We truly were so fortunate to have such a wonderful “fan club” with us on tour. The students got to know them through meals and through tours around the many places we went. It was really nice getting to see these graduates who still come back to be with there alma mater. Becky’s love for Otterbein is contagious. Us students appreciate her love for Otterbein and for superlatives the seniors gave her lifelong cardinal award 🙂 Her husband played track at Otterbein and still has 7 records that haven’t been broken. He also has 2 All American titles. Pretty cool.
I have been in LOVE with Otterbein for the past 5 years, and have been so fortunate to have traveled over seas 3 times through Otterbein. I know without alumni, that probably would not have been possible. The memories I have made on these trips I know I will cherish for a lifetime.
I can’t believe I will become an alumnus of Otterbein this May. I am so thankful for the professors, the friends, and the many memories I’ve had here. I came all the way from Houston, Texas to our quiet peaceful village in 2013. I knew only 1 person coming to school and now I have so many friendships I’ve made all over campus. Through Greek life, OUSG, DK, the music department, and even from donut runs… I am blessed with many wonderful people in my life. Now off to bigger things in Nashville August 2018. Who knows, maybe I will get the chance to attend another Concert Choir tour abroad as an Alumnus.
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Here an Israeli artist, Menashe Kadishman, made an instillation called Shaleket “fallen leaves.” There are 10,000 iron plates made into faces scattered on the floor. They’re all different shapes, sizes, and in all different directions. It was very moving to see.
We were so excited that we went on this fun adventure to find it!! We walked back to our hotel using a map and even made it in time for a few minutes to relax in our room.
We had a bus tour of Berlin with our tour guide William. We loved William!! He was 30, from Australia, and had a girlfriend. When he said he had a girlfriend, about 7 girls in the back of the bus sighed at the same time!! William talked to us about the history of Berlin and Germany, but especially the conflict between East and West Berlin. 
The Berlin Wall was put up in 1961. At first it was just a barbed wire fence separating the two parts of Berlin. People could easily walk over it to get to the other side. Slowly over time it started becoming higher. When they put up the concrete wall, it only took 12 hours. 
Where the Berlin Wall memorial is, right next to it is the remains of the Gestapo buildings that were destroyed after the war. 
Then we went to Checkpoint Charlie. This is where the Americans were stationed at the border of West Berlin. 
You could take pictures with the “soldiers” at the check point… but they are just actors. Around this square was a KFC, Domino’s, Mc Donald’s, and a Starbucks. A little way to show how this was the American checkpoint. The Soviet’s side was a bigger check point because more people wanted to leave East Berlin, not so much the West.
I think this memorial was made to showcase many different things. When you are walking through, you can’t see other visitors at the memorial coming and can barely hear them. It is hilly as well which makes you not know what is coming next. It is a powerful memorial and has so many messages throughout.
He stayed there, and then was buried there with his 11 dogs. 
The marbled statues that were around the palace were all in the wooden boxes to keep them safe. 
It was really cold… I took a picture of how I was keeping warm by the palace. 
The New palace was only used by the royals about 6 weeks a year. 
Inside there are 646 rooms. We ended up seeing about 20. Some of the rooms we could consider being 3-4 rooms big. The grotto room is by far my favorite room. I truly have never seen anything like it. This hall was filled with sea shells, rocks and geodes. 
You could say we were a little bit emotional. We got to sing Bach’s pieces in front of HIM. It really hit us as the last chord of Alleluia was sung and rang through the church. It was truly a great beginning to our full day in Leipzig. 
We then went on a tour of the Bach museum. We saw some of his autograph manuscripts and learned about his family. We even saw some knobs that were originally on the organ that he played on. It was really incredible to see. 
We then went on a walking tour of Leipzig. Above is a bank that used to be a shopping center owned by a Jewish woman. 
Here is where shopping and restaurants are as well. It reminded me of Vienna.
If you drink coffee here and become famous, your picture goes on the wall. So I’ll be back soon 🙂 I had the Schumann torte and the Schumann’s traum. Both were very delicious!! 
Then we walked to a synagogue memorial. Here was a synagogue that was burned by the nazi’s. 
140 chairs represented the neighbors of Leipzig that were lost due to the Holocaust. It was a powerful memorial. I was happy to see it in Germany, and especially on my favorite day of the trip so far. 
Here was where we sang earlier that morning, Thomaskirche. 
These were the lights that we have seen all over Germany. I bought one that matched the one Eva and Marco gave me 🙂 They are truly a Christmas decoration here, at almost every house!
Here is my vegetarian dish.
We then went on a walking tour of the city. This is the procession of the princes. There are 24,000 tiles that make up this structure. It is a hand painted depiction of the 800 year’s under Saxon reign. When the bombings happened during WWII, the flames did not burn the tiles!
When you enter the cathedral, it looks beautiful already, but then you turn left and see this amazing altar. To know that someone made this by hand is incredible. You can see how it is shaped like a cross, so cool!!!
