Amsterdam, the Netherlands

Tuesday, June 28th (Day One): Paris/Amsterdam

Today we reluctantly said goodbye to Paris and boarded the train for Amsterdam. Our hotel was unique—it was a floating hotel docked right on the harbor. (The name? “Botel.”) Today was mostly a travel day, but we did have the chance to grab some amazing falafel right next to the train station in Amsterdam. We closed out the evening with some sightseeing around the city.

Wednesday, June 29th (Day Two): Amsterdam/The Hague

We had a performance at the U.S. Embassy, The Hague. (Over the course of our trip, we’ve seen so many U.S. embassies! Embassy events are my favorite because the foreign service officers are always super interesting.) Luckily, The Hague is not far from Amsterdam. After a short train ride, we were greeted by a U.S. Embassy towncar who picked us up at the station. The embassy was hosting an early Independence Day celebration, and it was decked out in Americana. There were burgers and hot dogs; red, white and blue streamers; and lots of American expats. I felt at home. We performed the American and Dutch national anthems on top of our usual jazz repertoire (learning the Dutch anthem was both fun and a challenge).

 

Following the performance, it was back to Amsterdam. I went with a small group to a nice Indonesian restaurant for dinner. The food was phenomenal, and I’m excited to try more Southeast Asian food when we’re in Malaysia and Singapore. After dinner it was an early bedtime in preparation for our morning flight to Jordan.

Paris, France

Saturday, June 25th (Day One): Brussels/Paris

After arriving in Paris, we met up with Denis, our homestay host, at his beautiful flat in the 7th Arrondisement. Taking advantage of the amazing location, I decided to explore the neighborhood with Elio and Mattheus. The three of us grabbed dinner at an amazing brasserie (according to the menus, Ernest Hemingway once frequented the restaurant). Following dinner, we explored downtown Paris. We saw Ile de la Cité, the Notre Dame Cathedral, and stopped for crepes (of course). We arrived back to the flat tired after a long day.

 

Sunday, June 26th (Day Two): Paris

We started the morning early with a trip to the Louvre. Just a ten-minute walk from Denis’ apartment, the Louvre was hands-down the best museum I’ve visited. Knowing that we could not possibly see the entire thing, we decided to prioritize just a few exhibits. I spent quite a bit of time in the Ancient Egypt gallery and the Michelangelo statue hall. I never swung around to see the Mona Lisa or Venus de Milo—I suppose that means I’ll have to return!

 

Next, we hurried off to our first concert in Paris. There is an annual choral festival known as Voix sur Berges at which the Dins have long performed. This time, however, we got a special treat: the Dins were highlighted as the featured act of the whole festival. This was a great compliment, and it meant that a massive crowd gathered to hear us sing. It was a tremendously fun gig because the audience was lively, the hosts were great, and we sang on an outdoor stage overlooking the beautiful St. Martin Canal. Voix sur Berges treated all the performers to a post-event dinner—it was great to meet the local choirs. (Many folks came up to us, excited to meet “les americains.”)

 

Following dinner, the Dins split up for the evening. Sam’s homestay host had offered to host us for post-dinner conversation and drinks. Sam and I took up the offer, and had a great time discussing politics, art, and life advice with the host. After a couple of hours, we left and headed to a café for a late-night snack. (Funnily enough, this café also advertised itself as “Ernest Hemingway’s favorite spot.” Hemingway must have been a gourmand.) I had a fantastic serving of bone marrow on toast, while Sam adventurously tried the escargot. It was a great conclusion to a full day.

 

Monday, June 27th (Day Three): Paris

Today was busy: two performances! In the morning I headed to the U.S. Embassy, stopping for coffee and tarte flambée en route. The U.S. Embassy is a beautiful building adjacent to the Place de la Concorde. We were welcomed warmly by the embassy staff, shown around the complex, and invited to perform in the main atrium for the U.S. foreign service officers on their lunch break.

 

Following the gig we had a couple of free hours. We decided to take advantage of the free time by heading to the Eiffel Tower for a photoshoot (see pictures above!). Next, it was off to the Travellers’ Club.

