This picture is a little something I did on the plane.
Location:O'Hare Airport, Chicago, IL
Saturday, March 30, 2013
We're Finally Home!
The first group to catch a flight this morning left the hotel in Atlanta at 5:30am. The last of the four groups to come home arrived at O'Hare around 1:00pm. The TCHS 2013 Europe trip is done, but the memories and stories and relationships live on.
This picture is a little something I did on the plane.
This picture is a little something I did on the plane.
Friday, March 29, 2013
Stuck in Atlanta
We are safe in Atlanta. We are all at a really nice hotel, the Indigo. Delta gave us the hotel rooms and $18 for food. We are now on four different flights for Saturday arriving in Chicago between 9:45 and 12:30.
Location:Atlanta, Georgia
Stuck in Munich
Our plane has been delayed numerous times this morning. Right now we are not sure when we will depart. It looks like we will not make our connecting flight in Atlanta. As soon as we are in the U.S., we will be able to let you know about the plan.
Thursday, March 28, 2013
Last Day in Europe
We visited Dachau Concentration Camp. It was the first and served as a model for the other camps. Dachau opened 80 years ago (almost to the day), very soon after Hitler came to power. It was built for political prisoners--anyone against the Nazi's. At least 32,000 people (those documented) died there during Hitler's time. Dachau has been turned into a museum. We watched a 30 minute movie and then spent time in the museum building and walking around the grounds. It was a sobering, sad and deep visit.
After lunch we drove into Munich. We walked by the famous Hofbrauhaus, built 400 years ago for gathering, socializing and drinking beer (we did not partake of the latter).
At 14:00 we had a bus tour of Munich and then a walking tour of the Marienplatz, the city center that combined a large square, stores, and very old buildings. It certainly has its own character. The photo below is of city hall, built just over 100 years ago but was designed to look like 100's of years old.
We had free time, last time for souvenirs! Our dinner was in downtown Munich, in a restaurant on the 7th floor of a department store with amazing views of the city.
We returned to the hotel to pack and prepare for our 5:00am wake up call.
We had a wonderful trip and can't wait to see you. Thank you so much for your support and prayers!
After lunch we drove into Munich. We walked by the famous Hofbrauhaus, built 400 years ago for gathering, socializing and drinking beer (we did not partake of the latter).
At 14:00 we had a bus tour of Munich and then a walking tour of the Marienplatz, the city center that combined a large square, stores, and very old buildings. It certainly has its own character. The photo below is of city hall, built just over 100 years ago but was designed to look like 100's of years old.
We had free time, last time for souvenirs! Our dinner was in downtown Munich, in a restaurant on the 7th floor of a department store with amazing views of the city.
We returned to the hotel to pack and prepare for our 5:00am wake up call.
We had a wonderful trip and can't wait to see you. Thank you so much for your support and prayers!
Location:Munich, Germany
Wednesday, March 27, 2013
Four Countries in One Day
We left our quaint Swiss hotel at 7:30. Pretty quickly most got dozy and fell asleep. But then, about 1 1/2 hours into the trip, the clouds broke and the sun came out at the perfect time. We were treated to a spectacular view of the Alps. Of course the picture does not do justice to the awe-inspiring scene.
We made a stop in country number 2: Lichtenstein. It is 62 square miles and has a population of less than 40,000. We walked around for an hour or so. It was on the expensive side. I saw some nail clippers for $30.
After we left, we drove through a corner of country number 3: Austria.
To get to our next place, for a while we drove on a two lane road up a mountain and through high country--winding roads, little villages, beautiful forest and vistas.
A little after 13:00 we arrived at our major stop of the day: Neuschwanstein Castle in southwest Bavaria, Germany (country number 4). It was built in the 19th century. As soon as the builder/owner, Ludwig II, died in 1886, it was immediately opened to the public. The castle was the inspiration for Disneyland's Sleeping Beauty Castle. We had to walk from the village up to the castle. During our tour we saw extravagantly decorated rooms. For instance, in the king's bedroom the woodwork involved 14 wood carvers who worked for over 4 years.
At 17:30 we headed to Munich. Since we were ahead of schedule, we did a nighttime drive through the city. Our dinner was at 20:00. We ate at Franziskane in der Au and had pork goulash. Finally we headed for the hotel, AZIMUT in Erding (outside of Munich).
We made a stop in country number 2: Lichtenstein. It is 62 square miles and has a population of less than 40,000. We walked around for an hour or so. It was on the expensive side. I saw some nail clippers for $30.
