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From the Hapsburg palace we went straight to the Vienna Arbitration Court. We got an amazing reception with more food than we could ever eat. After a two hour presentation, we were let loose to explore all that is Vienna.

Our first adventure was trying to get 12 people on the right train to the right train station with the right tickets. An hour later, we found the Wombat’s hostel and went through the madness of figuring out what, where and when. Andrew, Jeff, Charlie, Karisa, Lauren and I shared a 6 bunk dorm with one bathroom. Talk about an experience!

That night, we headed to one of the famous Viennese wine caves. It was more a garden than a cave but it was great nonetheless. We drank lots of viennese wine and ate 10 pounds of cheese. It was a great relaxing night that culminated in the underground bar of the Wombat’s hostel drinking whynattes, break dancing, and singing along to Outkast and David Bowie.

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The next day we explored as much of Vienna as we could before the torrential rains came again.
We went to St. Stephens, shopped at the biggest H&M I’ve ever seen, and walked around the museums and the in-town palaces. My favorite part, however, was the city market.

Two enormous blocks of vegetable, meat, fish, cheese, and whatever you can imagine stands. It was an absolute dream! We ate at the best little Asian place and bought a pound of almonds for the road.

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Although we made it to the bus on time, the bus was an hour late…and it just turned out to be the wettest hour of our trip.

Our trip to Vienna was a quick but very fun one. On our way to the court, we stopped at the Hapsburg’s summer palace for the morning. Many people were thrilled about it because it was raining. I, on the other hand, loved it! I could have spent two days exploring every inch of that place!

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The girls went on their own to explore the gardens and get food. I joined another group and decided to spend my time touring the inside of the castle.

The palace was magnificent. Not only was it beautiful, but it was oozing history. From the Empress Maria Theresa, to Franz Joseph, to Sissy, to Napoleon, to the last of the Hapsburg dynasty, every room had a story to tell. It was a dream for me! To see where they sat, where they worked, and where they slept. And to top it all, to be surrounded by the most amazing works of art spanning all ages and styles. The ballroom was magnificent. Here were held meetings and treaties that changed the world. Unfortunately, no pictures were allowed.

After the tour, we headed straight for the Apple Struddel demonstration. We were very warmly greeted when we walked in and ushered to the very front of the stage. Giant pieces of struddle and fresh brewed lattes were waiting for us. We wasted no time trying the Viennese dessert…and they wasted no time figuring out we weren’t the Russian group they were waiting for. It was hilarious…and although they moved us from our prime view, we got to keep the life sized sweets while everyone else received a bite sized piece of struddle.

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It was raining cats and dogs by the time we got out. However, we were not deterred to explore the gardens. By the end, we looked like drowned rats…but we were happy drowned rats! The gardens were awesome: beautifully manicured and expanding as far as the eye could see. There was a zoo, a maze, rose gardens, overlooking towers… you name it!

I can’t imagine actually living here before all the tourists arrived!

The LORD said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood cries to me from the ground. - Genesis 4:10
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Before leaving for Europe, my friends and family asked if I planned on going to any of the concentration camps. Knowing how difficult the experience would be, I was unable to answer with any certainty in either the affirmative or negative. In light of events and comments seen and heard on the trip, I felt a certain sense of obligation to go to Mauthausen; an obligation to bear witness and to say Kaddish for the est. 150,000 lives lost.
We were dropped off at the category 3 camp’s infamous stairs of death- 186 narrow and steep stairs where innocent people fell to their deaths while carrying granite boulders atop their emaciated backs- cut into an otherwise picturesque cliff overlooking a granite quarry. Atop the cliff are numerous memorial sculptures representing the countries of the fallen (Poland, Russia, Hungary, The Netherlands, etc.) and the general Jewish population.
The rest of the camp exists as it was left after being liberated in 1945. A few dilapidated barracks face the gas chambers and crematoria where the original ovens remain. The gravel path between the buildings has not changed since the weak were taken naked into the freezing temperature and covered in water before being left to die from exposure to the bitter Austrian winters.
A museum containing images from Mauthausen and other camps, uniforms, personal belongings, and Shoah inspired drawings elaborates on the atrocities of life in the camps. As it was captioned in German, we relied on the pictures and our greatest fears to fill in the sickening and tear- producing details.
Before leaving I found myself reciting the Kaddish in front of the Jewish children’s memorial and thought that no matter how many times I said the words, I would never be able to pay tribute to all of the souls whose lives were lost at Mauthausen. I will carry my experience with me and share what I learned with those willing to listen. The tragedy of the Shoah must never be forgotten.
~ Lauren ~

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these were memorials built outside the concentration camp after liberation by the countries of those whose nationals perished here

taking pictures inside didn’t quite feel right

After the weekend in Prague, most of us were ready to be home- Linz home at least. When Lanier told us we had a 2 hour stop to make, you could hear the grumbling through the bus. Oh! Were we in for a surprise!

