ABBEY AT MELK
Melk
is one of the charming little villages along the Danube. Its monastery is huge
and therefore needs money to sustain itself. Its church is full out Baroque
with gold and marble in abundance. Still, seeing all the attention to treasure
seems a bit out of balance? Many of the treasures (for example, jewel encrusted
chalices) were gifts of folks like The Hapsburg Royalty who appreciated the
monks’ hospitality en route to and from Vienna. Maria Teresa was one such
guest. The monks believed these beautiful objects were a bit of heaven on
earth. Our guide reported that “Centuries ago, the people believed Jesus was
God.” Accurate enough, but rather final, I thought! Another group’s guide used
to study to be a monk; quite a contrast of faith? Thirty monks live here. In addition
to teaching 300 local children and teens, they serve as parish priests to 23
churches.
Blessed
with a gorgeous day, we cruised along admiring the various castles and ruins
along the river. The Ottoman Turks made life difficult for the locals in this
area as shown by several castles in ruins that were destroyed during their
invasion. A reminder that conflicts with the middle east go back centuries.
Woods surround us. We walked through them on
the way back to our ship. Wachau Valley earns its scenic reputation. A sunny ride down the Danube to Vienna and an excellent meal was a nice culmination to our day.
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