheric Stiftskirche (“collegiate church”) St. Peter, and the interesting St. Peter’s Cemetery we remember from our prior visit. 

Some head into the Mozart Geburtshaus (birthplace).  [Side note: the birthplace of physicist Doppler, of the “Doppler effect,” is nearby.]  We’ve seen enough, so head nearby for shared cappuccino and Sacher torte. 

Light rain now.  Thru passageways w/ pretty windows: fancy clothes w/ prices of 2-3,000 €, interesting combinations of new paired w/ old styles.  

We rejoin the group to walk thru Mirabell Gardens to the bus and ride back to the hotel.  Drew’s luggage has appeared (to the regret of tourist t-shirt vendors), still 2 missing.  Some relaxation time – fortunately, M stays awake to wake me up – then off to the Mozart Dinner.

A number of people are all decked out for tonight, Helen & Chuck deserve the best-dressed award.  Elisabeth is in a pretty traditional Austrian dress.  Most take taxis in the light rain, we’re hardy bus people.  The Mozart Dinner Concert is in Stiftskeller St. Peter, the oldest restaurant in Central Europe: 3-course candlelight dinner, period recipes and costumes, Mozart music.  A string quintet, plus soprano & baritone, do selections from Don Giovanni, Marriage of Figaro, Magic Flute.  Good music, good food, a good time.  I thought (incorrectly) Mozart himself might make a surprise appearance at the end.  Things wrap up about 11:00; still feeling hardy, we strike out w/o Elisabeth for the bus, accompanied by Carol & Gary, Paula & her sister.  A couple of wrong turns in the now dark & mostly empty city, we get to where the bus should be . . . and it’s gone!  We eventually find a hotel, desk guy calls a taxi, back home about midnight.  I consider changing the title of this journal (w/ apologies to Snoopy): “It was a dark and scary night.”  We could sell movie rights to Angelina Jolie & Johnny Depp to play us? 

Monday, July 4:

         Good early AM photo ops from our room: pretty clouds, some sun playing on snowy peaks beyond the city.  BBC: Thailand elects 1^st female PM.  Marjorie & Paula explore the nearby Billa grocery, but pass on the “Paula Pudding.”  Breakfast at the hotel. 

Onto the bus, we learn George et al. also took a circuitous route last night, but made it to the bus.  And here’s a sociological observation: people aren’t always sitting in the same seats every day!  Doesn’t that violate the norms of bus tour travel?  A short drive, Elisabeth leading us in “Blue Danube” to prepare for later, past a Christmas tree farm.  

To Obendorf and Stille Nacht Kapelle, the chapel where a teacher and priest collaborated on “Silent Night” in 1818.  A delightful older man relates the story, noting there’s a replica of the chapel in Frankenmuth (MI, not WI where he places it).  Nice sunshine now as we continue on.  But what’s this?  Traffic comes to a halt, shades of NYC!  We learn there’s been a truck accident and the roadway has to be cleaned of petrol.  Nothing to do but sing: patriotic songs (it’s the 4^th of July, after all!), Sound of Music, etc.  Elisabeth notes our travel travails on the trip: “If you ever come back to Germany, know that I am busy.”  Traffic finally unclogs after 1½ hours, we can smell the gasoline as we pass the scene.  An unscheduled stop in a raststation, a lovely spot overlooking lake and mountains, gorgeous sun now, surprisingly good food.

Refreshed and back on the bus.  People are still talking about John & George’s Bavarian damsel; since they’re both teachers, Drew suggests we find a 7^th grader’s Facebook page to post this on.  Leaving the mountains behind, we drive thru agricultural countryside: beans, corn, oats, the first sunflower fields we’ve seen.  There are often fences along the side, some decorated.  We wonder, are they for the snow?  

E comes back on the air, giving orientation for upcoming Melk Abbey: “a jewel of baroque” founded in 1702.  Monks have been here over 900 years, only about 30 of them now.  Benedictines “pray and work,” selling their own products, running a large school, but tourism is the main economic base.  We learn that an abbey is a monastery w/ an “abbot” elected to be the boss.  Vineyards and apricots growing in the vicinity.  The abbey overlooks the Danube valley. 

 



Wow, what a place!  And we have an especially good, very animated guide.   

