Central European Travel Seminar, Take Two!

Hi all!
I'm leaving for Berlin this afternoon-it has been a rush to get ready to leave since school was just out last week, but with lots of help I'm ready to go!!!!!

See you in Berlin!

There once were some lassies so fair, who came from the town of Eau Claire....

Yes, we visited Limerick today!!!!!

City of Culture, River Shannon, four floor brick Georgian buildings, and home of University of Limerick.  We spent much of our day at the University with members of the Irish World Academy of Music and Dance Program--the ladies gave a concert at noon, and took part in two workshops with singers and faculty from their program.  The we focused on sean-n'os singing and chant and we learned a lot from the five masters students from the program that worked with us.  We also worked with two of their faculty, Wolodymyr Smishkewych (Vlad for short) and Noirin Ni Riain.  She is the best storyteller I have ever heard.  She taught the girls a song by call and response, and she sang with them in their concert on "We Are."  She also loved their arrangement of "Parting Glass," an Irish folk song arranged by UWEC grad Andrew Steffen.  Her singing in the Irish sean-n'os style (shan-nos) is amazing- I'll never forget this magical performance.

Still working on uploading the video...

WOCO interacting with singers from UL:

The conductor Vlad is an acquaintance from Indiana University! His wife also went to IU and though we didn't know each other we share many acquaintance.  They say hello to any of you that they know! Small world...

Into town for bangers and mash and lots of laughs at a group dinner!

Mashed potatoes mashed potatoes mashed potatoes everywhere!

So many laughs on a variety of topics from bad drivers' license photos to chiggers to bangers of course!

Selfie!!!!

Then on to Mount St. Alphonsus Church for a beautiful joint concert with two vocal groups from University of Limerick and "trad" music (traditional).  We learned before the concert that it would be livestreamed so I texted as many friends and parents the link as I could, and we were able to share the concert with many people back home.  What a magical evening.  Earlier in the day when the Wocettes were teaching "We Are" to singers from UL, I learned the alto part from Annie Jackson, so I joined in "We Are" tonight for the first time.  I may or may not have cried throughout.

A shared song with members of the other choirs.  Ireland is magic folks...

And some random photos for your amusement

Greetings from Galway!

Greetings from Galway, Ireland!  I am on the third day of a ten day choir tour of Ireland with UW-Eau Claire's Women's Concert Chorale.  We are having a really good time so far, and the ladies had their first (successful!) concert last night.  Yesterday was St. Patrick's Day so it was an interesting day here in Galway.  Kind of a Bourbon Street, New Orleans vibe but with lots of red hair and cool accents!

Travel to Ireland was smooth--bus from Eau Claire to Chicago and then a direct flight from Chicago to Dublin.  We arrived there at 7:00a.m. so the first day was pretty sleepy for everyone, and despite the tour guides' best efforts to keep us awake there were many naps on the bus.  That included me--the country roads of Ireland are windy and bouncy and my self-defense from motion sickness is to sleep!  But, Mom you'd be proud of me for grabbing the front seat with the unobstructed view.  I've tried to keep up your tradition of taking pictures out the window, but mostly I ended up with a bunch of blurs!

This is near Galway--the stone walls separate farms, many of which contain sheep.  It is lambing season right now, so the girls are squealing at the cute little lambs which I did not manage to capture on film yet. I did buy a tea cosy with lambs on it, though, so at least I'll have that  :)   We have also seen a lot of cows, mostly Holsteins.  The walls do not use mortar of any kind--having some space between the stones allows the wind to blow through and the walls then don't fall down.  This was a "soft" day with a mild drizzle on and off through the morning.  Temps in the 50s and pretty windy.

To the right is County Clare, which so far is my favorite part of Ireland.  Parts of it are compared to a lunar landscape--very rocky and barren.  It is called "The Burren" and I want to come back in summer because apparently the flora is amazing with a huge variety of plants growing up between the rocks.  Our tour guide Anne called it a rock garden.  I can understand the romance and mystery of the language of Irish poetry and stories.




In County Clare are the magnificent Cliffs of Moher.  I loved walking out on the cliffs until you couldn't hear anything but the wind.  A great natural wonder.

Me at the Cliffs of Moher with my new Mohair scarf!

This does not capture the majesty of these cliffs but you can see the size of the people on near cliff and the tower on the far cliff.  700 foot drop friends.  Below, the Plattenbergers in Ireland in 1962 and again in 2014.

On day one, we stopped at Clonmacnoise Monastery on the River Shannon. We were kind of rushed, but did get to enjoy a red-haired charmer tour guide who led the tour with only a short sleeved t-shirt so that he could show his muscled arms to the Wocettes--these Irishmen are very charming to say the least and can really spin a yarn.  

Celtic monument at Clonmacnoise

Me after our epic shopping trip outside of Claddagh, near Galway.  This is the little village where the very popular Claddagh ring originates from.  Many of the Wocettes bought Claddagh rings, but I decided on an Aran sweater instead.  Ironically, the coat came from Younkers in Eau Claire, Wisconsin!  That would be the Galway Bay out there past the strand.

And, a picture of WOCO rehearsing in St. Catherine's Catholic Church--the oldest practicing Catholic Church in Ireland I believe.  The section in the back behind the ladies was built in the 1300s.

And, a wee Irish lass at the St. Patrick's Day Parade in Galway.

Home again

Back on Badger Ave!

