München Adventures - Day 6

We had an earlier morning, which was difficult for some of us, especially the chaperones, who are staying about a mile from St. Bonifaz! In Meiningen we were so spoiled! We were literally across the street! The kids seemed to have an enjoyable night with their host families. Many of the Junge Chöre München members were able to host up to 4 of our kids, which was fun for them. One family even hosted 4 of our boys plus 4 boys from the Georgian choir! That must have been very interesting and I am sure we will hear more stories later!! The kids came well fed with very nice bagged lunches. Some had a few sniffles and headaches, but that was taken care of right away and they were on to rehearsing. Bob and Sue held a long rehearsal. Bailey was asked by Bob to help refine the fluidity of "Cucurumbe." It just needed a bit more flare, more swinging of the hips, and relaxing the shoulders. Lots of smiles of course!!

Following rehearsal we loaded up and headed out to shop in town for about an hour. Kids came back with lots of little souvenirs and trinkets. We saw most of the kids walking around with ice cream, a favorite to be had on this trip!! We also enjoyed many street performances by fabulous musicians. Apparently not just anyone can be a street musician. They have to audition and have a permit. They were phenomenal and very fun to listen to and watch. Following shopping, we loaded up on the bus and had a driving tour of the city of Munich. We drove by the Olympic park that hosted the 1972 Olympics, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olympic_Stadium_(Munich) and a few other big events such as the World Cup and more. Unfortunately we couldn't stop because there was a big festival. We were also told that the X Games were held there last week! Very fun to see from the bus! Then we stopped and explored the grounds of Nymphenburg Palace, built from 1664-1728. This château belonged to the dukes of Bavaria. At this palace, a famous porcelain factory was founded in 1747. The grounds were vast and beautiful with great gardens and lots of fun statues and water fountains with swans, ducks, and ducklings. The kids had fun taking lots of funny pictures and relaxing in the gardens. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nymphenburg_Palace

We loaded back on the bus and headed back to St. Bonifaz where we were greeted by the Junge Chöre München choir and their families, preparing an amazing BBQ for all three choirs. There were many delicious dishes to choose from and what was served on the grill was sausage, hamburgers, and chicken. The kids loaded their plates and enjoyed sharing their meal with the Georgians and the Münchens. After dinner, our kids rallied a majority of the members from the other choirs and played circle games. "Down by the banks of the hanky panky," "Ride the Pony," and "Big Booty," were among them. Even the youngest German siblings took part, standing with their Piedmont Choir "big sisters." Lots of laughs and smiles all around! We all sang a final round of songs, thanking our host families for such a fun evening, and were off! Tomorrow the kids are spending a majority of their morning exploring München with their host families and then we meet up for a combined concert in the early evening! I can guarantee some ice cream and pretzels will be enjoyed by the kids on their adventures! Can't wait to hear about it! Stay tuned! Auf wiedersehen!