Check us out at the castle

Tuesday Aug 9 - We were guests of King Carroll at Peles Castle. Must be all that singing makes us look regal! 3 rehearsals in 2 day but all lots of fun. Tomorrow 2 more rehearsals - and an even more famous castle tour!  Ruth, Aviva, Mary and Joann

Greetings from Bucharest!

We saw an amazing Romanian folk music concert last night with virtuosic fiddling and pan piping, and a mallet instrument that looks like a cross between a dulcimer and a keyboard called a cimbalom.  Also folk dancers spinning in white embroidered dresses.  Very exciting. 

About one third of our choir is gathered here for a "pre-trip" exploration of the city--including Aviva, Mary, and yesterday we were delighted to be reunited with Joann.  Our hotel is  in a huge, beautiful park by a lake graced with willows.  It is well-loved by the locals--lots of biking, jogging, strolling, etc.  Today we went into the city and saw a lot of the major sites--including an interesting museum about Romanian village life.  Much of the older part of Bucharest was destroyed--first by an earthquake, and then mowed down by the Communist dictator Ceaucescu who built a lot of ugly, modern apartments and an outrageous palace for himself that is the world's second largest building.   One of the highlights was visiting the square where much of the Romanian revolution took place when the people overthrew Communism in the 1990's.  

 

Tomorrow afternoon we will head for the mountain resort town of Sinaia, where the whole choir (about 35 people) will gather for the first time.We will spend the next three days rehearsing and preparing for our concerts in the Unitarian villages of Transylvania. 

On my way

As I make my way across Transylvania, visiting old friends, I see many ways in which people are working together creatively, to improve their communities and their lives. I look forward to seeing my fellow Chapel Hill singers in a few days, and to making new friends as well.

Joanne--thanks for setting up this blog!

Beginning the Journey

"The Unitarian Universalist Partner Church Council is organizing a musical pilgrimage to Transylvania & Budapest to explore and experience the historic roots of Unitarianism, and connect with our co-religionists through the universal language of music."

When this flyer came to our email, four of us from the Chapel Hill Community Church UU jumped at the chance to take the trip. Ruth Gibson, Mary LeMay and Aviva Enoch and Joann Haggerty have all been in the Community Church choirs. In addition, Ruth had already visited Romania and looks forward to visiting friends there. Mary LeMay looks forward to learning 3 new languages: Hungarian, Romanian and Czech, Aviva Enoch is our great accompanist and superb musician and Joann looks forward to all of it - the adventure, making music and the UU pilgrimage (minus the assumption of learning all the languages.)

Here is our Community Church of Chapel Hill UU which wished us well last Sunday. 

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And here is Our Itinerary for the Journey: Future posts will have actual photos.

Monday, Aug 8 – PM gather OTP Bucharest airport. Please schedule your arrival no later than 4:30pm EET. Transfer to motor coach for 2 1/2 hour drive to Carpathian resort town of Sinaia. Group welcom reception/ dinner & orientation. Overnight Hotel Alpin Cota 1400**** (D)

Tuesday, Aug 9 – Morning introductions & rehearsal session followed by guided tour of Peles Castle summer home of Romanian Royal Family. Group lunch in Sinaia with free time to shop and stroll before returning to the hotel for afternoon rehearsal. Group dinner & overnight Hotel Alpin Cota 1400****.(BLD)

Wednesday, Aug 10 – Morning rehearsal session. Day trip to Bran to tour Bran Castle – aka “Dracula’s

castle – and shop for tasteless souvenirs. Group lunch before returning to Sinaia for afternoon rehearsal session. Free evening – dinner on your own. Overnight Hotel Alpin Cota 1400**** (BL)

Thursday, Aug 11- Morning rehearsal before departing for Sepsiszentgyorgy/Sfantu Gheorghe. En route we tour the Black Church, the largest neo-gothic cathedral in Romania and home to the largest Oriental rug collection outside of Istanbul. Free time to stroll picturesque pedestrian Brasso/Brasov city center.

Lunch on your own before continuing on to Sepsiszentgyorgy for rehearsal and evening concert in church which houses the largest Unitarian congregation in the world. Dinner/reception hosted by Unitarian Women’s League before departing for 2 hour drive to Szekelyudvarhely for overnight.  Overnight Szekelyudvarhely – Hotel Kukullo*** (BD)

Friday, Aug 12 – Morning rehearsal before departing for day trip to tour the frescoed Unitarian church at

Szekelyderzs (a UNESCO World Heritage site) before continuing on to the medieval walled city of

Segesvar/Sighisoara – the purported birthplace of Vlad Tepes. Group lunch. Orientation session in

citadel (a UNESCO World Heritage site) followed by fee time to explore the city and visit the sites of your choice. Early evening return to Szekelyudvarhely for free evening & down time. Dinner on your own. Overnight Hotel Kukullo*** (BL)

Saturday, Aug 13 – Morning rehearsal prior to departure for Worldwide Unitarian Gathering. Service,

celebrations, folk dancing & musical concert by Festival choir and others. Picnic lunch/cook-out at Szejkefurdo before continuing on to Marosvasarhely/TG-Mures. Shopping stop en route in “pottery village” of Korond. Dinner & overnight – Marosvasarhely – Hotel Concordia****(BLD)

Sunday, Aug 14 – Sleep – in. 11am Services and concert performance at Marosvasarhely Unitarian

Church. Lunch reception afterward with minister and members of congregation. Afternoon walking tour of historic city center with visits to the Teleki Library, Hungary’s first public library, and the spectacular Art Nouveau Cultural Palace. Afternoon downtime. Group dinner at Hungarian csarda with traditional gypsy band. Overnight Marosvasarhely – Hotel Concordia****.(BLD)

Monday, Aug 15 – Departure for Kolozsvar/Cluj after breakfast. En route we visit the Alabaster Village of Meszko made famous by the book of the same name to hear the story of Ferenc Balazs and see the jewel-box church he designed and painted himself. Group lunch. Afterward we stop in Torda to see “The Church of the Edict”. Early evening arrival in Kolozsvar. Dinner & overnight Kolozsvar – Victoria Hotel*** (BLD)

Tuesday, Aug 16 – Morning choir rehearsal followed by visits to 1st Church & Unitarian HQ building.

Choice of free time in Kolozsvar or hike/picnic lunch in scenic Torda Gorge. Evening concert 1^st Unitarian Church Kolozsvar with dinner/reception afterward in Unitarian Bishop’s residence. Overnight Kolozsvar – Hotel Victoria*** (BLD)

Wednesday, Aug 17 – Travel day. Morning departure for Budapest. Traditional Hungarian guyas lunch after crossing the border. Group dinner & overnight Budapest – Hotel Belvedere**** (BLD).

Thursday, Aug 18 – AM guided bus & walking tour of Budapest highlights – Castle Hill, Hero’s Square, & Jewish Quarter. Group lunch at 1st Unitarian Church followed by rehearsal session. Free evening in Budapest to take in a concert or folklore show. Dinner on your own. Overnight Budapest – Hotel Belvedere****. (BL)

Friday, Aug 19 –. Morning orientation with UUPCC staff followed by free day in Budapest to visit the museum of your choice and indulge yourself in one of the city’s famous thermal spas. Lunch on your own. Evening concert at 1st Unitarian Church. Farewell Danube dinner cruise. Overnight Budapest – Hotel Belvedere**** (BD)

Saturday Aug 20 – End of large choir tour and Ruth, Mary Aviva and Joann take the train to Prague for another adventure