An ornate church, orchids left from an end of school concert, imperial apartments (over 60 rooms are for “high guests”), beautiful library, a wonderful variety of exhibits, lovely doors and stairways and walls, a bejeweled cross containing a splinter of Jesus’ cross.  There are 1,365 windows, 9 million bricks!  We sing our “Ave Maria” in the church, muddling a bit w/o the music but Marjorie says we sounded beautiful. 

 
On the road again, seeing more wind turbines, which often add interesting scenic touches along European highways.  To Vienna and our Mercure Hotel am Konserthaus, w/ nice art nouveau decorations.  

We have a separate dining room for a nice dinner.  After-dinner stroll w/ Terry to a nearby park w/ fountain, Russian soldier monument, and rather strange contemporary sculpture.  I forgot to shave this AM, and Marjorie’s not encouraging further work on my rugged European look.

Tuesday, July 5:

          Some rain during the night.  Today’s our biggest singing day, beginning w/ a recital/rehearsal in Stephansdom (St. Stephen’s Cathedral), then full evening concert in Peterskirche (St. Peter’s Church).  M & I consider going to the Spanish Riding School, but the horses are “on holiday” from performing now.  Elisabeth is back after a night at home (she has a summer place in Vienna, rest of the year in Rome w/ her veterinarian hubbie).  She tells us that the last son of the Austrian emperor died last night at the age of 98.  She also reminds us that in the old days women (“voices of the Devil”) were not allowed in choirs; we basses have long been suspicious of some of the sopranos.  A short bus ride to the pedestrian area, views of colorful graffiti along the canal bordering the Stadtpark.  To the Cathedral via walk-throughs w/ pretty windows.  Some cultural mismatches: a Spiderman figure juts out from an ornate building, and later we pass large Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle figures in the pedestrian area. 

We sing about half of our concert program for our followers in another wonderful venue.  The public is starting to come in toward the end, they and church staff seem impressed.  

A tour of the church, another beautiful interior full of wonderful perspectives.  The organ has 10,000 pipes, but Charles says it’s not quantity that matters.  The center of the city was bombed heavily in WWII (Gestapo headquarters were here), blowing out almost all of the windows in the church, but even the relatively plain replacements are beautiful.  

We come out to sun & blue sky, plus warmer temps today.  Men in Mozart period costumes are touting concerts; should someone from our group dress up to tout our concert?  

We all walk to a beautiful “plague tower,” created to thank God for relief from the Black Plague in the 17^th C, then Marjorie & I cut away on our own. 

We find Julius Mienl, an upscale food store M has been wanting to return to.  After a cappuccino & pastry break we split up for an hour: M browses thru the store, I wander.  I find a second magnet of the trip (for my office collection) at one of many “Mostly Mozart” shops, pass many tour groups, and duck into a Starbucks mit frei toiletten (something I remember for needs later in the trip).  

M & I rejoin and stroll down Kärntnerstrasse past pretty windows – including “Summer of Love,” representing “hippie philosophy of the ‘60s” as interpreted by an Indian fashion designer – and into interesting shops, including Osterreichische Werkstatten, which I remembered for its beautiful things by leading Austrian artists and craft people. 

Another good memory leads us into upscale cafeteria Rosenberger Marktrestaurant for lunch: I get Wiener gulasch, M has gulyassupe (goulash soup).

 

Nourished again, we head to the relaxing green of the Burggarten.  M thinks about gelato, which so far on the trip has always brought rain.  Sure enough, it starts to rain, pretty hard for a while. 

Walking thru the rain back to the hotel, we go thru a corner of the large Stadtpark.  The Strauss monument is being “restored to its former glory.”  There’s a nice little gardening exhibit by the Gardenbaummuseum along one edge of the park, & an interesting sculpture installation at the corner by their building.
            Back at the hotel, Marjorie goes duck hunting.  Walking last night w/ Terry we’d spotted cute little red ducks (Charles’ organ mascot) decorating a bath supply store.  After some language confusion, the owner seems happy that she’s not asking to get a duck for every choir member, and gives her one for Charles (M presents it to him before the concert for good luck).  In a nearby grocery M finally finds the searched-for “Jumpys,” a funky snack cracker we’d found on previous Central Europe trips (and later in the trip she finds tasty “Junior Farm Crackers”).  Back to the hotel for R & R, we watch some Aljazeera news: protests in Syria, the new country of South Sudan will be born on Saturday.  BBC weather: it’s “hotting up” in Africa & Asia, well over 100 (I think I saw 40 C!).  There will be a late dinner, so we share bread and cheese from the grocery store.  

