The group left San Francisco on Sunday, June 30 and arrived in Milano on Monday, May 1.

From Milano we took our tour buses to Stresa where we spent the first afternoon and evening relaxing in this beautiful resort town located on Lago Maggiore in the northern part of Italy. Some of the choir took a ferry to the Borromean Islands, the closest being Isola Bella. Others of us wandered downtown and were showered with heavy, warm rain for less than 10 minutes. It was very refreshing. The Grand Hotel Bristol, where we stayed, received us with enthusiasm. They fed us well and all of the waiters and employees were very friendly. Also, it was the only place the choir was able to swim during the whole trip!

Early the next morning we got on the buses to drive to Padova where we sang in a mass in the Basilica di Sant'Antonio at 11:00am.  The balance of the day was free to explore Padova. We saw a fruit market as it was about to close for the day and ate gelato under the hot afternoon sun. Amy learned that gelato is not "serve yourself" and was terribly embarrassed when the barkeeper scolded her! However, the gelato was absolutely delicious.

For the next two days, we visited Venezia. Venice was everything we hoped it would be. The Basilica di San Marco was glorious with its Greek Orthodox architecture and gold ceilings. Reportedly, this was the place where double-choir singing was begun. There are two choir balconies at opposite ends of the Basilica. We weren't able to hear any singing that day, though. (One thing to remember when visiting churches in Italy: no shorts allowed and women must have their arms decently covered at all times, or you'll be turned away!). The bell tower next to it is a replica of the 16th century original which collapsed in 1902. You can see a great deal of the city from the top.

Traveling the canals in gondolas is the way to really see (and smell) the city, and we were privileged to have such a forthcoming gondolier. He showed us the houses of Mozart, Goethe, Casanova, and Marco Polo, among other famous buildings.

We did some impromptu singing in churches, restaurants, even in the middle of a piazza, as the mood struck Bob Worth, our director. These "concerts" generated more audiences than our scheduled performances, which due to poor advertising, drew very small crowds; the largest was fewer than 50.

We walked all over Venice and saw everything one can see in two days--including the church where Monteverdi is buried (Basilica Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari). We also spent a wondrous hour, first watching a glass-blowing demonstration and then viewing the delicate and expensive items one can make with glass. And, of course, we ate gobs of gelato and drank gallons of water, to stave off the heat and humidity!

The morning of the second day, we also spent some time in Mantova where we were able to sing in the church where Monteverdi worked when he wrote the 1610 Vespers. We were invited back to sing the entire piece in two years, when the church's restoration will be complete!

After seeing as much as possible in Venice, we traveled to Firenze, by way of San Gimignano, a town renowned not only for having had many towers in it (at its heyday, there were 72; now, only 14 remain), but for the Torture Museum (not for the faint of heart, as we discovered), a collection of gruesome implements dating back to the Inquisition which we could have gone the rest of our lives without seeing! It also has ruins of a Roman fort we were able to climb and a wonderful ancient well in the central courtyard, surrounded by olive trees. There, we heard a clavicembalo (similar to a harpsichord) played by our very own Phebe Craig (world-renowned harpsichordist we brought on tour).

Firenze was grand and definitely Amy's favorite city. How can one not be astounded at the beauty of Michelangelo's David or the grandeur of the Duomo when the sun shines on it or the glorious gold of the Ghiberti doors on the Baptistry? Amy and another choir member, Sarah, took a carriage ride around the city and Amy shot photos while the cabbie leered at Sarah...

The Uffizi collection is, of course, incomparable and it was with much delight we viewed such works as Botticelli's "La Primavera" and Michelangelo's "Holy Family," among hundreds of other pieces. Our concert in Firenze was two blocks from the Duomo and hoping to draw more of a crowd, Bob raced us over to the Duomo where we performed a few pieces, to the enjoyment of the listeners. That was quite a treat to sing in front of that formidable building!

Saying farewell to the most beautiful city in Italy, we continued inexorably toward Roma by way, first, of Siena, and, second, to Assisi. We rested in Siena for 1 1/2 days. John did most of the sightseeing, as by this time, Amy had succumbed to cystitis (for which she spent a couple of hours in a Pronto Secorse--First Aid Center) and lived at the Hotel Jolly in town instead. We had special visitors--John's father and new wife who live in Holland were vacationing in Italy, especially to meet with us and hear us sing. We also did our laundry! The concert in Siena was probably the best performance we had.

We were in Assisi for a morning and part of the afternoon. We were given a tour of the area, though the Basilica di San Francesco was under remodeling, readying itself for the Jubilee 2000, so we were unhappily not able to view the entire structure. We did, however, see his tomb and many remnants of his (tunic, chalice, and others), as well as the tiny, dark chapel first built after his conversion in the 12th century. It was very peaceful and it seemed to Amy that there was an air of waiting about it, as though St. Francis himself might reappear. She would have enjoyed staying longer, but it was on to Roma!

What can one say about Roma, the city eternal, that hasn't been said before? The way our tour was organized, we were only there for 1 day and 2 evenings, so had to cram as much history imaginable into a tiny amount of time.  The morning after our arrival, we had a three-hour tour of the Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel and St. Peter's Basilica, where we sang a 5:00 mass that afternoon. In addition, John and I toured the Castel Sant'Angelo, which at one time housed the Popes and was begun in 23 AD!

Our final evening we celebrated at a wonderful restaurant, with great wines. Afterwards, we were given a driving tour (our bus drivers were wonderful) of the regions around the Colosseum. Some, including John, left that tour to photograph the Spanish Steps, Trevi Fountain, and the Pantheon. We ran out of film (all 30 rolls!) at this point, so have no photos of us awakening at 4:00 am on June 10 to catch a 7:00 flight home, by way of Milano.

We had an exhausting, but exhilarating trip and we hope you enjoy these photos!

John and Amy Nykamp