| Tue., May 6 | Depart for Europe! We will meet in Chicago to board our transatlantic flight to Europe. On our eight-hour flight we will enjoy snacks, dinner, music, a movie and breakfast as we wing our way to Paris |
| Wed., May 7 | We will arrive in Europe at 9:30 a.m., though our bodies will think it's 2:30 a.m. So much for a good night’s sleep! A Dutch bus will pick us up at Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris. We will meet out driver for the next month. He is from Friesland in the Netherlands. After clearing customs and loading the bus, we will travel into Paris for a tour of the city including the Eiffel Tower and the Arc de Triomphe. After a late afternoon check-in to our hotel and an early dinner, you will want to go to bed early for a well deserved sleep. |
| Th., May 8 | The Île de la Cité, the heart of Paris, is our destination this morning. This area is an island in the middle of the Seine River. Here we will visit Notre Dame Cathedral and the exquisite Ste-Chapelle chapel in the Palace of Justice. Rarely will you ever see such impressive stained glass windows. In the afternoon, the world-famous Louvre and d’Orsay Musuems will keep us occupied. |
| Fri., May 9 | A morning stroll up to the Sacré-Coeur Basillica and the hilltop area of Montmartre will offer a stunning view over the city. The afternoon will allow for a variety of activities depending on interest. Our first concert is tonight at one of the Mennonite churches in Paris. |
| Sat., May 10 | Today we bid farewell to Paris and make our way to the Black Forest region of Germany. Our evening concert will be at the Stadtkirche in Offenburg. Since this is Pentecost weekend, the city sponsors a series of Saturday concerts in churches throughout the city. Tonight, we are the featured concert on the series! Singing in this beautiful Romanesque-style church will be an unforgettable experience! After the concert we make a short drive to meet our hosts in the town of Emmendingen. |
| Sun., May 11 | This morning we go to the town of Endingen to participate in a morning worship service with a Baptist congregation. After a noon meal with the congregation, we will drive back to Emmendingen where our concert tonight will also be at a Baptist Church, co-sponsored by the local Mennonite congregation. |
| Mon., May 12 | Leaving our hosts in Germany, we stop in Freiburg as we make our way towards Switzerland. We are headed not into the Alps, but into the lower Jura mountains in the French speaking part of the country. Tonight’s concert will be in the tiny village of Moron. A church, a school, and several farm houses are all that make up Moron, but more than 300 people will come out for our concert! Homestays tonight. |
| Tue., May 13 | Today we head into the Alps, so don’t forget your camera. Our destination is the alpine village of Wengen, at the foot of the Jungfrau mountain. The only way to get to the town is by cog train, so there are very few motorized vehicles there. We will spend two nights here. |
| Wed., May 14 | Hiking and exploring are the main activities for today. If you have the energy, you can hike all the way to the base of the Jungfrau. With a little bit of luck, you may even hear an Alphorn player as you hike through Kleine Scheidegg. Hikes of every length and level of difficulty are available, so everyone should get out and enjoy the scenery. You might even get into snow. Today would be a good day to try some Ramseier Apfelsaft, Swiss chocolate or even some fondeau. |
| Th., May 15 | Unfortunately, this morning we must say goodbye to our mountain vacation spot. We head to the Emmental (Emmen Valley), where we will see how Swiss cheese is made. We will also visit the Trachselwald Castle, where Anabaptists were held prisoner. Tonight, we will give our concert in Langnau at the oldest continuous Mennonite congregation in the world, founded ca. 1530. Homestays tonight. |
| Fri., May 16 | The Anabaptist movement started in Zurich. We will spend the day studying the beginnings of the movement as well as hiking to a cave where Anabaptists gathered for worship during times of persecution. Evening in Zurich. |
| Sat., May 17 | A relaxing morning will let us rest up for several concerts in the next few days. Lake Thun and the village of Wattenwil will be our stop tonight. We will be hosted by members of the Reformed Church. This congregation and their pastor, Paul Veraguth, have been instrumental in building relationships between the Reformed Church in Switzerland and Mennonite and other Anabaptist groups. We will hear about their work of reconciliation, healing and forgiveness. Homestays for the next two evenings. |
| Sun., May 18 | We will participate in the morning worship service and hear a sermon in a combination of Swiss-German and English. After a relaxing afternoon with host families, we will travel to a lovely, historic church in Blumenstein for our evening concert. This church is often used as a venue for concerts. Following the concert, we return to Wattenwil and our host families. |
| Mon., May 19 | After bidding our hosts auf wiedersehen, we board the bus for another wonderful location. Situated on the beautiful Vierwaldstättersee (four wooded cities lake), Luzern is a marvelous city to explore. With small streets lined with shops and houses, and beautiful old wooden bridges, this is a shopper’s paradise. But there are many activities for those who enjoy hiking, visiting museums, or just sitting by the lake. Since the European Cup is being hosted in Switzerland and Austria this year, it’s a great time for soccer fans. The evening is free – perhaps to watch a game, even if it is only on television. |
