Europe

The reason we could spend so much time up north this summer was that Braden had a week of practices for his Utah Ambassadors of Music trip to Europe.  The practices paid off and their concert the night before they left was amazing.  Braden did both percussion in the band and sang bass in the choir, so he had A LOT of music to learn.  I looked through his pictures (there are thousands) and picked a few to be on this post.  This first one is in London (his favorite stop) at Shakespeare's Globe Theater. 

 He saw the changing of the guards, crown jewels, etc.

 His personal London highlight was walking across Abbey Road, which he is doing in this next picture.  That was a special side trip he coaxed a leader into taking with him.

 I loved this picture he took of the palace.  His group performed in many places in Europe.  The first concert was on the banks of the Thames.

 If you know Braden, you know that he finds humor EVERYWHERE.  Many, many of his picture were like these next few, and it was so funny to get his commentary on them as he showed them to us.  Here is a dinosaur eating the Eiffel tower, 

 I think this one is self-explanatory,

and here he is eating his escargot (which he actually loved)! 

 But, back to the more foundational pictures....He went to Paris and the Louvre, where he saw this,  

 also the Eiffel Tower,

and the Arc de Triomphe.

 He loved Switzerland.  Doesn't this look like a scene from the Sound of Music?

 He rode this scooter all the way down a mountain in Switzerland and loved it.

 Here is one of his many "selfies".  It is a snapshot of the canal of Venice.

 This is a picture of him performing at a concert in Innsbruck, Austria.  You can see the olympic rings from years ago.

 And I loved this picture of the Matterhorn.  It reminds me of pictures my dad brought back from his mission that used to hang in our house.

Braden also spent time in Germany and a brief stop in Lichtenstein.  He saw the Dachau concentration camp, the cathedral of Notre Dame, and everything in between.  We are so grateful he had this great experience!