July 2022 Touring Ensemble – Germany / Austria
Stephanie Lafleur’s Travel Log
Saturday, July 16th, 2022
The excitement is hard to contain among the 41 European Touring Ensemble musicians, 15 friends and family, and 1 charismatic director, that will embark on a European tour later this week. The day started with the loading of the equipment truck and setting up our ‘stage’ at Holy Trinity Episcopal Church in Countryside. Members filtered in as the morning grew and we started our workshop at 10:00 am. We worked hard for a couple of hours and then enjoyed lunch together. After lunch, we were back at it, working through our music for a couple more hours. We had a brief break, then the audience showed up in force! The place was packed, standing room only! Our fearless director, Dr. Jeffrey Traster, led us through nearly 90 minutes of pure joy, playing music for our enthusiastic audience.
At the conclusion of our performance, the audience popped to their feet and gave us a standing ovation! Wow!
As we were tearing down our ‘stage’, the musicians, although tired, were energetic and full of excitement. I heard lots of great comments about how much fun that was and, I believe, everyone is ready for our grand adventure.
Friday, July 22nd, 2022
Today, the majority of the group arrived into Munich after a long day and night of traveling. My husband, Lee, and I anxiously awaited our friends and fellow musicians to kick off the Florida Symphonic Winds 2022 tour.
Everyone arrived, on time, and we loaded a beautiful motor coach headed for Mondsee, Austria. The ride from Munich was rather long since it was a Friday afternoon, the locals were heading out for the weekend or summer holiday. The view from the bus, however, did not disappoint. The countryside was dotted with villages and lush fields. As we got closer to Mondsee, the mountain line got more dramatic out our large bus windows.
Finally, we arrived at Schloss Hotel in Mondsee, an adorable boutique hotel set in an idyllic Austrian village. We had just a few moments to take our luggages to our rooms and meet in the rose lined garden for our reception and dinner. Our tables were beautifully set and a male pianist filled the air with his wonderful voice and music to dine by.
Our buffet dinner consisted of a variety of delicious selections, such as creamed vegetable soup, trout filet, and roasted lamb, among others. Our group was lively and friendly, visiting around the tables to get to know each other. After dinner, some took a dip in the pool, others walked 10 minutes through the village to the lake, and, I’m certain, others went straight to bed.
Saturday, July 23rd, 2022
The alarm rang early for breakfast and a 90 minute rehearsal. The hotel has a magnificent spread to suit anyone’s taste. Fresh fruit, a variety of eggs and meats, cheeses, pastries, and homemade spreads. We unloaded the equipment truck of the rented equipment and instruments of those who brought them along.
It was like Christmas morning in the percussion section. The instruments are beautiful and in excellent condition!
After getting set up and a brief rehearsal, we loaded the truck and headed to Salzburg. The setting for our first concert of this tour was the beautiful Mirabelll Gardens. We set up in the shade of the trees lining the garden. There was a steady stream of tourists and locals, alike, walking by. Some stopped to listen, some took a seat on a nearby bench, others slowly strolled by. All in all, it was a wonderful show. I’ll be honest, right at the start of the concert, I got very emotional taking it all in. How blessed am I that I get to travel to another country and perform with this great group of musicians? Very blessed, indeed.
We loaded the equipment truck and went for a group lunch at a nearby brewery and then on to a guided walking tour of the Old Town of Salzburg. The tour guide dropped us off at the birth home of Mozart, where the group toured the museum. My most memorable artifact was locks of Mozart’s hair. How cool it was to lay eyes on that!
There were 2 shuttles back to the hotel. Some took the early ride back home and found dinner in the quaint town of Mondsee, others had further activities in Salzburg.
Sunday, July 24th, 2022
We had a somewhat leisurely morning as we trickled into the breakfast spot to consume our coffee and nourishment. Today, we are performing in the town square, just outside of our hotel. After breakfast, we set up our performance spot, changed into concert attire and performed after the last Mass was finished at the nearby St. Michael Basilica.
The shade was gradually disappearing as the minutes ticked by, and Dr. Traster cut our performance a little short, which I’m sure, most of our performers appreciated. The crowd was appreciative and enthusiastic as they enjoyed their meals at the numerous sidewalk establishments along the town square. The rest of the day is at our own leisure.
