Comments From Paul Tapp

Dear Friends,

It is with great pleasure and excitement that I invite you to join me on an 11 day Splendors of Eastern Europe tour with a once in a lifetime opportunity to attend the world famous Passion Play in 2010 in Oberammergau, Germany. The Villagers of Oberammergau first performed P Tapp 05

the play in 1634 in fulfillment of their promise to God for sparing them from the Black Plague. It has been presented there every 10 years since then. The modern play takes place on an open-air stage with a covered auditorium seating 4,700. With a total cast of one thousand, the play boasts 130 speaking parts and hundreds of smaller parts. To be eligible for a role, the person must have either been born in Oberammergau or lived there 20 years. What a rare, if not unique, experience this will be for all who have dreamed of seeing this historic presentation!

In addition to our time spent in Oberammergau, we will have the opportunity to enjoy a visit to Prague, the beautiful 1000-year-old capital of the Czech Republic situated on the banks of the Vlatava River, the setting of Smetana’s tone poem, “The Moldau”, and home of both Smetana and Dvorak. We will visit Budapest, Hungary’s enchanting capital on the Danube River with its rich musical heritage including Bartok, Kodaly and Liszt. In Vienna, Austria’s elegant city with an old world ambience, we are in the land of Strauss, Mozart and Beethoven. The scenery is absolutely spectacular as we travel through the plains and valleys of the magnificent Eastern European countryside including Linz and Salzburg, the home of the Von Trapp Family. We conclude our tour in Munich, the capital of Bavaria. The points of interest are very diverse spotlighting historical places and natural wonders. Yes, we will stop for a brief visit to Mad King Ludwig’s famous “Disney” castle, Neuschwanstein, and the beautiful Baroque “Church in the Meadow” in Bavaria.

The price of the tour includes round-trip airfare from Dallas, first class/select hotels, the possibility of staying in private homes or pensions in Oberammergau, most meals, admission tickets for the Passion Play, the services of a professional tour director and sightseeing in a deluxe motorcoach.

I look forward to having you join me along with other Traveling Tigers in this trip of a lifetime. It promises to be a wonderful experience for all with time to enjoy the fellowship of old friends and new. Nawas International Travel is making the arrangements for us and has earned a reputation for reliability and excellence in their 59 years of business.

While the year 2010 seems a long way away, NOW is the time to make plans and reserve your place on the tour as space is limited at the moment to only 32. This experience has been compared to seeing the Olympics on location. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to see the Passion Play and immerse yourself in the history, culture and remarkable scenery of Eastern Europe…and all in the best of company, friends of East Texas Baptist University!

Sincerely,
Paul Tapp
Director of Alumni Relations