 Elisabeth’s 9-year-old daughter Isabella is w/ her tonight (E has 3 children), looking very sweet in a traditional Austrian dress [and we have a chance to meet the family].  Don surreptitiously passes out a song for the farewell dinner (more on that later).  I learn that I won’t get a prize for most photos: George has already taken over 1,000! (I’ll finish w/ a mere 624, M w/ 248 + 2 short videos).  George teaches art & photography, so wouldn’t you think he’d be more discriminating?  Ah, but the freedom of digital!

We head to Peterskirche, first in rehearsal space where we sing Happy Birthday to Isabella, who seems pleased, and is quite poised for being w/ a roomful of strangers.  Marjorie finally gets some gelato while we rehearse, then Isabella takes her up to the choir loft (guiding must be in her genes) where we’re still warming up.   

Another Wow! venue, smaller but just as ornate and the sound echoes throughout.  The audience includes a pretty good number to supplement our fellow travelers.  The first half we sing a capella, then move up (via a rather treacherous winding staircase) to the choir loft w/ Charles at the organ.  Solos by Paula & Camille soar so beautifully throughout the church!  Marjorie notices that Elisabeth & others at first seem reluctant to applaud, perhaps not something done in churches here.  But Lynne is our cheerleader to start the applause.  Dinner back at the hotel, billed as “fried chicken & potato salad,” turns out to be a somewhat disappointing sort of chicken schnitzel and boiled potatoes, tho there’s a really good salad (I think I have this on the right night, but it’s hard to keep track!). 

Wednesday, July 6: 

           A “leisurely” AM (in tour guide parlance), departing at 9:00.  CNN: In a case we heard about in Jacksonville in early June, Casey Anthony found not guilty of murdering her 2-year-old daughter (jurors seem to think she probably did it, but evidence was weak).  We also see seemingly sci-fi footage on TV of a huge scary cloud swallowing a city, but no caption or narration – we learn back home that this massive dust storm (a “haboob”) enveloped Phoenix Tuesday evening.  A warm sunny AM, blue sky & puffy clouds into the PM.  Cindy’s luggage has appeared; tho, honestly, her carry-on held as much as either of our checked luggage! – so Cindy gets the well-prepared award.  We’re off for some AM tours. Elisabeth says we’re increasingly on time, must be our “Austrian training,” says she’ll be selling tupperware on the drive to Prague; if we don’t buy there’ll be “no washroom stops.” 

Past the Staatsoper (State Opera House), the French embassy (boos rain from the bus – have I mentioned Air France?), and a massive construction site for new RR station.

First stop at Belvedere Palace gardens w/ panoramic view of Vienna and a group photo.  

           On to Schönbrunn Palace, a World Heritage Site that was “summer home” of the Hapsburgs, especially during the reign of Empress Maria Theresa, also location of 1^st Kennedy/Khrushchev meeting.  Elisabeth introduces Birgit as “guide #2 in Vienna … I’m #1!”  

No interior photos allowed, some restoration in progress.  But most impressive nonetheless: ornate rooms w/ ceiling murals, huge tapestries and mirrors, sparkling chandeliers, beautiful wood floors, many portraits (including a guy whose creepy eyes seem to follow you).  Maria T was the only woman to rule Austria, and still found time to have 16 children in 20 years!  She was the mother of Marie Antoinette, and one of her daughters was actually allowed to marry for love.  

M & I have light lunch at a kiosk before heading into the spectacular gardens, which also have the oldest zoo in the world, and M finds a marionette theater and museum.  The complex here is reported to be larger than Versailles and Monaco.  A short wait for Tony, then here comes our easy-to-spot “Watzinger” bus.