Got home from Florida last night and enjoyed the first night in my own house since May.  Woke up pretty early- still jet lagged-and did the things you do like go through the mail, laundry, etc.  Nancy with the help of my house sitters put in two small raised garden beds and I went out to look at them- I have rabbit problems!  But it is making great use of the part of my backyard that was too sandy to even grow grass.  I washed every single thing in my suitcase that I could, and watched Wimbledon.  Love tennis, and got to see some good playing today.  Took a long nap.  Am now feeling a bit human.

Florida was fine- Jacksonville (actually Atlantic Beach) is right on the ocean, so there were some stolen moments outside, and I enjoyed two hours on the beach the morning I left.  The NATS board meeting was fine, and I found some people I really enjoy working with that have agreed to be serve on the education commission I am heading.

While in FL, lots of the faculty were very interested in the CETS trip and how we put it together.  They were very cognizant that it is a rare university that will support a program like this- 3 faculty are dedicated to the project at one time. That is pretty remarkable.

I listed some of the highlights of the trip below- some other memorable things that happened:

I got bit by a small crab while walking on the beach in FL.  He did not want to let go of my foot!
My suitcase was too heavy.  Gotta remember to pack even lighter next year (no ipad either).
Thank heavens for the Samsonite spinner suitcase.
Thank you to Derek and Tyler who carried mom's suitcase up 1000 steps in train stations.
I love Kartoffel. (potatoes)
The food overall was really enjoyable- I can pass on the "Swedish breakfasts" of meat, cheese, and bread, but the other meals were yummy. They know how to cook in central Europe!  And I can tell where our midwest cooking traditions come from!
Krakow is beautitful.  The city center is amazing.  We had more of a language barrier there, but it didn't matter.
The way classical music is interwoven in the history and culture of Central Europe is amazing.
State supported arts organizations.  Go Europe!
Traveling with your mom definitely has its advantages.
I missed my computer, but as I picked it up today I was REALLY glad I wasn't carrying it.
Being able to text while in Europe really made everything easier.  I could be in touch with home and with the other group leader.
I thought Wien would be my favorite city, but it wasn't.  Not sure if that had something to do with the hideous weather, but there was a certain artificiality that kept you a little bit at arms' length.
Movies on airplanes!  Fun!
Almost every flight I had (Eau Claire-Chicago-Washington DC-Berlin, Krakow-Munich-Washington DC-Jacksonville-Chicago-Eau Claire) was late.  Travel is such a hassle now.  But my suitcase was never lost, and I made every flight.  So I'm not complaining.  Much.

There is so much more, but my suitcase is looking at me and asking to be unpacked and put away.

Upcoming: a trip to Lake Okoboji for the 4th, some weddings, I have a recital on July 21, etc.  August will be exciting but I'll tell you about it later.

Ciao-

CETS SENSATIONAL SIGHTINGS!!!

CETS=central European travel seminar


Leipzig. Period.
Bach's church and the Bach museum
Robert and Clara Schumann's first apartment together
Jewelry shopping in Krakow
Potatoes at the Brno Kartoffelhaus
Beethoven Haus
Learning "Das Veilchen" was composed on my birthday
Dessert in Prague on my birthday
Tour of Vienna Staatsoper
"Die Walkure" at the Staatsoper
Traveling with Mom
Holocaust monument in Budapest
View from Fisherman's Bastion in Buda
Zwinger museum in Dresden
Learning to navigate the Berlin Ubahn
Sunset on Charles Bridge in Prague
Fanta!!!!
Visiting the square in Berlin where the national socialist students burned books they believed didn't
Fit the Nazi ideology
Dinner on Cabbage Square in Brno with Mom
Krakow, overall.

Krakow to the US

This morning we are traveling back to the US- the last four days in Krakow have been my favorite of the trip. The weather has been wonderful and cool, the people are friendly, the food good, the music (folk, jazz, and klezmer) awesome, the history engrossing, and the city beautiful.  It was a perfect way to finish.

Some Krakow highlights:
Visiting Auschwitz and Auschwitz-Birkenau
Real kielbasa
Folk music in the square
Jazz underground at Harris Piano Jazz Bar
Franz Liszt's grave in Wawel cathedral
Live klezmer at Klezmer Hois
Shopping with Mom
Blue ceiling of St. Mary's cathedral
Trumpeter of Krakow
Bach in St. Barbara's
Big pretzels
Finding the remaining part of the ghetto wall
Sauerkraut!
Quiet hostel
Cool weather (in the 50s)

Looking forward to returning next year!

Budapest

Today was our third day in Budapest.  I really like the city, but it has been around 100 degrees the whole time we've been here and we've just had it.  Tomorrow we check out, but don't leave until 8 pm on a night train. We'll put our suitcases in lockers at the train station and then we have two activities and then a free afternoon.

While in Budapest, we've gone to the baths twice, saw the opera house, went to a folk music and dancing concert tonight, went up to Buda castle, saw the Franz Liszt academy, visited a synagogue and the holocaust memorial, visited teh House of Terror, and did a lot of walking and looking at archeticture.  I realize that I am fortunate to be here, but the heat has just been unbearable since the hostel isn't air conditioned and doesn't even have fans.

On to Krakow where the weather is to be more reasonable.  We are all remembering the days it was cold and rainy in Berlin...

I have learned a lot and have a lot of ideas for next year. Like bring a small portable fan. And a sharpie. And pick the seating for all the events myself.  Buffet breakfasts, air conditioning. More short sleeve shirts, and shorts. No long sleeve dress and try all shoes before bringing. Smaller suitcase, bring a tote bag.