After our concert, the group had free time to explore the village of Mondsee, or take the complimentary group bus back to Salzburg. A good majority of us went back into Salzburg for the evening. Sixteen of us chose a Mozart Dinner Concert, complete with two amazing vocalists. The venue was on the second floor of the world’s oldest restaurant. Opening in 803 A.D., St. Peter Stiftskulinarium in Salzburg, is located inside St. Peter’s Abbey.
We had a three course meal of soup, a chicken dish, and dessert.
Monday, July 25th, 2022
Departure day from Mondsee. We had another amazing breakfast at SchlossHotel in Mondsee before departing for Vienna. Enroute, we stopped at the quaint village of Melk. Here, a dozen or so members went on to Mank to tour the Schagerl trumpet and brass manufacturer, while the rest of us toured the Stift Melk. Here are a few pictures from both excursions.
Tuesday, July 26th, 2022
Today started with breakfast at our hotel in Vienna, Motel One, then a guided walking tour from the hotel lobby, then free time around the bustling city of Vienna.
Our evening concert was canceled due to the rain and moisture, however, we were still able to have our group dinner at the place the concert would have been held. I’m not normally one to share food pictures, or even take pictures of our food, however, our meal at Heuer was exceptionally Austrian and I believe it allowed most of our members to try something that they normally would not have tried. Isn’t that what traveling abroad is all about?
Wednesday, July 27th, 2022
Our day started, again, with a walking tour, this time to the Kunsthistorisches Museum, which houses a vast amount of artwork from the Habsburg dynasty. The Habsburg’s throne started in 1440 and lasted until their extinction in the male line in 1740. (Wikipedia) Our guided tours ended in the museum, then we had free time until it was time to meet for our concert which, coincidentally, was in the Maria-Theresien-Platz, outside of the museum.
The weather looked threatening, but our concert was performed and well attended by passers by. The setting, in front of the memorial, proved to be a lovely backdrop for a group picture.
Immediately after our evening concert, a sizable group took a brisk walk and attended a concert by the Wiener Mozart Orchester. The musicians and vocalists dressed in period costumes, complete with powdered wigs. The music hall was gorgeous, the musicians were superb, and a fun night was had.
Thursday, July 28th, 2022
Beep. Beep. Beep. Our alarms rang early today so we could get on the road toward Wurzburg, Germany. Autobahn construction proved to be a challenge for our driver, Fritz, to make good time. We stopped along the way for bio breaks and lunch. Late afternoon, we arrived in Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Germany. This medieval town is located on the “Romantic Road” and is full of kitschy shops, sidewalk cafes, and great photo opportunities.
We quickly set up our concert in the town square, adjacent to the church and in front of many spectators. Our music was well received and it was amazing to look out into the crowd with the small German village as the backdrop. After our performance, we had free time to walk the old cobblestone streets, shop, and grab a beverage before loading the bus for the last leg of our drive.
We arrived in Wurzburg around 20:00, got our room keys, and walked to one of the many cafes near our hotel for a late bite.
Friday, July 29th, 2022
We had a leisurely morning, having another wonderful breakfast and loading the bus for our excursion to Nuremberg, Germany. Here, we took a look at the Former Nazi Party Rally Grounds and Parade Grandstands. The site is undergoing a major construction project, however, it is still an important stop on our tour. We were able to view an abbreviated display of Nazi-era artifacts, take the bus inside the coliseum-like venue, and walk the parade grounds. It’s very surreal to be standing on the same ground that these dark events took place in world history.
We were then transported to the Centrum, or center of town, where we had a few hours of free time to visit a church, take a tour, shop, or eat Nuremberg bratwurst.
It was the right amount of time to explore as the rain clouds were looming overhead.
Nuremberg has a bustling pedestrian shopping zone filled with designer and local shops, gelato stands, local teenagers, and buskers in every nook and cranny. As for Lee and I, we had pizza for lunch, walked through the St. Lawrence Lutheran Church, and meandered around the pedestrian zone. We had gelato and a beverage before boarding the bus back to Wurzburg. The rain started shortly after loading the bus and persisted on our journey back to Wurzburg.