 

The Travellers’ Club is an exclusive social club in Paris. Our event that evening was physically at the clubhouse, but it was primarily attended by Harvard Club of France members. It was great to meet Harvard’s Paris-based alumni community—we met some really interesting folks, and had plenty of time to mingle after the performance. A smaller group of alumni generously hosted us for dinner at a fantastic Indian fusion restaurant on the Champs-Elysées. It was a great way to round out our time in France.

Brussels, Belgium

Thursday, June 23rd — Brussels Day 1 

Hello, Samson here again! Today we woke up fresh off enjoying the National Day festivities. We headed to Luxembourg’s central train station and boarded a train for the short ride to Brussels. After arriving in the afternoon, we were welcomed by our Brussels host, Benjamin. He is a Harvard alumnus who lives in a Brussels suburb called Grimbergen—a historical and charming small town with a storied abbey and brewery. He recently renovated a beautiful chateau outside the town, and we had the privilege of staying in the chateau for a couple of nights. After touring around his beautiful property, we changed into our concert attire and prepared for a performance that evening.

The evening’s event was organized by the Harvard Club of Belgium. It was held at the chateau, with lovely refreshments and hors d’oeuvres available. The Dins performed a couple of musical sets for the guests, then we had plenty of time to mingle! I got to meet many amazing members of the Belgian Harvard community—and I made sure to solicit their recommendations for the next day.

 

Friday, June 24th — Brussels/Bruges Day 2

Today we had the day off—no concerts! On the advice of many of our Belgian friends, we decided to head to Bruges, a small town in the northwest of the country. It is known for classic Belgian charm, great waffles and fascinating history (according to Benjamin, Bruges is known as “the Venice of the North” by virtue of its beautiful system of canals. We split into small groups and explored the city all afternoon—Sam, Jay Hong and I headed to a nice outdoor restaurant for some traditional mussels and frites. We visited an art gallery, a cathedral and a café afterwards. We (reluctantly!) left Bruges in the evening. Upon returning to Grimbergen, we decided to have our rehearsal outdoors (It was beautiful weather, and the daylight lingered until 10:30pm! Amazing conditions for an outdoor rehearsal). Benjamin was kind enough to bring out food and drink for us as we rehearsed on his patio—an excellent end to a great day.

 

Saturday, June 25th — Brussels Day 3

Today was, regrettably, our last day in Belgium. Benjamin treated us to a nice Belgian breakfast, replete with croissants and plenty of coffee. We then headed to Brussels train station, where Hannah and Felix headed onward to Paris. The rest of us, scheduled for a later train, had a few hours to explore the city. First I walked through Cureghem, a neighborhood known for its large immigrant population from the Middle East and North Africa. After stopping for a great shawarma sandwich, I ventured into the historic city center for some coffee and sightseeing. I visited the European Parliament—the EU’s main legislative building—and took advantage of a free exhibition and the Museum of European History. The exhibition provided an interesting take on Europe’s modern history from the industrial revolution to the present day.

Luxembourg

Tuesday, June 21st – Luxembourg Day 1

Hey, it’s Hannah again! The Dins boarded a mid-morning train from Strasbourg to Luxembourg today—see you again soon, France! After being whisked away to our homestays, we had some downtime; Karalyn and I got to know our hosts’ energetic children and enjoyed some beer while taking in the beauty of Kehlen’s countryside.

Our evening engagement was a gig at an upscale Michelin-starred restaurant, Le Bouquet Garni. We mingled with Harvard Club of Luxembourg members while enjoying a five-course meal and interspersing small sets of songs. Luxembourg is a truly multicultural place, as evidenced by the multitude of people we met from different countries in Europe and around the world.

 

Wednesday, June 22nd – Luxembourg Day 2

Today, we had free reign to explore Luxembourg until our evening gig. Some of us visited museums and historical sites, some of us walked around the city, and some of us caught some much-needed rest. Karalyn and I made our way to the Château Vianden, a gorgeous castle atop a hill with architecture reflecting its centuries-long renovations, and we window-shopped in Luxembourg’s historic Old Town. We finally made our way to our evening gig at another upscale restaurant, Cercle Münster, and sang for our (exceedingly delicious) supper.

