I'm Back!!!!! (warning: long post)

[audiobill]

As promised I am reporting back to all of my RR buddies about my European Vacation.
Without boring all of you with how I spent all of my summer holidays, I've taken the liberty of posting some of the highpoints of our month-long adventure in Europe. We just arrived home, last night.


Musical highlights:
In Vienna
¯ Going out to the Rathaus (centuries old assembly of buildings/ gorgeous city hall backdrop and listening & watching classical music films on huge, 50 metre screen with another couple of thousand or so individuals. Of course, beer or wine from one of the several vendors is de rigueur, as is food from one of the outdoor, international food booths, in honour of the Olympic games. Highlight was Seji Osawa conducting the Berliner Philharmonic playing Gershwin, under the stars in Vienna.

In Munich
¯ Taking our beautiful daughters to see Tchaikovsky's Schwansee (Swan Lake) ballet, as performed by the Russian Kirov ballet troupe. Highlight was the 150 swans/dancers and the venue, itself: the princeregente theatre's outstanding architecture.

In Zurich
¯ Listening to "rave music" what we in North America call "drum'n'bass" with 90,000 other people down by the water, in what is billed as the largest Rave in the world. Dozens of floats of scantily clad revelers are all jumping and dancing to the beats in the heat. Highlight was watching our daughters' minds be blown by the sheer energy and colour of the event. Picked up several (okay, sixteen!!) Drum and Bass Cds that were of the latest, in Europe.

Other highlights (non-musical):
¯ Mt. Titilus’ Swiss summit of 10,000 feet and the view from there. Outstanding!!
¯ Geneva's crystal clear lake and river that flows right through downtown.
¯ Paris' bridges and nightly view from the third-stage of the Eifel Tower.
¯ All of Europe's open-air policy of sipping on a cold, great beer or glass of wine, without incident or second-glances.
¯ Salzburg's Augustiner beer - the only one still brewed by monks, in all of Austria & its adjoining Beer Garden nestled under hundreds-year-old chestnut trees (apparently, the shade of the leaves keeps the stored barrels of beer, extral cool -- those monks think of everything!!)
¯ Munich's beerhalls & their Weiss (wheat) beer
¯ Burgundy's wines and gentile hillside villages
¯ Apenzeller's cheeses and great ceramic-capped beers
¯ Museums & Art Galleries – finally, got to see Kandinsky & Klee's "Blue Rider" masterpieces.
¯ Mad King Ludwig's (unfortunate nick-name -- I prefer, build-it-&-they-will-come-Ludwig) several castles
¯ Smoking some very fine Danish cigars
_ Getting a chance to spend time with my loved ones

So, with any trip what I missed most was the RR music recs (well, kinda. Well, just a little) I've caught up with the posts/threads since I've been gone.

Nevertheless, if you were to suggest, just one CD, that I've likely missed (and should miss no longer), what would it be??



Cheers,
audiobill