          On our way about 1:30 for the 300 km (about 5 hours) to Prague, on mostly 2-lane roads.  We have to go back thru Vienna: past a variety of “exotic” (apparently meaning Asian and other foreign places) stores and restaurants, past Prater and the large ferris wheel we rode during our previous visit.  Elisabeth reminds us to watch our passports & money in Prague, then it’s naptime.  Flat then rolling agricultural countryside, vineyards & sunflower fields.  We cross the Czech border (happily, no border inspections today to slow us down), and right away there are many shops, elaborate amusement parks, a casino, strip clubs.  Into a service area w/ something for everyone, from snacks to booze to porn DVDs.  Even pretty squeegee girls to clean windshields.  What a fun country!  Elisabeth notes that lower prices here have Austrians crossing the border for sex; but they go to Hungary for dentists (go figure).  Our hottest temps so far, into the 80s maybe 90. 

Underway, E relates more on Czech history and economics.  A lower standard of living means lower prices, but also men seeking work opportunities in Austria while the women stay behind.  She notes the effects of Communism and Soviet domination on architecture and religion.  An interesting tidbit: pencils are produced here for use all over Europe.  More seriously, many of us remember the “Prague Spring” of 1968, when political liberalization was quashed by a Soviet invasion; liberation did not occur until 1989.  Prague escaped bombing in WWII (except for one “mistake”), the historic city center is a World Heritage Site.  We drive thru pretty towns, but they seem more tired and rough around the edges than Austria.  Another rest stop, to follow Tony’s busdriver rules about breaks.  A faster motorway for the last stretch, a pretty late PM as we near Praha.  Into another traffic jam, but it’s not much by our standards.  

Past the train station w/ art nouveau entrance, over the Moldau (I can still hum a few bars of Smetana’s “Moldau” from son Matt’s youth orchestra days), past some big construction sites and beautiful villa-type residences.  To our Hotel Diplomat, a big fancy definitely 4-star place, lovely art deco.  Dinner in a pretty restaurant: nice buffet, refreshing Czech beer.  CNN: S. Korea has won the bid for the 2018 Winter Olympics, beating out Munich.

Thursday, July 7:

          Help!: Our music keeps running thru my head.  It’s time to shift language gears: dobryden (hello), dékuji (thank-you); that’s about it for me, but it gets some appreciative smiles.  BBC: Growing revulsion over UK phone hacking of a missing young girl and others by Murdoch’s “News of the World.”  The last missing luggage has appeared, for Cecilia; it’s all beat up, but she can be best-dressed for the last 2 days.  More shorts in evidence today (it becomes sunny w/ temps probably in the high 80s by PM), w/ some teasing about Tom’s bare legs.  A big buffet breakfast.  Many tour buses outside the hotel.  Off we go w/ folks trying to figure out calculations for Czech cash: 1 koruna= about 6¢, 1$= about 16-17 czk.  We sing Happy BD to Rob.

          This AM we’re at the Prague Castle District (Hradčany), w/ many other tour groups – have to be careful w/ so many uplifted guide umbrellas to follow.  There’s some jockeying going thru buildings, our guide asserts herself at one point to establish position.  Elisabeth introduces our local guides (locals are required in some places): 2 Hanas who E labels as “blonde & brown,” also dividing us into “faster & slower” groups.  To even out #s we volunteer to join the “slower” group, but our group moves along just as well as the others, so there!  

Changing of the guard as we arrive, then into the Cathedral of St. Vitus, one of the most beautiful Gothic cathedrals in Europe.  An elaborate entrance door, fabulous colorful windows, organ music (quite unusual here, but there’s an organ festival now).  

The story of St. John of Nepomuk illustrates again that getting murdered gives one a leg up on sainthood – he refused to divulge the King’s wife’s confession, w/ a predictable outcome.  St. Vitus’ Dance, a disorder characterized by jerky, uncontrollable movements, derives its name from the way St. J of N was tortured.  His tomb contains 2,000 kilos of silver; Marjorie takes photos for silversmith Theresa, who buys silver by the ounce.  Our brown Hana notes that torture was a common part of interrogation back in the day, survival being a sign of innocence; but Maria Theresa (who seems to have been a relatively enlightened monarch) outlawed its use for teenagers, pregnant women, and seniors (an early AARP benefit?). Some exterior scaffolding and coverings over restoration work; here as elsewhere there’s always something that needs work! 

