4/10/12
This morning was much more enjoyable than yesterday. Not only did we three all wake up at a reasonable 6 AM, but I discovered an awesome dark chocolate and oatmeal mix that tasted amazing and kept breakfast feeling fresh. We got our first taste of the Mozarteum this morning with a few hours of practice and a masterclass. Our masterclass teacher, Professor Kern, who was intelligent, funny, and understandable. All three groups that played were fantastic, though a loud air humidifier turned on during the last group's lesson, providing a consistently annoying ambiance. As soon as the masterclasses ended, it was a mad rush to change into casual clothes and get to the bus. All the faculty was worried because we had a scheduled boat ride that would leave without us if we were late. Fortunately, everyone was able to get changed and get some food from chaperones and parents. We zipped along the highway to a large sea where our boat was still waiting. The large, motorized boat took us to one of several islands where, once we arrived, we took a small hike up to the third mansion of King Ludwig II. As we came to the central walkway leading up to the palace, two military-grade jets flew literally right over us; pretty epic stuff. Absurdly extravagant described just about every aspect of the mansion. Each room seemed to outdo the last. Highlights included a room with twenty-two-hundred candles, a ten-thousand (if I remember correctly) liter bathtub, and a food elevator that takes half an hour to raise once. Suffice it to say that we all were blown away. After the official tour, we had an hour and a half on our own to explore and relax. A few of us sneaked into the attached museum a few minutes before it closed, then rested our feet outside and fed some local deer.
As the sun was setting, we hiked back to the dock and, because the boat was running late, a few of us played the Idiot Game and learned how to speak Gibberish. Once the boat arrived, we continued to entertain ourselves through a One Word Story, which had something to do with a penguin who eats lions. Upon docking, a short bus ride took us to dinner, where we started another One Word Story, this one dealing with smoking schoolchildren and aquatic bees. The food was great (even Weston and Ariel Mizumoto's vegetarian dishes were exemplary by their own standards) as usual, and another round of amazing German ice cream concluded the meal. In the time between dinner and leaving, our table played several logic games, like Click Click Bang Bang, Black Magic, and Picnic. A discussion of homeschooling and music occupied the bus ride home.
Once we got back to the hotel, the cellos had a brief Bachianas rehearsal which was really good. Fifteen minutes of rehearsal and it was already sounding pretty epic. We got word from Susan that we would be able to perform at Thursday night's dinner for the rest of the JCM group, meaning it would be a casual, stress-free environment, but we would still get a chance to play with a unique group. After that rehearsal, we all went to bed. Our room had its usual shenanigans and craziness, including watching more women weightlifting, Grey's Anatomy (in English!), and another random TV show.
