Day 13 – Last Day! (sort of)

Today began our final day of the 2009 Classical Music Festival.  This has been an extraordinary experience that I would have never dreamed I would be a part of.  I am also happy, however, that I will be seeing my family and friends in Oklahoma in just a couple of days.

Today is a holiday in Austria.  To the best of my knowledge it is the Day of Ascension but I’m not really sure of that.  The good news was that we were able to participate in a mass at the Bergkirche (see previous posts for pictures of this beautiful church) by singing Haydn’s Theresienmesse during the service.  The bad news was that all the local stores were closed!

My view from the balcony during mass

After the service was completed the priest had us all come downstairs to be recognized by the congregation.

From the front. You can see our position in the balcony in the upper left-hand corner of the picture.

As soon as mass was complete the members of the church gave us lunch.  We appreciated it, but I ended up getting lunch elsewhere today ;-}

Open-faced sandwich with ham, egg, tomato, and pickle.

Big G and I decided to complete our shopping at the few stores that were open, after enjoying some Spaghetti Bolognese at the “Pizza Boy” restaurant.  The picture below is the view of Schloss Esterhazy from the “Pizza Boy.”

Big G and I finally wrapped up our shopping and headed back to the hotel.  Then it was a brief nap and some packing of the suitcases before the farewell party at the Hotel Ohr.

Many great new friends in this picture!

The pictures below are just a sampling of some of the wonderful people that participated in the 2009 Classical Music Festival.

The crew from Skaget College in Washington. Great kids!

"Silk" (part of the crew) and Dagmar (alto soloist)

Petin (part of the crew) and Michelle (soprano soloist)

Dr. Moses, Rick, and Big G

As I write this post I am realizing that it may be my last of the trip.  Tomorrow morning buses leave Eisenstadt for Vienna to take participants to the airport for their various flights back to the U.S. or wherever they are going.  I will be staying an extra day in Vienna.  It was less expensive to get a flight back a day later and I will have an opportunity to spend a little more time in Vienna.

So I will be taking the late bus (10:00 a.m.) to the Vienna Airport where I’ll then take the train into the city and check in at my hotel, the Hotel Kaiserin Elisabeth.  I dropped by the hotel when I was in Vienna the other day and it is a very upscale place.  I only wish I’d have more time to enjoy it.  But my flight on Monday leaves here at 7:55 a.m.  I connect in London and then Houston before returning to OKC at about 7 p.m. on Monday night.

I am looking forward to seeing Jeanne and the boys.  I have missed them so much while I have been gone.  I will certainly blog from the hotel in Vienna if there is WIFI access but I am not sure if there will be.

I want to take a moment to thank all of you that have followed my journey on this trip.  I have received an average of 100 hits per day on the blog and a couple of days it went to nearly 200!  I started the blog just to be in contact with my family but I realized that my “extended” family from church, friends, etc. . . is much bigger.  And it makes me feel good to know that I have so many friends that are supportive of me.

Again, this trip has been magnificent and I cannot wait to return with Jeanne and students from OU!

Boomer!

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