Carter Ramblings Graz: Orientierung Teil 2

The Austrian Fulbright Commission was kind enough to host a trip through the Wachau region of Austria on our final day of orientation. We left Vienna around 8 amidst the finest weather one could have asked for. Sun, blue skies, and a welcoming breeze heralded what would be a perfect day in practically every way (2:52).

Our first destination was the "Stift Melk" or rather the Melk abbey which has a long and interesting history. It was originally a fortress during the time of the house of Babenberg, Austria's first royal family. The center of power was later donated to the catholic church and converted into an Abbey which it remains today. The current baroque facade was constructed in the 18th century and is, might I add, a particularly beautiful example of that style. As you can see in the photos, no expense was spared on ornamentation and grandeur. A piece of heaven on earth, so zu sagen. Our tour through the imperial quarters featured many interesting artifacts and relics from the history of the Abbey including the jawbone of some saint (I forgot the name) and an extensive collection of illuminated manuscripts. Among the manuscripts were examples of early musical notation which looks something like 4 horizontal lines filled with black squares and scribbled gestures to show the direction of the voice part.
The tour ended in the church which is huge and ornately decorated. The focus so much detail from the intricacies of the painted ceiling down the the little angels carved into the wooden pews. One is washed in florid hues of pink, yellow, and white with enough gold leaf to make Solomon blush. By far the most intriguing aspect of the church was the presence of mummified bodies on display. Not only was this poor guy placed in a glass coffin in a church for everyone to see, but he was laid in this awkward pose with his elbow bent back to support his head on this hand, looking out at everyone on his side. You know, that tempting way people lay when they're saying "how you doin." Only in this case he's saying, "can someone please move my arm down, I've got a 600 year old cramp." It's amazing the poor guy doesn't fall apart.

The tour of the abbey ended just in time for lunch to begin at an inn in the town below. What was on the menu? Pistachio soup, boiled beef, some regional form of sauerkraut, and this vanilla cream sauce that I only describe as heavenly for desert. In addition to this I had a beer which set me in an excellent mood along with my table mates, who also had beer. It's good to be around people of a similar sense of humor, we tend to get carried away. If I told everyone the things we were laughing about, most people would squinch their eyes and just not find it funny. Maybe it's because we're a little nerdy...ok, a lot.

After lunch we hopped aboard a riverboat and made our way down the Danube toward the picturesque wine producing village of Dürnstein. The journey along the vineyard speckled river was gorgeous. The Carolina blue tower of the Dürnstein abbey, which sits on the edge of the Danube, came into view. The town itself is very small catering primarily to a small wining industry and tourists. I think the two go hand in hand. We were scheduled for a private wine tasting. It was all very pretentious. We were herded into an old wine cellar with modern "scene" lighting and given 7 different kinds of wine to "taste." Needless to say, we were having a great time. While in good spirits :-), we decided to march to the castle lying on the hill above Dürnstein. Breathlessly reaching the top, we gladly laid about the ruins while starring down at the Wachau and the Danube. By this point the sun was on its way down and we were all reminiscing about what we had seen throughout the day.

The final event of the day was unplanned. We should have said goodbye to each other upon arrival in Vienna however, philadelphia was in air and we decided to grab dinner together. A restaurant serving Austrian food was suggested and everyone agreed. The specially at this restaurant? Pig knuckles! Yes, we ordered it and I ate it. It was good. If you like fat back you'd love this particular dish. In addition to the seared fat there was a healthy layer of meat underneath for everyone to naw at. I left the restaurant fattened and fulfilled.

As anyone who has ever traveled can tell you, no trip is perfect. However, I might argue that this was one of the more perfect excursions I've ever had. Sure, I didn't have to stress about the money. Yes, wine makes anything better. But take all of that away and I'm left with a great experience among some of the smartest and most humble group of students that I had known in quite some time. In addition, the staff of the Austrian Fulbright Commission should heartily be thanked for meticulously planning our days events.