           Into the palace, again no interior photos (unless you purchase a separate “license”); M is frustrated when she can’t photograph the many atmospheric doors and stairways, her specialty.  We see the window site of the Second Prague Defenestration (a term I recall from my schooldays) in 1618, which set off the 30 Years War.  Views overlooking the city’s characteristic red roofs and spires (Prague is “The City of 100 Spires”). 

To fascinating Golden Lane, legendary home of alchemists, also a favorite spot of Franz Kafka. 

Some restored rooms (an alchemist’s laboratory is particularly interesting), shops, a long 2^nd-floor corridor w/ armor displayed and a cross-bow range (something you don’t see every day).  It all seems very Harry Potter.  Past a toy museum w/ happy 50^th BD display for “Barbie.”   

We start heading down from the Castle elevation to the Mala Strana district below, past gardens and the oldest Czech vineyard, panoramic views.  A very steep path down to a square w/ shops & restaurants, some time on our own. 

 M & I join Maureen K & Lynne for excellent and filling lunch outside under an archway.

M heads toward our next church, I to a garden inside the Senate building – hedges and sculptures. 

 

Onto Charles Bridge, very busy w/ pedestrians, artisans, musicians, lovely views and angles w/ the 30 statues.  I see people riding a tethered balloon above the river.  Back to the square in time to hear a trumpet call from the church steeple.  

           On to Church of Our Lady Victorious, home of the Infant Jesus of Prague, for our last singing.  On our previous visit there was much scaffolding, so we can see much more of the beautiful interior this time; plus photos of the Infant’s many dresses line the staircase to a museum.  Most of the choir had left their music for our “private” Mass (tho others are also welcome and in attendance) in the bus, which arrives just in time for Elisabeth & Rob to sprint over w/ the folders.  A nun leads us thru corridors that include carvings of African animals (maybe from sister parishes?) and up another treacherous winding staircase to the choir loft.  An Augustinian priest (from Brooklyn!) presides.  Marjorie volunteers to serve as lector, but doesn’t know if she will or what the readings will be.  She’s excited when the priest calls her up, there are no tongue-twisters, she does her usual splendid job.  Tom serves as eucharistic minister.  The priest gives each of us a picture of the Infant and will join us for dinner.

          Marjorie says I’ve lost my usual “crisp” look.  But Whew!, lots of walking and hills today, heat & humidity.  Back at the hotel we learn that today’s the final Harry Potter premiere in London; sorry, we can’t make it.  After another nice dinner buffet, a short walk w/ Maureen F. and daughter Kate.  We pass an official looking building w/ outside exhibits of Czech military history from WWI to the present.  Googling Generálnί Ŝtáb Armády later, this appears to be the General Staff or Ministry of Defense.

Friday, July 8:

           Marjorie’s on a Marionette Mission today.  We weren’t able to fit in a marionette opera theater (which we’d so enjoyed in Salzburg on our earlier visit), but she wants something to add to her witch collection.  A cool, fresher AM; some light rain plus some sun & warmer in the PM, but thankfully not the heat & humidity of yesterday.  Onto the bus, where people discuss the “Angry Birds” game (a favorite of daughter-in-law Anthea).  The Mason group had a nice incursion into Poland yesterday evening, reflecting their family roots.  More views of the city driving in.  Past a large stadium from the Soviet days, holds 200,000, has been used for a John Paul II Mass and a Stones concert, now largely unused and looking quite derelict.  By a beautiful old residential area, past Frank Gehry’s “Dancing House.”  And even here we hear about Mozart visits.  

          The Hanas are w/ us again for a walking tour, first thru a park along the river w/ a pretty approach to Charles Bridge.  Interesting sculptures in the park.  Lovely buildings: pastel colors, interesting “house signs,” pretty facades; looks to be a good door day for M’s photos.  Coke has seemed omnipresent here, but Chuck spots a Pepsi sign!  “Devil’s Stream” waterway lined w/ pretty houses and flowers, a waterwheel.  

Signs on a wall show the flood level from 1890, then 3-4’ higher for the “100-year flood” in 2002 when the old city flooded (only a couple of months after our visit).

 

           Across Charles Bridge, lots of interesting angles and lighting for photos.
Hana says she knew all 30 bridge statues when she passed the guide exam, but isn’t so sure now.  

