The moment I landed in Vienna, I suddenly realized that I had not specifically decided on a place to meet my friend Manu, who had driven 1 1/2 hours just to pick me up. I grabbed my bag and walked into the arrival area of the airport. I couldn't see Manu anywhere, and I wondered if she was stuck in traffic or waiting for me somewhere else in the airport. A few minutes passed and then I spotted her coming towards me! What a great feeling to see her again. I met Manu while we were Au pairs in Seattle. She had suggested that I come to visit in her home town in Austria, and always being one to keep my word, I had arrived!
She drove us the 1 1/2 hours to get to her house and we had a well deserved catch up on all life's events! We pulled up to her house and I was feeling so tired from travelling. I walked into the door and I saw that she had made my bed and had a little welcoming present for me and had beautifully laid out a towel for me. I felt so welcomed that I was almost overcome with emotion! It was the best sight in the world when arriving at a new place. I slept so soundly.
The next morning over breakfast I caught up with Manu and her mother (who I had briefly met in Seattle), and her mother's friend. They live in a beautiful old farmhouse in the middle of the country. The house is interesting in design because from the roadside it is a large plain wall with a massive door. You open the door and there is a courtyard with four different conjoined buildings facing in. To the right was the main farmhouse where Manu's mother lived and where the kitchen and washing room etc was, but to the left of the courtyard Many had her own small house which had two rooms and a toilet, and across the courtyard was a stable and another house - a fully functional house where Manu's brother lived with his wife and three children. This type of building is very common in the Austrian farming communities, and I suppose it goes back to the time when farmhands would live in the complex with the farmer's family. Now, is a great way for these small towns to retain their young people, because they can have their own space living right beside their parents in their very own house.
Manu had arranged many things for us to do. We spent the morning walking around her town, even visiting a small, picturesque lake near her house. We walked home in time for a wonderful homemade meal that her mother had prepared. In Austria, traditionally lunch is the main meal of the day, so we had soup and then a main course of mashed potatoes, meatballs and salad (freshly picked from the garden!). It seemed like Manu's mother had been cooking all morning! (And she wouldn't even let me do the dishes!)
That afternoon we went to a nearby town and enjoyed ice cream in the sunshine. The town had a fountain designed by distinctive architect Hundertwasser, famous for his use of curvature and colour and who had also designed the public toilets in KawaKawa, New Zealand. We went on to a bear sanctuary that housed around 5 rescued bears that had been used and abused in Eastern Europe and Russia. The enclosures they had created for the bears were fantastic, and there were lots of hands on activities around the place for children to learn from.
After the bear sanctuary, Manu took me to the most interesting place. It was a small village which had been occupied by Hitler before WWII began. They used it as a military training site. They had basically kicked out all the villagers. The village was left empty for decades afterwards. We drove up as far as we could then continued on foot. The whole area seems off limits, and signs warn trespassers of legal prosecution – the signs specified that even the painting of pictures was prohibited. Unperturbed, we continued on. The village was now just a shell, just a few ruins of what once had been. We saw thick exterior walls which had been a school and other foundations. The only building that was standing was the church. It was eerie and completely empty inside. Not even a pew. To the back of the church was a graveyard. We walked around the graveyard and we walked around the church. Now, I am not one to feel scared, however, even I have to admit that there was something very strange about that place. It felt very very cold. It was a very peculiar feeling. However, that didn't stop us from trying to open the church doors to take a look inside. We found an opened door on the side and we stepped in. It was very still and quiet. A thick layer of white powdery dust coated the floor. There were a few debris around, a broken chair, an old broom – but apart from that it was completely empty. It felt very strange inside. I briefly walked around and then I was ready to leave. We quickly exited the door and made our way back to the car. We both looked at each other and described how we were feeling. We had both felt very cold and strange at that place. I don't know what the Nazis had done there, nor what the passage of time had stripped from that village, but I can tell you now I have never felt that way about a place before.
We drove away into a stunning sunset, feeling quite relieved to be leaving! We got home exhausted from a day of sightseeing and got into our pyjamas and watched movies all night.
The next morning, after a lovely breakfast of fresh fruits and breads, Manu took me to a cemetry of German soldiers from WWII. It was strange to be walking on the graves of Nazis. I couldn't help but think of all the inhuman things they inflicted on others, but at the same time I had mercy on them as well because they were victims too.
Manu then drove us to a large hill, which we climbed. It was an amazing view from the top, you could see for miles. We stopped there and had some soup for lunch. Manu took me to so many places. She drove for miles and miles! We visited all these interesting places – the largest egg house in the world, a motel made of beer barrels – all nestled in amongst a peaceful woodland scene. It was so lovely. We stopped by one more place – a beautiful lake, where we just lay on rocks and spoke of life and the future. Then we tore ourselves away and visited another city that afternoon and visited a castle and had a nice bakery treat, then a drink in an upmarket bar.
When we got home we decided to do another movie night – it was just what I felt like! We snuggled up in our beds with some chocolate and laughed and laughed. It was such a great chance to hang out and relax! I loved it.
The next day was time for me to go. I begrudgingly packed up all my things into my bag (Manu's mother had very kindly washed and folded all my laundry!) and said goodbye. Manu drove me all the way to Stockerau where I caught a train on to Vienna. I was so thrilled that I had gone and visited Manu, it was another experience of mindboggling generosity and also just plain fun!
No comments:
Post a Comment