The boat ride into Venice, Italy. Matt and Ali's groups touring about together. Venice was a whirlwind for the kids...they packed more into that one day than you can imagine. Both Mark and Matthew really loved Venice. The boat trip "into town" was "unbelievably magical and wonderful," the sun making everything glitter as they entered the Grand Canal and docked at St. Mark's Square where they met their guide who led them on a tour for about an hour.
They toured the Murano glass factory and watched a demonstration as a man made a vase and a horse, which Matt thought was absolutely one of the best things he has ever seen factory tour-wise. They also brought me back and absolutely gorgeous rosary made of murano glass beads. So pretty! 
They toured around for a couple of hours, ate paninis for lunch, and shopped. This photo is Matt, Greg, and Mark on the Rialto Bridge over the Grand Canal. Later in the afternoon they all met up for gondola rides along the Grand Canal and into several of the lesser canals. The kids had a ball with this and for a short time they all sang together from their various gondolas as they rode around. 
Ali's group of girls in one gondola taking photos of Matt's group of guys in their gondola...and a very nice shot of my handsome son enjoying the day!
Ali's group of girls in one gondola taking photos of Matt's group of guys in their gondola...and a very nice shot of my handsome son enjoying the day!
After the gondola rides they picked up their dress uniforms from where the guide had stored them and went to St. Mark's to rehearse a little before the Mass. 
It was very crowded always in front of St. Mark's so this is the best photo we could come up with, not doing it justice at all. (Matt and Ali in the right foreground discussing who-knows-what.) Everyone was impressed with the Byzantine mosaics in the ceilings at St. Mark's, supposedly the largest collection of them in the world. (Apparently the ceilings are more impressive than the rest of the church walls due to the repeated flooding that occurs.) 
After singing the Mass, the kids sang a few numbers on the steps of St. Mark's before heading back to the boat to take them back to their hotel. 
(Again, best photo anyone could get as they were all eager to get to the banquet and quite tired of posing by this point!) At the hotel they all got a chance to dress up for dinner and practice their best cotillion manners, etc. by escorting the young ladies to dinner and eating with all the right utensils, etc. The kids just love this each year at the end of the tour...the banquet is a chance for them to look back on a successful tour, to hear words of encouragement, wisdom, and thanks from Mr. Leck and Mr. Pedde, and to just have a lot of fun together at the conclusion of all the singing gigs. (Photo is Matthew H., Anna Marie, Claire, Matt, Leslie, and Greg.) 
At 11:30 they were all sent up to bed to pack for departure the next day. It is amazing to me how much they can pack into one day of touring. I was laughing with Mark before he left as he kept saying, "I've got to start training for these choir tours...have to build up my endurance by half as much again." He was pretty happy to see his favorite chair when he returned home on Sunday.
At 11:30 they were all sent up to bed to pack for departure the next day. It is amazing to me how much they can pack into one day of touring. I was laughing with Mark before he left as he kept saying, "I've got to start training for these choir tours...have to build up my endurance by half as much again." He was pretty happy to see his favorite chair when he returned home on Sunday.