Walking into Staré Mĕsto (Old Town) we pass many interesting shops.  Beautiful places w/ jewelry, ceramics, Bohemian crystal (a crystal timpanist for percussionist son Matt would be a mere 2,410 czk), garnet, marionettes; and M finds just the right (not too scary) witch.  And there’s quite a mix: Hardrock Café and Starbucks, Museums of Medieval Torture and of Sex Machines, Old Traditional Goodies (which appears to refer to a local food item) and The Happy Store, and an Absyntherie (even absinthe ice cream).  

           Onto Staromĕstské námĕstί (Old Town Square), especially beautiful facades and impressive Jan Hus monument; Jan Hus was a 15^th C fiery preacher and predecessor of Protestantism who was burned at the stake for heresy.  Nearby Town Hall w/ famous astronomical clock from the 15^th C; hourly performance ends w/ a trumpeter in the tower above.  Over to a marketplace area, some nourishment under an archway w/ Connie, Josie, Grace & Jim (who maybe gets the prize for the unexpected biggest plate of food, which he shares).

    

   We rejoin our Hana for a tour of the Jewish Quarter, interesting but a bit disappointing: we don’t go into the buildings or old cemetery, for which you need pricey museum tickets.  Back to the main square.  Serial weddings at the Town Hall, much tossing of rice.  We cross paths w/ Camille & Drew, accompany them for lunch (plus an ice cream treat for us) in a quiet spot away from the bustling street.  

Then into Manufactura, a store full of wonderful Czech handiwork that M remembers from her wanderings w/ Kay.  C & D find beautiful crèches as upcoming wedding gifts. 

I complete my memorabilia purchases for my office w/ a small figure of Krteček (The Little Mole), a character in children’s stories and cartoons comparable in popularity to Mickey Mouse we’ve seen in many forms in stores.   

After C & D have a lengthy wait to buy tickets (behind someone buying many tickets for a group of kids) from an apparently inebriated station agent, we ride the Metro back to the hotel.  The hotel is filling up w/ kids in a “Global Young Leaders” group from around the world.  Relaxing before dinner, we watch the last US space shuttle launch.         

          On a beautiful evening we drive to our farewell dinner at rustic Stary Vrch Stredokluký Restaurace, in a village outside the city. The choir starts things off w/ our finale song for Charles, “Prague Fugue”: Don’s clever choir-referential lyrics (e.g., “Let not an ‘R’ escape thy lips”) set to the tune of “Awake My Soul.”  Seating is at long tables; around us are Charles & Rob, Camille & Drew, Mary & George, Taylor & Bobby. 

An excellent Czech meal: plum liqueur, plentiful wine & beer, Moravian cabbage soup, assorted meats & dumplings, cherry strudel.  All accompanied by gypsy music & dancing.  I’ve held off on doing a (brief) “Wild and Crazy Guys” routine until now; Marjorie is quite unappreciative.  Chuck gets special attention from the pretty blonde Gypsy dancer, then folks are pulled up to dance the polka.  Charles expresses our great thanks to Elisabeth.  Rob thanks us for “accepting” him into the choir for the trip; we basses were plenty happy to have him along.  A mighty good time!  Headed back after 10:00, pretty moonlight on the fields, a bit rowdy on the bus.

Saturday, July 9:

          As always, I’m up well before the wake-up call.  We’re again divided into our A & B groups; we As leave much earlier at 7:30, Bs have a leisurely AM but won’t be home until well after midnight.  We’ve done our usual jettisoning of old “travel” clothes to lighten our load, even tossing my old shaver after its last hurrah.  A sunny AM as Elisabeth joins us for the short drive to Letištĕ airport, and she just can’t stop giving commentary!  It’s quiet, but we have trouble figuring out the self-service kiosks for check-in, lines build up, Elisabeth battles on the group’s behalf w/ the Air France people.  Then one final hassle w/ AF: some carry-ons are forced to be checked at the gate tho they were said to be OK at check-in and similar bags are accepted (some think they’re picking on Americans, not too surprising I suppose).  We successfully spend almost all of our Czech cash; my colleague Ryan’s wife, Jana, is Czech and he would exchange my left-overs, but there’s only 39 czk; I’ll give it to Ryan to get himself a candy bar on their next family visit.  Elisabeth wishes us farewell right at the gate as we board; she’s flying out later, or maybe just wants to be sure we leave!  On time into Paris before noon, a tram from the plane, a long walk, a hop onto another tram, thru security again, and everybody makes the flight (tho not much time to spare).  I feel embarrassed filling out the Customs Declaration w/ our shamefully meager purchases.  During the flight Marjorie advises 2 French youngsters seated w/ her on filling out the form, and about things in NYC.  A doctor in our group comes to the aid of a young passenger who’s taken ill, tho not seriously.  I finish a thriller that toward the end coincidentally includes a murder in front of Stephansdom in Vienna.  And I try to clear Mozart from my head by listening to a Dylan CD on the plane’s entertainment system; “Subterranean Homesick Blues” seems about right.