We had lunch at one of the Christmas market booths. Connor got bratwurst, Sasha got a pork sandwich, I got a chicken sandwich, then Zack and I split POTATO PANCAKES!! That made me so happy because I didn’t think I would get to have latkes for Hannakah this year! Here is other Zach being our table for the pancakes. He offered 🙂
Then after our 2 hour trip there, it was time to get back onto the bus. Chance loves giving massages, and he is our personal masseuse in the back of the bus. Corey tried to teach me how to play the card game, Euchre. I didn’t really understand it because they were using Ben as a table for the cards so O couldn’t really see how t was being played. Sam, Luke, and Geoff played and basically said that it’s a farmers card game, but it does seem fun!
We had dinner after the concert which was a buffet. There were lots of potatoes and great food. I am full and can’t wait to start our day tomorrow at 8:20!
Above was where we walked on top of a concert hall. It is right behind the cathedral. 
This is a statue of a Prussian king, King Friedrich Wilhelm III, in front of the Hohenzollernbrücke (bridge). This bridge crosses over the Rhine river. We then went to the Wallraf Das museum. We were able to see where they are planning on building a Jewish Museum. It will go on top of an underground museum for Köln. 
A couple years ago, Dr. Davenport and his wife made a second part to their three part opera. I played Berthe Morisot, an impressionist painter who was not taken seriously in the Louvre because she was a woman. Lucky for us, there were two paintings of hers there 🙂
It was finally time for us to sing in Köln Cathedral. We sang four pieces and in our coats! It was very cold, but the acoustic sound was completely worth it. After we sang, the father took us personally to see the bones of the Magi. This is why the Köln Cathedral is one of the most important places in Christianity. It is said that the bones of the three King’s, that visited Jesus at his birth, are in this shrine. We were able to take pictures in front of it. I don’t have the picture just yet, but when I do, I will add it to this blog so make sure to check back!
After performing and getting a tour of the cathedral, we had some free time for lunch. Sasha, Zack, Connor, Ben, Corey, and I went to Brauhaus Früh am Dom. Ben and Corey’s host family recommended this place and wow it was great! We ate different German foods and had a pils to drink. The waiter we had wanted to marry Sasha, and also told me to order something totally different than what I ordered. He was so fun to be around though and it was a joy eating lunch!
Before heading back to the bus we walked through the Christmas market that was right by the cathedral. It was so cute! I can’t wait for us to get to travel to some other Christmas markets in the upcoming days.
We had a wonderful first full concert in another great acoustic. When we got home Eva had more food waiting for us 🙂 She made a chicken bratwurst, Geflügel- bratwurst. It was great and we ate it with mustard.
Then we had a number of desserts too. 
Marco likes to take pictures and he put the different desserts on a platter. We had Vanille Kipferl, Spritzgebäck which Eva’s mother made, Schneeflöchen which is like a tea cake, and Nussecken which had nuts in it. I tried three of the four, I bet you can imagine which one I didn’t try…. 😉
When I came into their home, I noticed they had these stars that I saw in Bonn. They are known for being decorations during the Christmas season, but Eva and Marco keep them up year round. Since I admired them so much they are giving me one of theirs!!!!
Needless to say, Sasha and I truly lucked out with such an amazing German home stay.
I got a spinach quiche and Sasha got an espresso. We went to a different restaurant for lunch where Sasha and Connor got a special dish with meat rolled in cabbage.
They both enjoyed it a lot. It reminded Sasha of a Russian dish her aunt makes called Goluptsi.
Beethoven was baptized on December 17, 1770. In those days, when babies were born, it was not documented but baptism’s were. Baptism’s happened soon after birth to make sure the babies do not die. Inside we saw the original Beethoven painting,
which is what I’ve been seeing in my music classes since middle school!!! When Beethoven was 7, his father made him perform because he was very talented. Mozart was famous around this time and he became a prodigy at 6. Beethoven’s father lied on the announcement of his performance that he was 6 when he was really 7. He did the same thing when Beethoven was 12 writing the 9 variations on the theme of Dressler, saying he was 10. We saw the room that Beethoven was born in, and even saw an original manuscript of his symphony #6. It was incredible to be in this wonderful building! To think that they almost tore it down! 12 citizen’s of Bonn could not have Beethoven’s home destroyed. They decided to restore it and make it a museum 150 years ago. Even though we were jet lagged, this was a wonderful way to start our trip. 
They also gave us the famous wine we’ve heard about that is only served around Christmas time, glühwein.
We are famous here in Schwelm 🙂
This is our dinner Eva made for us. Duck, rosenkohl (Brussel sprouts), rotkohl (cabbage), klöße (potato with potato starch). Eva made a kosher version of klöße for me because I can’t eat meat and cheese together. I ATE EVERYTHING! It was all so delicious! Who knew I would like duck!? Yes mom and Dad I ate Brussel sprouts, all of them. They had a broccoli type taste, but I don’t know if I would eat it again. Eva’s parents joined us for dinner, and we helped them work on their English.
Eva’s mother showed us the picture book she made for her granddaughter. They went on a trip to Berlin in August, and she wanted us to see where we should visit while we are there for 2 days.
It is almond paste with jelly and sugar. Mom and Dad, I hated this. I had to spit it out 😬 BUT I did try it! In Eva’s words, “You either love almond paste or you hate it.” I also just tried an almond covered with sugar and spices…. also did not like it. It’s a texture thing y’all.
Otterbein Concert Choir Germany Tour 2017 