Today happens to be the day before the Grand Duke of Luxembourg’s birthday, which is a very special occasion known as National Day. As we walked around the city in the afternoon, we noticed shopkeepers setting up outdoor bars up and down the streets—and sure enough, crowds gathered and music blared and drinks were poured throughout the evening. The Dins had a wonderful time dancing, watching fireworks, and even meeting the Prime Minister of Luxembourg by chance! (See the late photo for a selfie of the Prime Minister with some Dins).

Strasbourg, France

Friday, June 17th — Day 1

Hi, this is AJ! After traveling from Oxford, the Dins were greeted by our host families at our train platform in Strasbourg, France. From there, we went our separate ways to get settled in. My host father Emmanuel and I took a tram (free for the day as a pollution control measure!) out towards Illkirch-Graffenstaden, a nearby suburb where they lived. Once there, I met Sarah, my host mother, their youngest daughter Candice, as well as two extremely fluffy cats. We had snacks and drinks out in their backyard, and later ate a delicious home cooked meal. Some Dins who lived closer to the city center went for a walk in the evening and caught a beautiful view of the city adorned with lights; others, like me, were quite tired and turned in for an early nights’ rest.

Saturday, June 18th — Day 2

Good morning! I had a lovely breakfast with my hosts before meeting up with the rest of the Dins at the Place de la Republique, one of the large monuments in the Grande Île, the center of Strasbourg. From there, we were led around the city by Vivienne, our incredibly knowledgeable tour guide and longtime friend of the Dins. We learned so much over the next few hours, including the incredible history of Strasbourg as a long fought over territory and cultural bridge between modern France and Germany, and how to tell the stylistic differences between the French and Germanic influences in the amazing buildings all around us. She also guided us inside the magnificent Strasbourg Cathedral. Started in 1015 and built over three centuries, walking through the cathedral is an incredible journey through time from Renaissance to Gothic to Romanesque architecture. Especially striking was the massive clock inside the cathedral, an impressive feat of engineering and astronomy from the sixteenth century. I was so glad to have Vivienne guiding us—I appreciated the cathedral so much more because of her expertise.

Afterwards, we stopped for lunch at a classic French restaurant. We ate “tartes flambees” and were joined by members of Americans in Alsace, the expat organization that was coordinating our visit. Following lunch we roamed around the “Petite France” neighborhood (and we did a little bit of busking!)

After a long day of exploring we arrived at City Hall for a performance. It was a beautiful venue, with an audience including Americans in Alsace members, U.S. Consulate representatives and local dignitaries. We were opened by Gospel Kids, a phenomenal (and cute) gospel choir composed of grade-schoolers. After a great performance, it was off to dinner and bed with our host families.

Sunday, June 19th — Day 3

Samson here! On our third day in Strasbourg, Americans in Alsace was hosting a garden party in celebration of (an early) Independence Day. It was at a beautiful outdoor venue with catered American-themed food and drink (think burgers, ribs, and all the other fixings one might expect at an American cookout). The Dins provided entertainment in the form of a brief musical set—then, we were free to mingle and enjoy the party! It was a pleasure talking to expats and learning about life abroad as an American.

Following the garden party, my host Mark picked me up. He was kind enough to take a quick detour across the Rhine River into Germany on the way back—just so I could cross another country off my list! After looking around Strasbourg’s German suburb of Kehl, we returned to France and back to the homestay. That evening, my host family invited some friends over for a dinner party (meeting their friends was a great time!) After the dinner party, I called it an early night.

Monday, June 20th — Day 4

Today, Vivienne kindly took us on a tour of Obernai. Obernai is a small Medieval town about 30 minutes from Strasbourg—it’s an idyllic place that’s typical of small-town Alsace. Vivienne met us at the train station and spent a couple of hours showing us around (*after* a quick stop for coffee, of course). She told us about the historical economy and governance of Obernai (it had been a wealthy guild town in the Holy Roman Empire); she pointed out architectural details; and she took us on a hike up in the nearby Vosges mountains.