Almost on-time into JFK about 4:00, camera on the tail showing approach and landing, but there’s some delay getting to a gate and disembarking.  Peter’s Way meets us and gets us to our Yankee Trails bus.  Some traffic getting out of the city, creating some flashbacks to the start of the trip but not too bad.  It’s a noisy bus, not the comfy quiet ride we had in Europe.  A last bit of news: Derek Jeter got his 3,000^th career hit today, the first to reach this milestone while playing for the Yankees.  To St. Pius and our car before 9:00, a Burger King stop on the way home.  We unwind watching our nephew Andy & wife Staci featured on the DIY network; they got a bathroom makeover on “Bath Crashers,” we recorded it while we were away.

Another wonderful choir trip!  Beautiful cities & sights.  The arrangements by Peter’s Way were excellent.  Nice hotels (better than we usually have in our own travels), good breakfasts & better hotel dinners than in Italy (lunches were “independent,” and we enjoyed those for good local food and treats).  And Elisabeth was … well, Elisabeth was Elisabeth, Tour Manager/Guide Extraordinaire!  And there was the now twice-in-a-lifetime experience of singing in quite incomparable musical-historical settings!  Yeah, maybe we had imperfections here and there, but the beautiful venues and marvelous acoustics covered our sins.

There are plusses and minuses to group escorted travel.  We had to pass on some things that might be of interest on our own, and there seemed to be less free time than in Italy; people had elected to cover more ground rather than fewer places with more time in each.  But we’ve also seen things we might have missed on our own, plus insight and info from the excellent guides.  We saw some new sights and enjoyed seeing other sights again, sometimes from different angles.  And such a good, congenial bunch to travel with!  It’s nice to travel w/ so many friends.  Plus you learn things about people in such close proximity.  For example, Cindy has quite a coke addiction – Diet Coke, that is, even for breakfast.  And Marian N. turns out to be an international hotel room card thief!

In any group of this size, people have varying abilities to manage the often lengthy walking on uneven surfaces, stairs, and hills.  At one extreme, Don & George had the energy to go on their own hikes and climb many towers.  The rest of us seemed plenty fulfilled by our full days of touring, and some had to pace themselves and be more selective.  Elisabeth would warn when things might be too strenuous for some, climbing hills or lots of stairs.  Everything worked out OK – the group was accommodating to those who needed more time to manage the walks, and individuals were also accommodating to the group in skipping some things, taking taxis, and such, as needed.  Frank, the senior member of choir, was accompanied by a family support group.  Frank Jr. earned much respect for his dedication, getting his father to whatever he could and staying back w/ him for things he couldn’t manage.

Other pluses and minuses?  We experienced a range of weather: cool & hot, dry & wet, but not as much rain (or snow) that Marjorie & I encountered on our previous Bavarian trip.  I don’t think any of us will be frequent flyers w/ Air France (have I mentioned them?): people were very unhappy w/ the  handling of flights from  Paris to Munich, the confusion and run-arounds on missing luggage, and some final annoyances on the return trip.  And there were some other travel annoyances (have I mentioned the traffic jams?).  But now that’s all just part of the story.

One last thing: While traveling thru Central Europe some of us aging babyboomers were trying to remember the similar countries from Peter Sellers’ “The Mouse That Roared” and a Marx brothers flick.  And the final answer is: Duchy of Grand Fenwick and Freedonia (from “Duck Soup”). 

Guten Tag!