Passport

Greetings from Montreux, Switzerland! It's been a busy week so far, so please accept our apologies for not blogging until now. (One of our hotels had this site blocked...?) So here's a very long update.
Monday, we met at Schmucker and took off for Dulles airport. We boarded our flight to Paris, and most of us got minimal sleep during the 7 hour flight. We then arrived in Paris and caught our connecting flight to Lyon.
Many liters of coffee were purchased to invigorate us weary jazz travelers. Despite our fatigue, we enjoyed some free time in the city and a tour of the Lyon opera house. The architecture was an interesting mix of old and new, with the original 19th century foyer surrounding an all black opera hall constructed in the late 20th century. After our tour, there was time for a much needed nap and delicious dinner of vegetable soup and duck at our hotel.
Monday and Tuesday melted into one giant day because of the seven hour red-eye flight. Most of us took the opportunity to go to sleep early or buy some food from the local grocery stores On Wednesday, the group took a trip to nearby Vienne. We visited primarily for the Jazz A Vienne Festival, although we also took a tour of the historical  district of the city, including an amphitheater still standing from when the town was inhabited by the Roman Empire. It had a great view of the entire city, but was terrifying for those afraid of heights.
 Later in the day, we prepared for our concert. We played near the amphitheater to a packed house that loved the concert. They even demanded an encore! That night, after dinner, we saw Raphael Saadiq and  Ben L'Oncle Soul play at the amphitheater to another large and enthusiastic crowd. After the concert, there was time to explore the city. A personal highlight (Kevin) was spending time with musicians from the Oxford University Big Band.
Thursday was our last day in Lyon, so I (Alyssa) got up early to enjoy time at a cafe with some friends. The coffee was really strong, and a perfect way to wake up at 7am. Next the group adventured onto the city metro, and spent the morning exploring the city. I decided to get off at a randomly picked metro station within the city (not alone, of course), and we found our way back to the city center by noon. It was a great adventure, and have a lot of good pictures from the old section of the city that we passed through.
At 1pm, we boarded our coach and traveled three hours to Montreux, Switzerland, where we are now. The city is absolutely beautiful- our hotel is right on the edge of Lake Geneva. Every morning we wake up to an amazing view of the pristine lake, and clouds that just cover the mountains.
We will be performing at the Montreux Jazz Festival tonight, so stay tuned for updates!