Arrive in Netherlands, Schiphol Airport. Tour of Zaanse Schans an open air museum. See operational windmills, and learn how wooden shoes, Delft Blue pottery, and cheese are made. (Lunch in Amsterdam or at beach) Meet host families in Haarlem, our home for the next three nights. Home Stay – Haarlem (3 nights, 20-22)
Thursday 21 May
Day in Amsterdam with tour of the Anne Frank House, Singelkerk (once the largest Mennonite church in the world), and a canal boat tour. Afternoon rehearsal in Aalsmeer with evening concert at Aalsmeer Doopsgezindekerk. Return to host homes in Haarlem after the concert. (Concert #1 – Aalsmeer Doopsgezindekerk)
Friday 22 May
Morning to Aalsmeer Flower Auction then to Amsterdam for time at the Rijksmuseum for presentations about art. Return to Haarlem for lunch and a visit to the Cathedral of St. Bavo. Then rehearse and perform second concert of the tour at the Haarlem Doopsgezinde (Mennonite) church. (Concert #2 – Haarlem Doopsgezindekerk)
Saturday 23 May
Leave Haarlem after a quick tour of the Haarlem Market. Travel over the Afsluitdijk which cuts off the North Sea from the Ijsselmeer into the province of Friesland. Visit Menno Simons monuments in Witmarsum and Pingjum. Then on to Joure and rehearsal for evening concert at the Joure Doopsgezindekerk. Home Stay – Joure (2 nights 23 – 24) (concert #3 – Joure Doopsgezindekerk)
Sunday 24 May
Morning worship with church in Joure. Rest of the day scheduled by hosts.
Monday 25 May
Depart for Germany, stopping for lunch and sight-seeing in Münster. Arrive in Espelkamp by late afternoon. Espelkamp is a town founded after WWII and home to several Mennonite churches, many founded by immigrants (Umsiedler) from the former Soviet Union. Concert and host homes with the Mennonite congregation. Home Stay – Espelkamp (1 night, 25) (Concert #4 – Mennoniten Gemeinde, Espelkamp)
Tuesday 26 May
Travel to Hamburg, stopping at the Bergen-Belsem Concentration Camp enroute. Arrive late afternoon to meet our hosts for the next two nights. Concert this evening. Home Stay – Hamburg (2 nights, 26-27) (Concert #5 –Kreuzkirche Wandsbek, Hamburg)
Wednesday 27 May
Spend part of the day in Hamburg, and then drive about an hour to explore the historical city of Lübeck. Evening concert at Probsteikirche Herz Jesu, the main Catholic church in Lübeck. Return to Hamburg for overnight home stays. (Concert #6 – Probsteikirche Herz Jesu, Lübeck)
Thursday 28 May
Travel to Leipzig, home to composers Johann Sebastian Bach and Felix Mendelssohn. Also drive to Halle. HOTEL – Hotel Ibis, Leipzig (2 nights, 28-29)
Friday 29 May
Tour of Leipzig, including Bach House Museum and the Nikolaikirche. Attend Cantata service in the Thomaskirche.
Saturday 30 May
Travel to Ingolstadt. Arrive by early afternoon to meet hosts. Evening concert at Ingolstadt Mennoniten Gemeinde (or on Sunday night). Home Stay – Ingolstadt (2 nights, 30-31)
Sunday 31 May – PENTECOST
Perform a 45-minute Sunday noon concert at Asamkirche, a Baroque church in Ingolstadt. Evening concert at the Mennonite church. (Concert #7 – Baroque Church; Concert #8 – Ingolstadt Mennoniten Gemeinde)
Monday 1 June
Depart for Switzerland, traveling to Langnau im Emmental, home of the oldest continuous Mennonite church in the world. Concert and home stays. Home Stay – Langnau im Emmental (1 night, 1) (Concert #9 – Langnau Alttäuffergemeinde Emmental)
Tuesday 2 June
In the morning we will travel to Zurich for an Anabaptist history tour and lunch, followed by a communion service in an Anabaptist Cave near Bäretswil. We will then head to Wattenwil to perform a concert at the Reformierte Kirche Wattenwil. This concert will be broadcast live on Radio BEO. Home Stay, Wattenwil (2 nights, 2-3) (Concert #10 – Wattenwil Reformed Church)
Wednesday 3 June
Visit the chocolate factory in Wattenwil, and then travel to Amsoldingen for a recording session. Evening concert at the Reformierte Kirche Amsoldingen. Return to Wattenwil for lodging with host families. Concert #11 – Amsoldingen Reformed Church)
Thursday 4 June
Depart Wattenwil. Travel to the Berner Oberland and the mountain village of Wengen. We will stay in the historic Hotel Falken. HOTEL – Hotel Falken, Wengen (2 nights, 4-5)
Friday 5 June
Full day to hike and relax in Wengen, at the foot of the Jungfrau Mountain.
Saturday 6 June
Depart Wengen in the morning. After the train down into the valley to meet our bus, we will visit Trümmelbach Falls, the largest accessible glacial water falls inside the mountain in Europe. Lunch in Interlaken, then travel into the Jura Mountains to village of Moron. Concert at Mennonite church and home stays. Home Stay, Moron (1 night, 6) (Concert #12 – Moron Mennonite Church)
Sunday 7 June
Worship service with Moron Mennonite Church. Then travel to Mulhouse, France for evening concert and home stays. Home Stay, Mulhouse (1 night, 7) (Concert #13 – Église Évangélique Mennonite de Pfastatt)
Monday – 8 June
Travel back to Amsterdam, Netherlands, arriving by evening. Night at hotel near the airport. HOTEL – Ibis Styles Hotel, Amsterdam Airport (1 night, 8)
