A blog post by Trish Irvine, Spring 2010
Sometimes in our quest to “experience Europe” we neglect to experience Austria. Of course, we spend much of our time here due to studies, but it seems to be an oasis of Americanain the midst of Austria. We race to Vienna and Salzburg to explore the depth of history there when it is truly surrounding us every moment at the Kartause. It doesn’t make sense to only see the big cities of a country—I would be insulted if someone said they had experienced the USwhen they only visited New York City. In the past week I have been able to experience three different events that have helped me see the beauty of Austria in a setting much closer to home.
A family that I do Ministry to Moms for took me to the farm of a couple they know. I had mentioned in my application that I live on a farm and enjoyed it, so the family promised to take me to their friends’ farm sometime. I walked into their house one evening and it was announced that today was the day we were going to the farm. A couple of the kids were sick so only part of the family went.
When we arrived at the farm it was to see a tall man wave at us and greet us warmly. His name was Tony and he asked if I spoke German. I was sad to inform him that I didn’t. Soon, his wife Krista came out and introduced herself. She speaks English quite well whereas Tony speaks a little bit. There were times when it didn’t matter that Tony and I couldn’t verbally communicate—he smiled so much that I felt he must be such a beautiful man when we had barely spoken. They kindly invited us to see their farm and then asked us in for drinks. Setting a tray of dessert on the table, they encouraged us to partake. When the tea was ready, they served it to us and then Tony offered some schnapps to us.
The kitchen was warm and bright. It wasn’t like I had imagined because I hadn’t thought to imagine anything, but it seemed to be everything an Austrian home should be. Good conversation that was a mingling of three different languages (Slovak, German, and English) with a warm atmosphere was more than delightful. In the end, I left the farm with a large smile on my face; I had encountered the ‘real’ Austria and not the part that is shown to the tourists. The kindness of the people was genuine and heartfelt. It was hard to imagine that for months I had lived so close to such people while never encountering them.
Mariazell
On Saturday the school gave us the option to hike to Mariazell, the most visited Marian shrine in central Europe. The hiking route takes six to eight hours to complete on average and winds along beautiful Austrian scenery. I got different figures depending on the time and the person, but the hike was around 13-16 miles, although I am apt to say the longer figure is correct because it sounds better. The scenery we walked through was beautiful—mountains with trees surrounding a winding river that roared at points and babbled at others. Besides the splendor of the hike was getting to know people I was walking with. It was also interesting to pray the rosary in as many languages as we knew as we walked. The beauty of the weather was also perfect—cool enough to not be overheated but warm enough to wear short-sleeves.
There were definitely portions of the hike that were more difficult than others but in the end the challenge of the hike was the distance. I was proud to complete the entire hike without taking a shuttle for the latter portion. When we finally reached Mariazell, our feet were sore but we felt accomplished. After we had been there for a while the bus arrived with the non-hikers. I couldn’t help but envy them as they looked all bright and fresh after a mere hour bus ride. Yet I definitely wouldn’t trade the experience I had of hiking and conversing with my classmates.
When someone at home asks me how Austria was, I would like to be able to say more than “Good” before launching into how the other countries were. Austria is more than just the home of Gaming or our starting/ending point for European travels. Austria, for four beautiful months, was our home. The hike to Mariazell allowed me to see more of the country I have lived in and experience the devotion of the people.
On Sunday, April 18th, the Gaming community joined with the Kartause community to help raise money for Haiti. Although it was definitely a wonderful event for the people of Haiti who will benefit from the donations, it was also good for the students as well. It was nice to walk around and hear the meshing of languages. The dancing portion of the event, where different people were able to showcase different dances, was interesting. The Austrian slap dancers set everyone into fits of laughter and the LCI (Language and Catechetical Institute) students from China relaxed us with a demonstration of Tai Chi. It was wonderful to see the different groups that helped pitched in from both communities to make the event possible. A close tie was watching Fr. Ron walk around, admiring everything and commenting on the role everyone played in the event.
All of these events increased my appreciation for the country of Austria and more specifically the area surrounding Gaming. The town of Gaming isn’t a place that would attract much attention; there are many other places in Austria filled with beauty and history. Yet Gaming has been my home for nearly four months and has a special place in my heart. The combination of these events helped me see more of Gaming, experience the ‘real’ Austria, and feast my eyes on beauty everywhere. Gradually my thankfulness is growing to encompass more fully the ‘down time’ spent here in Austria; the time spent not traveling to other countries but staying close by. With a semester full of wonderful memories, some of the most unforgettable experiences were here in Gaming.
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