Perched up on a mountain, there is an artist’s gallery. It’s been owned by three generations in a family of artists. The gallery specializes in woodworked portraits—elaborate works that look like oil paintings from a distance, but are in fact intricately shaped wood carvings pieced together like a jigsaw. The artist showed us around and offered us some postcards to take home. Of course, we repaid him with a song to show our appreciation.

Following our excursion to Obernai we returned to Strasbourg. One of the hosts held an outdoor barbecue for many of the Dins—I hear it was a blast! Mattheus and I had a quiet dinner with our own host family (on their beautiful balcony, no less) then joined the rest of the group to explore Strasbourg nightlife. It was a great conclusion to our time in this amazing city.

London & Oxford, UK

Monday, June 13 - London Day 1

Hi, Hannah here! After an early wake-up at KJ’s house and a healthy dose of müesli, the Dins headed to Zürich airport and caught our flight to London. We split up and took the Tube, London’s extensive subway system, to our separate lodgings.

The hungry Dins assigned to St. Simeon Hotel (Samson, AJ, Noah, and I) grabbed a “cheeky” Nando’s lunch and fell asleep immediately afterward. One power nap later, we commuted to London’s McKinsey headquarters and gigged for members of the Harvard Club of the UK…and my family, who’d flown over from Boston! Reunited with the recent Din alum Sang-o, the Dins enjoyed an Italian dinner in the city with him and, anticipating an early wake-up the next morning, went right to bed afterward.

Tuesday, June 14 – London Day 2

Bright and early, the Dins arrived at Falkner House Girls’ School, nestled in the beautiful neighborhood of South Kensington, and performed our most kid-friendly songs to the enthusiastic crowd of 7-to-10-year-olds. We had a blast ramping up the theatricality of our choreography, and the kids loved it too!

The Dins’ resident Londoner, Mattheus, was kind enough to lead us on a walking tour through downtown London after the gig. He took us to all the main sights and attractions—the changing of the guards at Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey, Big Ben, Downing Street, Trafalgar Square, and many more—and gave us the insider’s scoop on affordable food and groceries, which our wallets much appreciated. The hotel-dwelling Dins closed off the day with an Indian dinner that solidified my and Mattheus’ claim that British Indian food is exceptionally delicious.

Wednesday, June 15 – London Day 3

The Dins had another morning gig, to the chagrin of our late risers, at St. Paul’s Juniors School across the Thames. Fortunately, the energy of the raucous crowd of 7-to-13-year-old boys, particularly in response to our goofiest number “McDonald’s Girl”, cleared away some of the tiredness.

We regrouped for lunch later on with the esteemed Din alum Sam Schoenberg in Hyde Park, some of us having experienced the Uber ride of a lifetime with a former celebrity chauffeur.

Enjoying the rare (for the UK) sunny and cloudless day, some of us (Mattheus, Elio, Noah, and I) went to the beautiful Kew Gardens to explore a vast collection of exotic plants and walk among the treetops.

After a dinner of fancy Chinese food at the Royal China Club, thanks to the generosity of Felix’s family friends, some of us closed off the day with a concert featuring the prodigal multi-instrumentalist/vocalist and Grammy awardee Jacob Collier. This concert was particularly special because Collier is a Londoner; his fondness for the city certainly shone through his transcendent, jaw-dropping performance.

Thursday, June 16 – London Day 4 / Oxford Day 1

The Dins bid farewell to London this morning; we left the city moved by the kindness of the people we encountered there.

One train ride to Oxford later, we joined the Oxford Gargoyles, Oxford’s only co-ed jazz a cappella group, for a pizza picnic to fuel up for our evening gig. We both performed at Turf Pub, an establishment older than Harvard itself, to a crowd of rowdy university students—energy was high! After enjoying drinks at the pub and socializing with the Gargoyles, we headed to our Oxford student hosts’ dorm rooms for the night.

