Well, it's getting closer and closer!

Can you feel the excitement? I remember my first Germany trip in 2012. I didn't know what to expect, the first day or two were a blur as I got the jet lag out of my system, and was overwhelmed by the beauty of the land and the people! I hope you have a similar experience when we go in less than two weeks!

The Wartburg Castle

We'll have the opportunity to see some lovely and historic places. One of those places will be Eisenach. This is the city where Bach was born and when Martin Luther stayed both as a young man and as an exile on the run from the wrath of the pope! Martin Luther was in trouble for espousing modern ideas such as actually reading the Bible in your own language and knowing what it says as opposed to having someone tell you want if means! He translated the Bible, then only in Latin, into German. He did that at the Warburg Castle. This will be one of the places we will see. In the castle they will show us the room that Luther stayed in and the desk he sat at when translating the scriptures. His work began the Protestant Reformation and the world celebrates the 500th anniversary of that work next year in 2017.

Statue of Johann Sebastian Bach outside the Bach Haus

Since most of you are musicians you will be especially interested in the Bach Haus. This structure is where Bach was born. His influence not he music of the time and for countless generations yet to come simply cannot be overstated. The museum contains many period instruments and lots of displays of daily life in the Bach household. There are these wonderful listening bubbles where you can sit and listen to both Bach's music and the interesting history of one of the Baroque era's most prolific composers!

I hope this further "wets your appetite" for the things you will see and do in Germany. I know Annette and I can't wait to share one of our favorite cities with you!

Joyce enjoying Bach's music!