Saturday, July 30th, 2022
Today is the final day of the primary tour. It is with great pride that we join the Moderner Spielmanns -und Fanfarenzug Retzbach-Zellingen e. V., which is the beloved marching band of our dear, late friend, Thomas Gatscher. Thomas came to the United States in 2015 and joined the Second Time Arounders marching band. Thomas and the Lafleurs became fast friends and friendships were forged between the musicians in Retzbach-Zellingen, along with the musicians in Pinellas county. Lee always told the Retzbach band that he was going to bring a band to Germany, and today was the day!
We arrived at their band hall around noon. The members of the band hosted an amazing lunch, drinks and desserts, and after our meet & greet lunch, we had a rehearsal, first for the FSW2022 group, then the Retzbach members joined us. The sound was bold and beautiful. After rehearsal, we loaded the bus, stopped at a local, famous church, then into the small village of 2,500 residents to perform our concert.
The village of Retzbach was holding a macaroon festival, frankly, the people there don’t need a title or reason to celebrate. They block off some streets, open up the garages, set up tents, sell beer, food and have a concert! It’s a summer tradition that has been sorely missed in the past 2 ½ years as the world deals with a pandemic. Families were out, friends gathered, and they welcomed the group from Florida with open hearts and open arms.
After our performances, we had free time to eat, drink, and get to know our German counterparts. For Lee and I, it was a cherished time to see our friends, some of which, we have not seen since 2019. We decided to let the bus go back without us and we had more time to visit with our friends. It was just like good ‘ol times, sitting around the picnic style tables, drinking, eating, and having lots of laughs. We took the 00:17 train from Retzbach back to Wurzburg, had a short walk to our hotel and fell hard asleep. It was a long, fun day.
Sunday, July 31, 2022
Today, our group split into two. One part traveled back to Frankfurt airport to either head back to Florida, or to venture on to other destinations.
The other part of the group loaded the motor coach and took off toward Prague, Czech Republic. It was about a 3 hour ride to the town of Plzen (Pilsen), where Pilsner beer was first brewed. This is the pride of this town and the entire Czech Republic and is also a huge sponsor for all the major events here. We had lunch at their restaurant that opened just 3 weeks prior, it was typical Czech cuisine; beef, duck, and goulash. After lunch, we had a private tour of the brewery, the brewing process, the history of the grounds and a bier tasting in the chilly underground tunnels.
We loaded the bus and finished our ride to Prague. After checking into the hotel, we took our transportation cards, rode the subway a couple of stops and had dinner next to the famous Charles Bridge. The cafe we chose was down a very narrow set of concrete stairs, situated between two buildings. At the top and bottom, you push the traffic signal button to help regulate the people coming up and down the stairs as there is not enough room to pass midway.
Monday, August 1st, 2022
Our group met in the lobby after breakfast and our tour guide, Christian, led us on the subway and tram to our walking guides in the castle district. We took a 2 ½ hour walking tour through the castle grounds, cathedral, The Golden Road, and back down toward Charles Bridge. Our guide was extremely knowledgeable and told stories into the microphone which then transmitted into the ear canals of his followers.
The sun was bright, there were very few clouds in the sky, small chance of rain, it was a beautiful day to explore. We grabbed a bite after our walk, explored the square and made our way back to the hotel for a rest and refresh before our independent evening activities. Lee and I, along with six others attended a concert in the beautiful Smetana Hall, inside the Municipal House. This building was built from 1905-1912 and boasts a beautiful Art Nouveau decor. The concert consisted of 8 talented musicians who played the greatest hits from the 1700’s.
Tuesday, August 2nd, 2022
It’s our final day of the tour. We met, again, in the lobby for another guided walking tour, some free time, and a wonderful river cruise with dinner. The boat was reserved just for us, the food was grand, the company grander, and the views of this beautiful city were breathtaking. The river boat travels a good way up river, through a series of 2 locks, makes a U-Turn and comes back down, again, through the locks. There were lots of folks on the banks of the river, enjoying a picnic, feeding the swans, or riding the pedal boats around for the sunset. This was truly a spectacular way to end this wonderful trip.