| Tue., May 20 | An early morning start as we have a long travel day to Milan, Italy. On our way we may have time to stop at Lago Maggiore, one of the most beautiful lakes in northern Italy. After an evening meal at the hotel, about half the group will meet host families – members of the Milan Bach Choir. |
| Wed., May 21 | Today will be spent exploring Milan. This will include seeing the Castello Sforzesco (castle), the Duomo (cathedral), the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II (a 19th century shopping mall), and Leonardo da Vinci’s Last Supper. In the evening, we will rehearse with the Bach Choir of Milan. |
| Th., May 22 | Continued exploration of Milan, with a possible day trip outside the city. Tonight we give a benefit concert with the Milan Bach Choir in the lovely San Marco Basilica in the heart of Milan, not far from the famous La Scala Opera House. |
| Fri., May 23 | A long travel day as we leave Italy, cross Switzerland, and end up in Germany. The Mennonite Church of Ingolstadt will be our hosts for the next two nights. |
| Sat., May 24 | Before heading into Munich, we will make a sobering stop at Dachau Concentration Camp, one of the earliest camps (1933) established by the Nazis. A lighter afternoon will find us in the regional capital of Bavaria – the city of Munich. Evening with hosts families back in Ingolstadt. |
| Sun., May 25 | After participating in the morning worship service of the Mennonite congregation, we will head in our concert attire to a lovely Baroque church in downtown Ingolstatd for a 30-minute noon-hour concert. If it is similar to the last time HC sang at this church, it will be packed out! Then back to the Mennonite church for a quick lunch. Back on the bus, we will head for the Rhine River town of Ingelheim. Our concert tonight will be in a 9th century “castle church” founded by Charlemagne. Our host for this concert is the church organist, who was also the bus driver for Hesston College European tours from 1986 – 1994. After the concert, we will travel yet again to meet our hosts for the next two nights in the city of Neuwied. |
| Mon., May 26 | A relaxing cruise on the Rhine River will allow us to see some of the most scenic castles on the Rhine. To get the best views, you may sit outside on one of the deck chairs, or sit inside in one of several restaurants and look out the windows. As at any restaurant in Europe, if you think the prices are high, you’re right, they are; but, remember that the taxes and tip are included in the printed prices. Later we will visit the Romanesque Abbey of Maria Laach. Our concert tonight will be at the Mennonite church of Neuwied. This community is home to many former Russian Mennonites, known as Umsiedlers. Some of them will likely attend our concert. |
| Tue., May 27 | Today we travel north along the Rhine to Cologne (Köln) where we will catch a glimpse of the cathedral (Dom) long before arriving at its location. We will spend the balance of the day in the Dom working on projects. The Kölner Dom is the highest of the German Gothic cathedrals. Later, you may wish to visit the Roman antiquities museum or climb the 500 steps to the top of the cathedral. Or perhaps you will want to check out the underground sewer system which also houses archeological remains from Roman times. (This is Ken’s famous “Roman Sewer Tour!”) Sounds weird, but it is very interesting. |
| Wed., May 28 | Today we travel to our last country – the Netherlands. On the way we will visit the Kröller-Müller Museum, home to one of the most impressive collections of paintings by Van Gogh and other Impressionists and 20th century artists. Then on to Joure, our home for the next three nights. Concert tonight at the Doopsgezinde Gemeente (Mennonite congregation) of Joure. |
| Th., May 29 | Today we visit sites related to Menno Simons, an early Anabaptist leader in the Netherlands. While Witmarssum and Pingjum are small villages, they loom large in Mennonite history as it relates for the beginnings of the Mennonite church. Tonight we will give a concert at the Mennonite church of Leeuwarden. Then back to Joure for the night |
| Fri. May 30 | A free day with hosts. Take time to catch up on writing, reading, or maybe even laundry. |
| Sat., May 31 | We bid farewell to our hosts in Joure. This morning we will cross the Afsluitdijk, a 26 mile dike which separates the North Sea from the Zuyder Zee (now the Ijsselmeer). Then on to Haarlem, where we will participate in a wedding this afternoon. This will be a very special stay, as it is the home of Klaas, who has been on our tour with us. We will also meet up with the Hesston College Alumni Tour. Homestays for the next three nights. |
| Sun., June 1 | We will participate in the morning worship service at the Mennonite church in Haarlem, which is a hidden church. Our final concert will be in this church tonight. |
| Mon., June 2 | This morning we are off to Aalsmeer and a tour of the largest flower market in the world. Then on to Amsterdam for a tour of the city and maybe even a canal boat ride. This is also a good chance to make final souvenir purchases. |
| Tue., June 3 | Today we part ways, saying goodbye to our hosts in Haarlem and returning to the United States. We depart from Schiphol Airport just outside of Amsterdam. Those returning home can look forward to a 31-hour day, making up the seven hours lost four weeks ago when we arrived in Europe. Time to bid farewell to each other as we go our separate ways. Bon Voyage! See you next fall, either on campus or at our European Chorale reunion at Thanksgiving. |
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