Tour Itinerary


Faith & Life Women’s Chorus
Tour of the Netherlands and Germany
July 03 – 16, 2013
ITINERARY

This is an abridged version. Our travel copies are much more detailed, of course.
No times are listed here except for concerts and services, which appear in red print.

WED, July 3

3:00 p.m. Depart Winnipeg


THURS, July 4 
 Amsterdam to Sneek

2:15 p.m. Arrive Amsterdam, Schiphol Airport.
Meet tour bus in the Amsterdam airport for transfer to Sneek.

Arrival in Sneek, followed by a group supper at the church
Doopsgezinde Gemeente Sneek
Sneek, Netherlands
Rev. Simon van der Linden

Billeted group/hotel group for 2 nights


FRI, July 5
 Sneek

Morning: Excursion to Friesland
Visit to Pingjum und Bolsward: Menno Simons was a scholar at a convent, probably the Premonatratensian abbey Vinea Domini where he also became a novice in 1515. In 1524, he was ordained as a priest in Utrecht, and shortly after he took his first office as vicar of Pingjum. The Mennonite church in Pingjum was built around 1600.
The Olde Klooster was a Cistercian abbey near Bolsward that was taken over by Mennonites in 1534 or 1535.There are no traces of it today,

Travel to Witmarsum, the birthplace of Menno Simons (1496) and visit the Menno Monument.
The Menno Monument, in Witmarsum, Dutch province of Friesland, was erected on the site where the meetinghouse of the Witmarsum Mennonites once stood. Tradition says that the house of Herman and Gerrit Jansz stood here, where Menno first preached after leaving the Roman Catholic Church in 1536, and often stayed, and where he was probably married.

7:30 p.m.  Evening concert in Doopsgezinde Gemeente Sneek


SAT, July 6
 Sneek to Ouddorp

Depart for a day of sightseeing, starting with a visit to Delft, including a visit to the Royal Delft Manufactory. Delft is a lovely town of historic significance; all Dutch kings are buried here!

Arrive in Ouddorp: Our hostess will give us a little tour around the village.

Rehearsal followed by group dinner at the church
Doopsgezinde Gemeente Ouddorp
Annabell and Edwin de Jong
Dorpstienden 3
3253 AS Ouddorp
The Netherlands

Billeted group/hotel group for 1 night


SUN, July 7
 Ouddorp to Neuwied

Sing in Sunday morning worship services
Doopsgezinde Gemeente Ouddorp

9:30 - Service in Dutch
Coffee meet-and-greet with the congregation

11:00 - Service in German This church offers German worship services in July & August since there are many German tourists in Ouddorp during the summer. It's their ministry to them.

Lunch at Expo Haringvliet, followed by the tour
This tour is 1½ hours, first an introductory movie, then visit of the exposition followed by a guided tour to the "sluizen". It will be fascinating to observe and hear about the technological developments and large construction works constructed over time in order to reduce the influence of the sea and to prevent floods. You can read more about the engineered landscape at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flood_control_in_the_Netherlands

Depart Ouddorp for Neuwied
Arrive Neuwied
Evangelische Mennonitengemeinde Neuwied K.d.ö.R.
Pommernstraße 9, 56567 Neuwied-Torney
Contact: Rev. Martin Schmitz-Bethge

Meet our host families who will take us home for supper.
Billeted group/hotel group for 2 nights


MON, July 8
 Neuwied

Group breakfast at the Evangelische Mennonitengemeinde (church)

Morning activity: Walking tour of Neuwied with Pastor Martin Schmitz-Bethge. (including the old Mennonite church from 1768 which now holds the municipal art gallery)

Group lunch at Marktbräu, http://www.marktbraeu.de/html/speisen.html

Afternoon options:
1. Excursion by bus to either Maria Laach (a Romanesque Monastery), Burg Eltz or the Marksburg.
2. Free time: Those who wish to return to their host families are welcome to do so, and you will be returned to the church in time for rehearsal and supper, either by your hosts or by a pick-up service, compliments of the church.
3. Visiting with relatives.

Rehearsal followed by dinner at the church

7:30 p.m.  Evening Concert at Evangelische Mennonitengemeinde Neuwied


TUES, July 9
 Neuwied to Rothenburg ob den Tauber

Group breakfast at the church
Depart in St. Goar for Rhine Cruise from Koblenz to Rudesheim.
Meet the bus at Rudesheim, travel along the Romantic Road to Rothenburg.
Hotel, full group for 1 night.

7:30 p.m.  Evening concert at church near Rothenburg:
Kirche Heilig Kreuz in Neusitz (piano)
Kirchfeldring 8
91616 Neusitz

Possibility of taking the nightwalk in Rothenburg after the concert. Ed and I took this walk some years ago; it’s fabulous!


WED, July 10
Rothenburg to Fellbach

Morning guided walking tour with local guide
Free time

ROTHENBURG OB DER TAUBER is one of the finest medieval towns in Germany. It seems virtually unchanged since the sixteenth century. Located on a steep promontory above the winding Tauber, the town prospered during the middle ages but suffered greatly during the Thirty Years' War and never recovered its former importance. As a result, the architecture has kept its 16th century appearance. At Whitsuntide each year there is a festival commemorating the noble mayor, who saved his town by drinking a three-quart jug of wine in a single swallow. This impressed the commander of the enemies so that he spared the town. We suggest a walk on the old city walls or a visit to the Museum of Medieval Justice.

Depart for Fellbach, enroute sightseeing as planned by our tour guide

Arrive at Stuttgart Mennonite Church in Fellbach.
Fellbach-Oeffingen Hofener Str. 57
Contact: Anita Lichti

Supper with billet families and others from congregation
Billeted group/hotel group for 2 nights


THUR, July 11
 Fellbach

Tour of Ludwigsburg Palace and grounds, lovely gardens, fairy-tale-garden, cafés and restaurants
Tour of Mercedes Benz Museum in Stuttgart

7:30 p.m.  Evening Concert in Johannes Kirche
Aldinger Str. 1
Fellbach-Oeffingen


FRI, July 12
 Fellbach to Freiburg

Depart for Strasbourg, France
Visit Strasbourg on a guided tour, includes an impromptu performance at the cathedral. (Can’t wait to sing Abendlied here!)

Arrive in Freiburg at Ludwigskirche
Stadtstraße 22, Freiburg im Breisgau 79104
Contact: Helen Ens
Supper at Ludwigskirche, hosted by Helen Ens’s choir
Billeted group/hotel group for 2 nights


SAT, July 13
 Freiburg

Day’s activities as planned by tour guide can include the Black Forest, Triberg waterfall, and the town centre is apparently wonderful.

8:00 p.m.  Evening concert at Christuskirche
Turnseestr. 39
79102 Freiburg im Breisgau

SUN, July 14 
 Freiburg to Landau

Sing in Sunday morning worship service at Ludwigskirche
Group lunch in restaurant
Depart for Landau in der Pfalz for our wineland experience
Hotel full group for 1 night


MON, July 15 
 Landau to Frankfurt

Depart for Frankfurt
Enroute sightseeing as planned by our tour guide
Hotel full group in Frankfurt for 1 night


TUES, July 16

10:00 a.m. Depart Frankfurt for Winnipeg  

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