For those of you who don't want to read the novel I'm sure to write about our Europe trip with the Utah Ambassadors of Music, this is the post for you. I'm going to keep it nice and sweet and short. Not too many pictures (I have about 1000). Not too much text. Ready? Set? GO!
We arrived at the airport at 4 a.m. Ethan kindly drove us. We left SLC at 7 a.m. and flew to Atlanta,
We left Atlanta around 7:40 p.m. Pacific time and flew to London. By the time we landed, it was morning London time.
We got stamps in our passport, loaded on a bus, and headed to Windsor!
We toured the castle, had lunch, and drove to our hotel. After checking in, eating dinner, and having orientation, we took a group of students on a walking tour of London to try to fight jet lag:
The next day, we had a bus tour of London, saw Westminster Abby and the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace.
Then we went to the tower of London and saw the crown jewels and castle stuff:
Then, we grabbed dinner, walked over to the theater district, took advantage of some photo ops:
And took a group of students to see Wicked. It was amazing.
We helped everyone take taxis back to the hotel and then I went on my very first taxi ride.
The next day (Day 3 in London), we had our concerts. First the Choir in Wesley Chapel:
And the band in the Embankment Gardens.
Then we took students to the British Museum
And then to ride the London Eye.
We got the students into taxis and then went back to our hotel to pack up and go to bed.
The next morning, we had an early departure. We drove to Dover and crossed the British Channel via ferry to Calais, France:
We drove the rest of the day, arriving in Paris in time for dinner.
The next day, we went to Montmartre, where we saw Sacre Coeur
and ate real, legit French Crepes.
Then, we got a bus tour of Paris, where we saw the famous Paris Opera House, the Grand and Petit Palaces, and Moulin Rouge, among other things,
including the Eiffel Tower:
Then, we went to the Louvre,
And took a boat tour on the Seine:
The next morning, we climbed halfway up the Eiffel Tower
Then took the elevator the rest of the way to the top.
We saw the Arc d'Triomphe
And walked the Champs-Elysees:
Then we went to Notre Dame:
Bought a lock to put on a love bridge and dropped the key into the Seine.
The next morning, bright and early, we headed to Switzerland. Again, we arrived in time for dinner, and then had free time in Crans-Montana. The next morning, we rode the tram up into the Alps:
And then headed to the Chateau Chillon on Lake Geneva.
After touring the castle, we walked along Lake Geneva to Montreaux, and talked Brian out of jumping into the lake.
We went back to Crans-Montana for dinner and the concert.
The next morning, we took a train to Zermatt, walked around,
Rode another tram up to the ridge across from the famous Matterhorn and ate lunch.
Next, we headed back to Crans-Montana, where they treated us to a special Fondue dinner and dancing. It was a great party!
Next morning, we hit the road again, stopping in Liechtenstein for lunch and a bottle of their most expensive and luxurious water.
This is practically a full-size model of Liechtenstein.
We arrived in Seefeld, Austria for dinner, orientation, and a little free time.
The next morning, we headed down to Innsbrook, saw the palace, the Triumphal Arch, bought pretty jewelry at Swarovski, and had some apple strudel.
We went back to Seefeld for lunch and concerts.
The next morning, super early, we headed to Venice.
Took a gondola ride
Listened to the Choir perform in St. Mark's Basilica, tried not to completely melt in the heat, and then headed back to Seefeld.
The next morning, we left Austria and headed into Germany, stopping at Dachau
Before arriving in Rothenburg. We ate dinner and then took the Night Watchman's Tour:
The next day, we shopped, we went to the Criminal Justice Museum, went to the band concert, and finished out the night watching the skits from all the buses.
Early the next morning, we checked out of our hotel, loaded the bus for the last time, and headed to Frankfurt. From Frankfurt, we flew to New York (JFK). Everyone was so happy to be back in the U.S. by this point. We all looked a little worse for wear, but we were almost home. Here we are with a couple of girls in our bus group:
We arrived in Salt Lake just before midnight on July 21 (meaning it was almost the 22nd!). Ethan picked us up and we made it to bed by 2 a.m.
In a nutshell, the trip was AWESOME!
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