Chuck Theis: Bach aficionado

Another fun day as we wind down the trip. We started the morning off by touring the historical and famous Frauenkirche in Dresden. This unique church sat in ruins from WWII bombings until enough money was raised in the mid 90's to rebuild it. The church is now restored in a remarkably beautiful fashion. We also climbed the dome. For those of you who have climbed to the top of European churches, you are probably questioning my reasoning for taking a 6ft 4in blind man up the normally steep spiraling staircases with cramped ceilings at the top of a dome. The answer is that as a result of the modern reconstruction, the Frauenkirche had the easiest, least cramped and most well designed done climb I have ever seen. Much of it was ramps, and there were no low ceilings or two way traffic on scarily steep steps. It was the perfect dome to take dad up for all of these reasons.

MC would be very happy: today I fed dad a chocolate croissant for breakfast. Following the pattern, initial complaints and protest followed by asking if we could get another one. This repeated itself later in the day with a traditional German pretzel.

We were also going to go to Dresden's top art museum, but someone was too slow getting out of bed...plus then he needed time to stretch... :)

We catch some lunch and then hopped one the ICE bullet train to Leipzig. Dad got a real kick out of being on a bullet train, which is about 10 more comfortable and easy going than a plane. He chuckled as the monitor on the end of the car showed our speed going up to 200km/hr. Upon getting to Leipzig, we took a little walking tour of the old town. Once again, it is amazing to see the changes that have taken place, especially since the fall of communism in the last 20 or so years. Downtown was alive with people, shops, cafes, and gelato. Noting the pattern cited in previous days, today dad simply asked when we were having gelato and was exceptionally content.

After walking through the city, we went to the Stasi Museum. The Stasi were the East German domestic police and spy force. To see the level that they invaded privacy, denied rights, and committed heinous crimes such as murder. Lots of interesting exhibits about secret cameras, wire taps, scent tracking dogs, hidden weapons, secret home invasions, and everything else you can imagine about a communist spy agency. Dad especially liked the museum, so I was very glad!

Next we headed over to Thomaskirche, the home of JS Bach. Bach worked here for years and was the organist and music director. I knew long in advance that the (world famous for classical musicians) Bach Festival would be going on during this time. This attracts people from all over the world, and they even broadcast the events on big screens in the public squares. The plan was for dad and I to take in a concert of the Thomaskirche boys choir, but instead we caught part of the Bach Festival. Still in the Thomaskirche, we caught a great and packed concert featuring a top notch choir, the master organist of Thomaskirche, and some continuo instruments. The music was naturally Bach, Schein, Kuhnau, and more Bach. The choir was very good, with a nice warm tone and many musical elements to their singing. You early music friends take note: it wasn't all straight tone. The organist was also spectacular with his use of the instrument. In America, we hear bad organ music so often making this a real treat.

Dad actually enjoyed the concert, which I chalked up to an artistic and cultural experience for him. Prior to him deciding to come, I was planning in staying in Leipzig longer to take in more of the Festival. However, taking dad around has been a blast. His favorite part of the concert was a little group hymn sing. After the concert, he was proclaiming that he has now made his international singing premier at the Bach Festival with his participation in the group hymn! I will let him keep living the dream...hence we have a self proclaimed Bach aficionado (see picture below)!!!

After the concert, we hopped on the bullet train again and headed to Weimar. We are staying here tonight and meeting the Fink's here in the morning. We caught another fantastic dinner, with more local German beer for dad. As you can tell, I am making sure he enjoys the finest that Germany has to offer!!! He has also been very impressed with how cheap I am keeping the trip. For example, our total food bill for the day was just under 40€, or 20 per person. For traveling, and especially European travel, I find this to be pretty darn good.

Tomorrow is Weimar, Buchenwald Concentration Camp, Erfurt (Martin Luther fame), and staying in Stadtallendorf. This sounds busier than it is, as Buchenwald is only 3 miles from where we are currently in Weimar.

Having dad here has been a blast, and in a lot of ways it has reintroduced me back to reality. It has been such a treat to share the joy of traveling and exploring with him. I think you all know how much fun I was having going as fast as I could and seeing as much as possible. I even mentioned that I very seriously considered extending my trip, especially since I have more time in my railpass. However, dad being here has reminded me of how much I do miss home and that it is time to come home. It has reminded me that in a lot of ways, I have kind of been living outside of reality. This has been the trip of lifetime, but having dad here has reminded me of how wonderful a summer of Pure Michigan will be! I am so grateful to have traveled with mom, Andrew, and now dad!

Looking forward to seeing so many friends and family in the next few weeks! Have a great weekend.