Summer in Europe: Pics of The Netherlands & Germany

Sneek, Netherlands

The Doopsgezinde Gemeente church in Sneek. They hosted us, as well as provided the venue for our first formal concert.

That's our choir!

Singing "In Christ there is no East or West", with our hosts, in both Dutch and English. Quite a moving experience.

The hotel we stayed at in Sneek.

The Faith and Life Women's Chorus, standing in front of the Menno Simons monument in Witmarsum.

A model of what the early Mennonite church would have looked like.

The hidden church in Pingjum. The Mennonite church had to meet here in secret, to avoid persecution.

The church where Menno Simons was ordained as a catholic priest, and began to explore the Anabaptist faith.

Our first informal song together.

Joined by everyone there, singing "Great is Thy Faithfulness". It was incredible to sing such an enduring hymn of faith where our heritage first began.

Some sights of picturesque Sneek.

Biking is the preferred mode of transportation here.

Cheers!

Our first formal concert. An amazing experience with a wonderful audience.

Delft and Ouddorp / Goedereede, Netherlands

The Royal Delft Museum and factory.

In the North Sea!

Our hotel in Goedereede. It was built in 1490!

Our hotel group (the other choir members were billeted).

Some sights of gorgeous Goedereede.

We found a windmill! One of the must-sees in Holland.

Singing at a worship service at Doopsgezinde Gemeente Ouddorp.

Mom (Theresa) staying true to her word and trying the herring! Here's the play-by-play...

Our lovely lunch by the water at Expo Haringvliet.

The sluizen gates, which were built to avoid another disastrous flood like that of 1953.

Neuwied, Germany

For you, Adam!

The palace in Neuwied.

These are called 'stumbling stones'. They are a memorial to all of the Jewish people of Neuwied who were slaughtered by their German neighbours (with whom they had been living peacefully), when the Nazi order was given. The neighbourhood sidewalks are full of these bronze stones, on which the names of the Jewish people who lost their lives are inscribed.

Marksburg Castle (built in 1283), which overlooks the River Rhine.

At the castle, with the River Rhine behind us.

The castle had a beautiful garden.

The River Rhine.

The beds that were used. They are really short, for 2 reasons. People were shorter back then, and they slept sitting up. They always had their heads inclined because laying down was the position of the dead.

The ceiling in the castle's chapel.

Some of the armour on display.

From Monty Python??

This is a replica of a chastity belt. The men put it on their women to protect them when the men went to war.

At our concert in Neuwied.

Rhine River Cruise

Our cruising vessel.

A castle high on a cliff.

Vineyards.

On the Rhine!

Our beautiful concert venue, Kirche Heilig Kreuz in Neusitz, near Rothenburg.

The church was tiny, but it sure was neat to sing in a building that was built in the year 1100.

Rothenburg, Germany

Our adorable hotel in a small village close to Rothenburg.

The church in the village.

Some sights in the medieval town of Rothenburg.

This is one of the parts of the castle in Rothenburg still standing. It dates back to the year 800!

One of the gates to welcome you into the city. The entire city is surrounded by a wall.

We gave an impromptu performance in an old and beautiful cathedral. We just started to sing and tourists flocked in from off the street. Some of them were very moved by our songs. We sang "Gott ist die Liebe", "Great is Thy Faithfulness" and "Praise God From Whom All Blessings Flow (606)". It was a beautiful moment, and we were all in awe of the incredible acoustics in the building. A highlight of the tour so far!