Chris you called it!!!



For those of you that don't know, my uncle chris kept teasing me before we left that Richy (A long time friend, my uncle jordan's best friend, and neighbor growing up) will get engaged while we are in Vienna. We ran into some rings in one of the palaces and couldn't help it!!



Two weeks ago Wednesday we left for Salzburg (where the sound of music was). On the way, we stopped at Mauthausen, a concentration camp. I couldn’t believe the suffering that people were put through. Over 100,000 people were killed there! While I was walking through the gas chambers in the basement, I could still feel the evil down there. I had the most strong horrible feeling come over me and had to get outside.
After that, I went to the rock quarry where they were forced to carry huge granite blocks on their backs, up hundreds of stairs. It is now been overgrown and is so beautiful with waterfalls, flowers, and green trees.

It amazed me what God can do, turning something so horrible and evil into such a beautiful place. It gave me comfort, showing me that they are in such a better place now. Going to the camp was a very good experience, but I hope that I will never have to see that again!!
After the gloominess, we traveled for another couple of hours and finally arrived in Salzburg. The first thing that we did lifted everyone’s spirits. We went to a place called Hellbrunn, a place that was created 400 years ago by an archbishop that really liked to have fun. Trick fountains! As you can see, they still work!


All of the girls in front of the Sound of Music Gazebo. I am 19, going on 20... on thursday!!!!




The hotel that we stayed at can be documented back before Columbus!! Man, Salzburg is gorgeous! Even though the town is hundreds of years old, there are still a lot of open fields and green land. There are trees everywhere.

The first evening that we were in Salzburg, a couple of us went wandering and came upon Mirabella Gardens, just as the sun was setting. It was beautiful. Then to top that off, there was an Austrian orchestra playing in the middle!

I went on a hike with some of the girls in my group and we ended up on the top of a hill that overlooked the city, with the Alps as a backdrop. We could hear all of the many church bells ringing (which im guessing about 15 different churches every hour!) and the meadow that we were sitting in was full of flowers. I really felt like I was in the sound of music!


Eating on the patio of a delicious restaurant..

We also went to a marionette show of The Magic Flute, as well as a salt mine where we had to wear big white suits and got to slide down huge wooden slides!

On the way home, we stopped in a very small city called St. Wolfgang. It was the most beautiful place that I have ever seen!!! It was on a huge lake in the Alps, with green everywhere, and small very old Swedish-looking buildings. It is a place that I really do hope to visit again.
Eating a scone in St. Wolfgangs, flowers and all!!