Switzerland

June 9th, Aarau Day 1

The Dins relished a homemade and robust breakfast of fruit, pastries, muesli, coffee, and crepes at the home of our Switzerland host, KJ. We then spent the afternoon touring Alte Kantonsschule Aarau (The Old Cantonal School, Aarau), which is a renowned institution that instructs students ages 16-20. After performing for the students, the Dins were introduced to their host families and students, and headed off to a beautiful garden party to enjoy some classic Swiss food and socialize with the host students. After that, it was off to our homestays for a well-deserved rest.

June 10th, Luzern & Zürich Day 2

KJ and a wonderful teacher from the Kantonsschule planned an incredible day full of sightseeing. The Dins began the day by boarding a train to Luzern, where they visited the Chapel Bridge and walked around the Old Town and its beautiful architecture. Then, Dins boarded a cruise boat to cross Lake Luzern, surrounded by bright teal waters and picturesque mountains. From there, Dins took a train car up Mount Rigi, relishing the stunning views overlooking the city and its surrounding natural beauty. Hiking the final stretch of the mountain, the Dins reached the peak and enjoyed a well-deserved snack. After a scenic journey to return to the base of the Rigi, Dins took a short train to Zürich and explored the city. In the evening, the Dins enjoyed an orchestral and choral concert at the newly-renovated Kongresshaus Theater.

June 11th, Aarau Day 3

The Dins spent today exploring Switzerland with their host families! Jay Hong, Samuel and a Mattheus went on an Alpine excursion to a lake called Oeschinensee. The water was startlingly clear (and they even managed to drink a little of it). WeTheylit a campfire and grilled some Swiss sausages, while sharing some chocolates too; then they went on a luge ride with some gorgeous scenery.

Other Dins remained closer to home. Hannah and her host ventured on a bike ride to a castle nearby. Elio and Samson went with their hosts on a local hike—the views were impeccable. Afterwards, Samson and Hannah met for drinks in charming downtown Aarau. Prices were not terribly expensive by Swiss standards—but the drinks °were° terribly good.

Meanwhile, AJ and their host went all the way to Basel. Their original plan was to visit the Kunstmuseum there, the oldest public art museum in the world, but a combination of sleeping in and accidentally getting on the wrong train left them a °tiny bit° strapped for time. Instead, they walked around the city and admired the architecture all around. There were two very cool art installations, too! After heading back to Aarau, Mila’s dad made three (!!!) different kinds of pasta for dinner. They ended off the day with a walk out to and along the Aare river, which, especially around golden hour, was quite picturesque.

June 12th, Unterlunkhofen Day 4

The day began with an early commute to KJ’s lovely home. There, we changed and prepared for our afternoon concert. KJ hosted a garden party for friends, family, and supporters of the Dins. It was an amazing event with beautiful hors d’oeuvres, good conversation and great vibes. The Dins performed for the crowd, which was great fun. We had the chance to say farewell to all our new Swiss friends—and we know we’ll remain in touch.

São Paulo, Brazil

June 6th, São Paulo Day 1

The Dins started off their stay in Jardins, São Paulo with a busy day! Some rose early for breakfast at a nearby cafe, which quickly became a favorite spot for many. Then, the Dins rode to St. Paul’s, a nearby British school, to do a singing workshop with kids ages 6-9, a performance for students, and a college information session with some of the older students and their parents. The homemade Brigadeiros provided by the parents were a big hit! The Dins then headed off to another performance in a beautiful space overlooking the city (see photos). The evening was spent enjoying dinner at Baretto, a famous jazz bar.

June 7th, São Paulo Day 2

The Dins enjoyed a relaxed morning, rising late and having a slow lunch at our new favorite cafe in Jardin. Some Dins headed to Ibirapuera Park, a beautiful urban park filled with food stands, trees, museums, and art. In the evening, the Dins were honored to perform at Baretto jazz club.

June 8th, Travel Day

Immediately following the Baretto performance, the Dins leapt into Ubers and headed to the GRU airport to board a 12 hour red-eye flight to Frankfurt. Landing at 4:40pm (Central European Time), Dins caught a train (well … a few trains and two buses) to Switzerland, arriving in Aarau around 2:30am. After around 48 hours of consecutive travel, the Dins were warmly welcomed with snacks and comfortable beds by our incredible Switzerland host.

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