Communication Breakdown

Hello to everyone! Sorry the webmaster took a brief hiatus--we had a little trouble in Germany with the convertors (I'm afraid several of you will be taking your daughters to buy new hairdryers when they return home) and the laptop has not been up and running. Messages should be more frequent now.

The trip has been great so far. We had almost no trouble with our flight, with the exception of a few packing issues (our 116 lb. amplifier caused a little fuss). Considering all the stuff we had to move to Europe, we got mighty lucky!

We hit the Frankfurt airport at about 7 AM Wednesday. A few things were immediately noticed--lots of cigarette smoke (and vending machines), a ton of very tiny cars, and World Cup mania. With soccer teams already arriving, the airport and its surroundings are full of mascots, merchandise, and welcome signs. Another week and the place should really be hopping; our check-in for the flight back home could be very interesting.

We met our tour guides and bus drivers outside the airport and headed straight to Rothenburg. Breakfast on the plane was not very substantial, so we stopped at a rest area along the way. It was called Axxe and set up a lot like a college cafeteria. Most of us got cereal, muffins, and croissants but there were a handful of explorers who braved the sausages and cheeses. The students got to use their first Euros--not on their food, but in the bathroom! It's hard to find free public restrooms in Europe, and the kids are having to get used to either waiting a little longer than usual or scraping up spare change.

Rothenburg is a great little town. It's what you would expect of a Bavarian village...everything looks like gingerbread houses and the gardens are breathtaking. We had a guided walking tour of the area which was very informative, and it would have been lots of fun had we been better prepared for the weather. It was rainy and stayed under 48 degrees which made for a dreary stroll. It gave us a good excuse to order hot chocolate, though, and that's never a bad thing. Our dinner was really nice. We ate in a restaurant in the old Market Square, which is the big plaza at the center of town. Our meal consisted of pork, sauerkraut, potato dumplings, and ice cream cake with raspberry sauce. A band also played authentic German music which livened things up a bit after two very tiring days. I think nearly everyone was asleep by 11 PM.

Which is great because our wake-up has been 6:15 every morning. This is a trip, not a vacation. I hope one of these days we get to sleep in a little or we may be dealing with some cranky folks! Musicians tend to be night owls...We left Rothenburg for the long drive to Prague. It was a fairly quiet bus ride as most of the kids took naps. We had an early lunch in a German rest area before driving across the border. I'm not sure if it's usually more difficult, but crossing into the Czech Republic was very easy for us. We all stayed on the bus and the border guard didn't even ask for a manifest of our instruments and equipment.

The first few miles into Prague were disappointing...lots of industry, KFC and McDonald's, and buildings that appeared to need renovation. But then we reached the old town, the historic area, and it has a completely different feel to it. Green onion domed churches, red tile roofs as far as the eye can see, and the Moldau river with its many beautiful bridges. It's impossible not to appreciate the architecture of this city. And it has been a thrill to listen to the kids for the past two days, hearing them ask smart questions and watching them lag behind in the group a bit to take "the perfect picture." I'm so happy to see that they're enjoying this new culture.

Last night we actually rehearsed, so there was no time to explore. We rehearsed in a hotel ballroom, loaded up the truck and got ready for a very busy Friday. This morning we got the 6:15 wake-up call once again, and by 9:30 we were on our guided city tours. The weather is much better here--sunny with highs in the 60s--and it's a perfect city for pedestrians. Everyone liked hearing about the history of Prague, but I think the students were more excited that we gave them several hours to walk around on their own. I know how liberated I feel each time I scope out a new city; I can't imagine how neat it would have been when I was 16!

We had an early dinner that got mixed reviews. Mushroom soup, salmon-stuffed chicken, and pommes frites (fries). Our bus drivers fought the rush hour traffic to take us to the Czech Museum of Music where we performed our first concert. The crowd was small, about 40, but very receptive. This was a great warm-up for our big performance in Vienna.

Pictures will be posted very soon--stay tuned. Tomorrow we head to the Prague Castle and a glass factory. Hope all's well back home!