Brett and Katie Family: July 2008

Well, it's absolutely impossible for me to write about everything we did, but I will try! Where was I...In Germany we went to Berchtesgaden where some of us went to Eagle's Nest which was a Retreat of Adolf Hitler which was gorgeous, way up high in the mountains with beautiful views and scenery. We also did a Salt Mine Underground Tour which was a lot of fun cause we got to get dressed up in these coverups and ride this ride through a long dark tunnel. We also rode these really long slides down in the salt mines. It was pretty cool (they had lights and a salty lake we got to taste!).
The highlight of my trip had to be visiting the Neushwanstein Castle (famous because of the Disneyland Castle "replica"). It was soooo cool and quite the romantic setting because of the mist and the trees the day we went and toured the castle. The inside was so exquisite, it did make one feel quite royal. It was built by Kind Ludwig II I believe who only lived in it 160 days and then was found dead. Anyway, we got invited to SING in the castle in their ballroom and we did SUCH a great job that it moved this one particular family to TEARS! We were all MOVED by their reaction that it started some of us crying! My roomate Debbie and I gave them a pass a long card and we got to know them and their three grown boys and heard they were from Upstate New York! I wish I would have gotten their names and addresses so I could send them a CD and keep communication with them. I do not think it was coincidence that we were on the same tour of the castle as them and that we got to introduce our selves and sing for them!

Our last day in Europe we traveled to Munich, Germany. Some of us toured Dachau, a concentration camp (not fun...to sad and devastatingly disgusting for me!) I won't go into that awfulness..I don't really recommend it! From there we met up with the rest of the group at Marienplatz which is the center of downtown Munich where we saw the Glockenspiel performance (a really old ornate building in the center of town that had music, bells and a little carousel of statues playing instruments that went around at 12 p.m. and every hour). We did another impromptu concert their had free time there, dinner, ice-cream and then a concert with the All Saints and Latter Day Chorale at a stake center there in Munich.
Our final destination was in Oberammergau, Germany - a beautiful little town with flowers on every window seal and little quaint shops everywhere to look at (buy a "wench dress" or a nut-cracker and such). Sooo cute. Oberammergau is where they had a Passion for Music Festival where several choirs from all over the world, including Austria, South Africa, Hungary, USA, Netherlands, ect, performed. We did as well. I LOVED the South African boys! They were SOOO much fun. They loved to sing and just had a lot of fun on stage. They had musical instruments and dance movements and such. It was great. We did a final performance (for the Mayer there) and then got a few hours night sleep before our TREACHEROUS trip back home. We woke up at 3 a.m. only to find a 3 hour delay in Zurich airport. That's o.k. I was able to stock up on last minute chocolate and get rid of the last of my Euros and Franks. It was a long trip back - took over 24 hours of traveling and little sleep to finally land back in Phoenix! I am still a little messed up by the trip as you might can tell by my 4 in the morning blogging and emailing!!! But at least I am getting it done, (right Natalie!!! :)

My husband and two children Tanner and Cameron met me at the airport in Phoenix when I arrived home. I am SOOOOOooOOOOO GRATEFUL for my little family and those children I love SOOOOoooo Much! I am sorry I left them but I am thankful they were well when I got home and thank you to Kristin Gillette and the Gillette family (Natalie) for helping to look after the boys while I was away! You guys are the greatest around and we love you!!!

Hey! I made it back from EUROPE (alive and well)! It was a great opportunity and a great experience thanks to Gregor and Lorri McHardy and the Latter Day Singers! We visited Zurich and Bern Switzerland where we sang in some old catherdral, walked the streets and shops (that were part underground) and had a concert in a Music Conservatory where we sang to the Latter Day Saints in that part of the world. We also got to spend the night (my roommate Debbie and I) with one of the Switzerland families who were just great! (Rahel, her husband and three adorable children who we couldn't understand but the parents spoke great English). They were very accommodating, had a beautiful home high in the mountains of Switzerland (just BEAUTIFUL) and fed us meat and cheese and homemade bread for dinner! I got sick from lack of eating due to our tiring schedules that day and singing at a late concert, but we handled it well! Sunday, we also walked along the lake in Bern Switzerland which was a lot of fun and quite the hang out!
Next, we visited Salzburg, Austria where Mozart was born and raised. We did a tour of his life and of the city. Salzburg had a long tunnel through the mountain which we walked through to get to the other part of town. Everything is old in Europe. Some of the homes and restaurant were "carved" into the mountain side. The same day we did the Mozart tour we also hiked to a very old Fortress on the top a mountain and learned some interesting facts about the time. We had a nice hotel room here at the Star Inn. The weather was pretty great the whole trip (rained one night is all). Germany and Austria games were also going on while we were there!