Heading home, October 28

Waking after only 3-4 hours' sleep, everyone brings their luggage and instruments downstairs, past the musical mural in the hotel lobby. The management has kindly opened the breakfast buffet two hours early so we can get a quick bite before our 6:45 departure. Almost too sleepy to appreciate it, we find another musical mural in the dining room... We've just spent a very short night in a very appropriate hotel!




















Going outside to load into the bus for the last time, we see the aqueduct and the city are beautiful before dawn too.

By the time we complete check-in at Barajas Airport, including a long wait to have Sarah S's cello loaded as special baggage, it's just about time to board our flight to Frankfurt. In Frankfurt, we have a layover of 4 hours, so some shopping gets done in the duty-free stores, plus a lot of sleepy sitting around at the gate for our Toronto flight. Calum and Nurhan appear to have invited Andras' cello to join their conversation with Praise and Andras, while Sarah S and EunA just wait patiently.

There are hugs and congratulations at the Pearson baggage claim, then everyone goes their separate ways. But only until time to rehearse for our November 12 concert at Glenn Gould Studio... so hasta pronto!