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Schubert in the USA (1)
06/02 - 12/02/2009
Planes, Trains and a Very Special Bus
06/02/2009
Schwechat, 05.45 am local time. All in a day's work for a seasoned tourist. We use the computer to check in which gives us an extra hour to have a leisurely breakfast with our loved ones.
At 9 am, we are sitting in the plane awaiting take-off. However, the weather has other ideas, and we are grounded for another 50 minutes. We remain in our seats, passing the time delving into our stash of home-made vanilla biscuits. You understand, breakfast was already 20 minutes ago, so we do feel a little peckish. When we arrive in Munich there is very little time to reach the connecting flight. We negotiate the airport at choir pace (sedate and orderly) and just about manage to catch our plane to Chicago. Nine and a half hours on a plane warrant a bit of planning; we retrieve our books and magazines from our backpacks and trolleys, arrange age-appropriate toys (some cuddly) and stow emergency food rations in the pockets kindly provided for this purpose by the airline. You see, this is not our first trip.
We land at 4 pm local time at O'Hare airport. Now we have to negotiate immigration. The officers are attentive; they deal with us as a group. The whole procedure is very efficent. We collect our baggage and proceed, not quite as sprightly as in Munich, to the exit. Tanya and Don, our driver are waiting for us. Our bus and home for the next two months is huge; it boasts tables, clothes racks, and comfortable seats. There is even a small office in front, with filing cabinets and a refrigerator.
First, we drive to our hotel, then we feast on an authentic American buffet. All you can eat. Stuff your faces. In honour of our arrival, there are colourful carbonated drinks by the gallon. Thus fortified, we quickly check out the hotel's facilities. It offers a swimming pool, hot tubs and a whirlpool. They need to be properly investigated.
07/02/2009
12 °C, and the sun is shining brightly. We have a day off in Chicago. From a vantage point on the lake shore, we take pictures of the city's imposing skyline and, of course, the Lake (which puts on its best lakial expression). We throw a few (small) pieces of ice in the lake (and skip a few stones) by way of farewell, then Don takes us to Sears Tower. The observation deck offers stunning views all round. We make out the loop, a few landmark skyscrapers, the city's port. We even manage to locate the spot where we have just stood, taking pictures.
Back on terra firma, we explore Chicago's Loop. We have the quintessential American meal, burgers and fries. Afterwards we head to the Art Museum which has a famous collection of American art, plus some pictures by European artists, Monet, Picasso, Rubens. There are also antique statues from Egypt and India. In a nearby park, we discover a large silver sculpture of a highly polished bean (we think) which makes for some intriguing photographs. Tanya says that the bean is in fact called Cloud Gate; it is a work by Anish Kapoor and has its own entry in wikipedia. We feel honoured to be in the presence of a famous bean. We continue to explore, thinking of Al Capone, John Dillinger and concrete shoes at the bottom of Lake Michigan.
Dinner is at a Chinese restaurant, and there are some who think back to our Korean tour.
08/02/2009
It is the day of the first concert of the tour. We spend the morning rehearsing at the hotel.
After lunch, we travel to Joliet (there is a nice message from Mike from Joliet in the guestbook). They have a famous prison here, but it is not in use anymore. The concert takes place at the Rialto Theater. We are greeted by members of the audience upon arrival. We put everything into our singing; it is the first concert and in a sense, this is our calling card. We want to leave the best possible impression. We always do, but a first night is somehow special. And even if these particular people will not hear another concert, Tanya certainly will. And so will we. But all goes well, and the audience applauds with tangible enthusiasm. Elated, we annihilate the post-concert cookies. Somehow, this kind of success makes us very hungry.
There is a late dinner, and afterwards, time for a swim. The athletically inclined swim actual lengths, the rest of us kind of floats in the hot tub until we resemble shrivelled prunes. Rumour has it some of us are growing webbed extremities. I expect the prefects had better check for gills. (Now those would be handy.)
Before we go to bed, we pack our things for tomorrow, and the eager ones manage to write a few post cards. (I don't. It is difficult, you see, on account of the webbed hands.)
09/02/2009
We are facing a long bus drive. Our destination is Duluth, Minnesota, and Don reckons we will be on the road for eight hours. We are actually looking forward to it: we can play cards (the stakes are high), sudoku or cross words, we eat fruit (Tanya is a firm believer in vitamins) and have highbrow conversations (exclusively about music and/or philosophy), while looking at the passing landscapes. This is a vast country with roads that never end.
The weatherman predicts an ice storm for Duluth, however, it seems to avoid us. At 7 pm, we move into our new quarters. For dinner, there is pizza and a serenade for Tilman, who turns a crusty 14 today. In honour of the occasion, we have a large chocolate cake.
The hotel staff in Duluth are extremely circumspect. They have speared marshmallows for their guests and lit a campfire on the hotel lawn. We pile out, properly attired in down jackets, woolly hats and scarves. While the marshmallows melt into the proper gooey consistency, with dripping bits spitting in the fire, Lake Superior makes waves in the background, by way of a soundtrack. The ice on the lake makes crunching noises. To warm up, we jump into the hotel pool; tonight, we play waterball.
10/02/2009
We visit a train museum, the Lake Superior Railroad Museum. It is an large depot with old engines and wagons, and visitors may climb on and into them. This is excellent. The depot also has a children's museum, where you can dress as a knight or use a giant brush to clean a giant set of teeth made out of cushions. If you feel like it. Some of us do.
Lunch is the epitome of American cuisine, burgers and fries. Can never have too many of those.
The afternoon is devoted to shopping (we are quite good at that, as our regular readers will recall). We browse, investigate the goods on offer, try out games and hats, look at books, electronic goods and sports kits. And we acquire things. The loot, as the prefects call it, is considerable. It is occasions like this that one feels truly grateful to have an entire bus at one's disposition. It makes hauling loot so much easier.
As a reward (shopping is a strenuous activity) we go bowling. We are almost as good as Fred Flintstone. For dinner, we have that other American classic, pizza, smothered with cheese, as it should be. Back in the hotel, we use the hour remaining to lights out to squeeze in a swimming session. We are true athletes, after all.
11/02/2009
At breakfast, we display a hitherto unknown creativity; we invent a number of highly original toppings for waffles (perhaps we should open a breakfast buffet?). The morning is devoted to waterball practice.
At noon, we eat at "Grandma's". The eponymous grandma cooks (as you would expect) to order; everyone gets his favourite food which grandma with great foresight has placed on a buffet. We then retire to our rooms for a few hours' rest before the concert at the Sacred Heart Music Center. The concert goes well, and the audience loves it. There is frenetic applause, and our faces glow. After this concert, there is even a fan message on the website (Thank you, Mr Jack!).
12/02/2009
We are rudely woken up before the neighbourhood cock has had so much as a chance to crow. There is nothing for it, we have to get up, pack our things and travel on. It is the crack of dawn.
After breakfast, we make our way to Fairabault. The drive takes a good three hours, and we are still in Minnesota. We have lunch in an old college, which reminds us of Harry Potter and England. After our afternoon rest, we eat (again; well, everyone should have a hobby, and believe me, this is a good one). Tonight, we sing a concert in the Cathedral of Our Merciful Saviour.