User:Starryeyed346

<--RHS choir website I went to Europe of the 4th of July in 2006. I was one of 30 students from Rockford high school (Michigan) and many parents, as well as our directors Mr. Duiven and Mr. Bowman. We rehearsed every Monday evening from 6-8pm. It was a lot of hard work to learn all these different genres of music, but the biggest challenge was learning the Coronation Mass. We took a greyhound bus to the Detroit Airport, and we boarded a plane to Germany. We switched planes in Frankfort, and then flew to Austria. In Austria, we stayed in Salzburg first. It was amazing and beautiful, the birthplace of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. We did many tours in the hot weather, viewing his house and various breath-taking churches. My most important memories are of the churches we sang in. In Salzburg, we sang in this big beautiful church called the Dom. Mozart’s first home was across the street! He was baptized in the church we were in! Many many long hours rehearsing and singing in latin and English. It was difficult but I am so proud of myself and my group. The tours werent the slightest bit boring. Everything in Salzburg is so beautiful and rich with culture. There arent many vehicles within the city and the brick streets are walked on or biked on. Also, the shopping was amazing, although it took a while to get used to using euros instead of dollars. Vienna was a definite contrast. It has a city feel to it, with busy streets and taller buildings. In the market section, there are rows and rows of booths and street venders. That is where tourists have to watch out for their personal belongings because it is so crowded and busy; it wouldnt take much to have something stolen. It was fun to bargain prices with the venders. However, it was the most depressing sight when the market closed in the evening. They packed up their things and left garbage and boxes and all sorts of things behind. It was a horrible sight with all the track and rubbish everywhere. I saw a man sleeping in a giant box. Another positive factor on the trip was the World Cup! There were giant screens and outdoor parties in the streets and parks where people could get together to drink and eat and watch together. A societal bonding type of situation. We bought italy jerseys and watched the games. It was definatly a good experience! The sights were amazing. All i had is a german/english dictionary, and i was so surprised at how easy it was to pick up the language! It is a real eye opening experience to know that the United States is such a baby country. Visiting a country where some buildings are older than your own home land really puts things into perspective for you. I would go back in a heartbeat.