Matthew Rynes
Archbishop Curley High School
Baltimore, MD

Matt with his fellow travelers

This summer I had the opportunity of a lifetime to travel to Europe with my school, Archbishop Curley High School in Baltimore arranged by EF Educational Tours. After taking an overnight flight, the first leg of the trip found us in the cites of Munich and Heidelberg. The sites, sounds and smells of these cities are hard to describe. Concerts were in the parks, people with their pet were relaxing in outdoor cafes, and the aroma of bratwurst from push carts was enticing. The beauty of the mountains and castles and houses that were built hundreds of years ago was breathtaking.

One of my favorite spots in Munich was the Neuschwanstein Castle built by King Ludwig II during the 19th century as a hunting lodge. The trip also took us to Dachau to tour the concentration camps. While I can't say that I enjoyed seeing that, I now have a greater understanding and compassion for those poor souls who suffered and died in those inhumane places. One of the highlights of the trip was being in Germany when Italy won the soccer World Cup. Just being there and feeling the exciting of hundreds of jumping and screaming fans on our subway car was exhilarating. I was surprised to learn that subways could bounce and sway without leaving the tracks.

From Germany we traveled by bus to the tiny country of Liechtenstein. We spent just enough time to stamp our passports and buy souvenirs and take pose for photos in this mountainous and gorgeous country. From picturesque Liechtenstein, we traveled to the Alpine countries of Austria and Switzerland. As a musician, just being in the Austrian cities where some of the greatest musicians of the world wrote and played was a thrill. In Switzerland, the chocolate and ice cream there were the best I'd ever had. Getting around the cities in both of these countries using mass transit was a breeze. It was clean, fast and safe. It was wonderful to be able to see so much without having to be in a car.

By coach, we traveled to Paris. The majesty of the Eiffel Tower, the Arc d'Triomphe at night were unbelievable. Now I know why they call it the City of Lights. The cruise down the Seine was so exciting. I could just see the artists of the left bank painting the scenes of Paris. All I can say about the Louvre is that the pictures of the Mona Lisa and Venus de Milo do not do justice to the real thing. Wow--visiting Paris made me want to grab my saxophone and move there; the street performers there and all throughout Europe added an excitement to the experience.

If that's not enough, how about taking the Chunnel from Paris to London? London was so great, and I was surprised that I couldn't understand the Brits at first. Everybody was so friendly and helpful as we took the tube around the city. Shopping at Harrods and hanging out in the original Hard Rock Cafe was an experience that I will never forget.

I knew that I would love the trip but what I didn't expect was to learn so much and want to go back to learn more about the cultures that I simply got a snapshot of.