After we left, we drove through a corner of country number 3: Austria.
To get to our next place, for a while we drove on a two lane road up a mountain and through high country--winding roads, little villages, beautiful forest and vistas.
A little after 13:00 we arrived at our major stop of the day: Neuschwanstein Castle in southwest Bavaria, Germany (country number 4). It was built in the 19th century. As soon as the builder/owner, Ludwig II, died in 1886, it was immediately opened to the public. The castle was the inspiration for Disneyland's Sleeping Beauty Castle. We had to walk from the village up to the castle. During our tour we saw extravagantly decorated rooms. For instance, in the king's bedroom the woodwork involved 14 wood carvers who worked for over 4 years.
At 17:30 we headed to Munich. Since we were ahead of schedule, we did a nighttime drive through the city. Our dinner was at 20:00. We ate at Franziskane in der Au and had pork goulash. Finally we headed for the hotel, AZIMUT in Erding (outside of Munich).
Location:Munich, Germany
Tuesday, March 26, 2013
Mt. Pilatus
Today there are two blog entries, so make sure you read the other one below!
In the morning we traveled to the Swiss village, Kriens, to begin our mountain adventure. We started by riding up in small gondolas that held four people each. Then we transferred to a large gondola, that held over 30, to the top of Mt. Pilatus. The trip took about 30 minutes. At the top, the visitors center was spacious with lots of windows. Unfortunately the view was fog. Because of the clouds, the spectacular view was hidden. We weathered 166 snowy, blustery, frigid, steep (and safe) steps to the summit. Back at the visitors center, an Alp horn player gave great Swiss entertainment and a photo op. He yodeled and played "Amazing Grace". At the end of this trip, despite the weather, everyone agreed it was an exciting experience.
AT THE SUMMIT!
In the morning we traveled to the Swiss village, Kriens, to begin our mountain adventure. We started by riding up in small gondolas that held four people each. Then we transferred to a large gondola, that held over 30, to the top of Mt. Pilatus. The trip took about 30 minutes. At the top, the visitors center was spacious with lots of windows. Unfortunately the view was fog. Because of the clouds, the spectacular view was hidden. We weathered 166 snowy, blustery, frigid, steep (and safe) steps to the summit. Back at the visitors center, an Alp horn player gave great Swiss entertainment and a photo op. He yodeled and played "Amazing Grace". At the end of this trip, despite the weather, everyone agreed it was an exciting experience.
AT THE SUMMIT!
Location:Kreins, Switzerland
Exploring Lucerne
Lucerne walking tour:
We visited the Lion Monument, also known as the Lion of Lucerne. It was carved in early 1800's to commemorate Swiss mercenaries who were massacred while protecting the French royal family during the French Revolution. Mark Twain said it was the most mournful and moving piece of stone in the world. Make sure you ask to see a close up photo of the lion.
Next, we went to the Chapel Bridge that crosses the Reuss River. It is the oldest covered bridge in Europe and one of the most visited sites in Switzerland. The Bridge was originally built in 1333 and contains paintings from the 17th century. It is 560 feet in length.
We made a quick stop at St. Peter's Cathedral. I sang a chant I learned in college. Check out the video below.
Free time in Lucerne:
Lunch is expensive. A simple sandwich and small salad runs about $10. We had a couple of hours to shop. The Swiss are known for watches and chocolate. Don't worry, when students returned to the bus after shopping, I didn't see any Rolexes, but I did see lots of chocolate.
We visited the Lion Monument, also known as the Lion of Lucerne. It was carved in early 1800's to commemorate Swiss mercenaries who were massacred while protecting the French royal family during the French Revolution. Mark Twain said it was the most mournful and moving piece of stone in the world. Make sure you ask to see a close up photo of the lion.
Next, we went to the Chapel Bridge that crosses the Reuss River. It is the oldest covered bridge in Europe and one of the most visited sites in Switzerland. The Bridge was originally built in 1333 and contains paintings from the 17th century. It is 560 feet in length.
We made a quick stop at St. Peter's Cathedral. I sang a chant I learned in college. Check out the video below.
Free time in Lucerne:
Lunch is expensive. A simple sandwich and small salad runs about $10. We had a couple of hours to shop. The Swiss are known for watches and chocolate. Don't worry, when students returned to the bus after shopping, I didn't see any Rolexes, but I did see lots of chocolate.
Location:Lucerne, Switzerland
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