Summer Fun at the Mondsee

Besides being one of the warmest lakes in Austria, the Mondsee is famous to Americans for being the site of the "wedding scene" in the wildly popular musical, The Sound of Music.

On our way back from Salzburg and Munich, we made a stop at the Mondsee to celebrate Mass, and enjoy a feast--both literally and metaphorically. We did indeed feast on roast pork, austrian dumplings, soup, salad, and strudel, but we also feasted on the beautiful but cool water of the crystal-clear, drinking-water quality lake.

The weather happened to be beautiful as well so enjoy the pictures below:

The Three Kings: House Blessing

With all 167 new students here in Gaming, the place is abuzz with meetings and preparations for the beginning of the semester.

With all these administrative items going on, I thought I would report on a beautiful custom here in Austria regarding the 3 kings.

Around the Feast of the Epiphany, locals dress up in costumes resembling the Three Kings who came to adore and worship Jesus 2000 years ago. These look-alikes go around to all the homes here in Gaming, blessing the homes (See pictures with white numbers on the top of the door) and seeking monetary donations to alleviate world poverty.