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We came to Krumlov through roads that masked what was waiting for us. Even the parking lot was unassuming. We trudged slowly through down the hill to be greeted by a magnificent castle with hand painted walls, beautiful spires and a walled city reminiscent of a Disney fairy tale. Once a sleepy town- a little hidden secret of the Czech country side- Krumlov had become a favorite tourist destination. In its day, it was built by the Hapsburgs for the Rosenbergs…if my memory serves me right, to promote Catholicism in the area. The empire gone, tourism helped the town boom and now it has more restaurants than inhabitants. Around the castle the moat is guarded by three bears who don’t look very threatening as they play with empty beer barrels and the hour is often marked by trumpeters from the highest tower.

It was a nice little distraction from what we had experienced in the morning and a pleasant surprise. It made for fun pictures and lots of ice cream for dessert!

Our last morning in Prague was once again a rainy one. Nevertheless, we had already decided to go to the Synagogues and Jewish cementery and the weather was not going to deter us. Since we had limited time we went to one of the synagogues, the cementery and one of the museums. There was so much to see it was hard to choose.

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The synagogue was amazing. It was huge and somber. As you walked in, you were met by the names of those Czech Jews that perished during the holocaust…thousands upon thousands of names etched on the walls of room after room. There were so many it was hard to focus on each wall and its individual inhabitants… you just had to take it all in in its immensity. More touching still was the children’s art exhibit on the second floor of the synagogue. Overlooking the actual sanctuary, they had displayed hundreds of drawings made by children in the Prague ghetto and in subsequent concentration camps. It was a program designed by Jewish elders to help the youngest victims deal with their tragedy. You could see the suffering in their images sometimes overwhelmed by their innocent hope in their color palettes. Scenes of death in vibrant colors…families with empty spots…and the occasional train station scene. The ones whose authors were known often had a photograph attached…and to me, seeing those faces was the hardest part…their faces and their date of death…it was hard for me to hold back the tears.

I attribute my emotional reactions to the fact that I see those 8 and 9 year old faces and I realize they were someone’s brother or sister. I think of Thomas- the light of my eyes- and it kills me to think other children like him had to endure so very much. I can’t imagine the helplessness of those adults around them…the sisters that had to say goodbye. All I wanted to do was call home. Talk to my little brother…kiss him…hug him…and tell him how much I adore him. Promise him that I would always remember what I had seen today and that I would fight that hatred that brought this tragedy with all the love I could muster. I know he wouldn’t understand…but in my heart, I made him that promise.

The Jewish cementery was also a pretty impressive site. It was grimly beautiful with its 12,000 headstones…crooked and haphazardly bumped together by the shifting soil as layer upon layer was built over hundreds of years. Even before the Nazi years, Prague had suffered through many anti-semitic leaders. They confined Jewish inhabitants to their Ghetto and allowed them only this place to bury their death. Because of Jewish traditions, this meant the cementery added layers instead of lots every time it was full to create more space. As it grew into a small mountain, headstones shifted and met each other to form what it is today. Although my knowledge of Jewish history is limited at best, I learned of many important personalities that were buried here and their very interesting stories. Lauren was a good teacher which made the experience that much more meaningful.

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We left Prague on a somber note…matching the gray of the weather.

Up bright and early at 8:00am, we had breakfast at the hotel and headed for the castle. The Aureus Clavis was strategically located next to the castle and therefore was only two blocks up the hill. Even at 9:00am the grounds were bustling with people of every nationality, age, and interest. There were those who were only there for the view and others who wanted to learn all about the defenestration of Prague. I was torn between the two categories which meant I had to break off from the group and do things at my own pace. The girls went shopping at Old Town, and I stayed to climb the 287 steps to the top of the cathedral.

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The castle was pretty cool, although a little more time for commentary and historical background would have been nice. I did get to go to the room where all of Prague’s not so popular leaders have been thrown from the window. I made it a point to stay away from those.

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I met Renee outside and we went to meet the girls for lunch. Since Czech food didn’t seem to satisfy anyone’s palate, we once again opted for pizza. At this point, I’m not quite sure what we are going to eat in Italy, since it’s all we seem to eat everywhere else. From there, our diverse interests again split us up. Some went to the Communist Museum while Lauren and I opted for Mucha. I didn’t know much about him before, but I left extremely impressed. There, we got the 50% off tickets for the Kafka museum which turned out to be my absolute favorite attraction in Prague.

Starting with the Men-relieving-themselves statute in the front of the museum, the whole place is an experience. It was incredibly interesting to see his life, learn about his background, and get an insight into his thoughts. It made me want to go home and read or re-read all his books. If I only had time to read something other than a casebook!

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That evening we took it easy. We walked around old town looking for a pub and ended up drinking a glass of wine on a side street cafe. The place was completely overpriced but in a great location for people watching. The weather was really chilly so they had blankets for everyone to use which definitely made it hard to not order a second drink and spend the remainder of the evening there. Our wallets won that battle and we decided to call it a night around 11pm or so.

We left for Prague on Friday morning with very high expectations and a very rainy forecast. The city itself is beautiful but we didn’t find it to be as stunning as Budapest. What we decided is that Budapest is a city to visit, and Prague is a city to live in. It was just impossible to even begin to unravel all the layers that are Praha in a day and a half.

The arbitration court was once again first on the agenda. The Court is housed in a beautiful palace with imposing chandeliers and matching wall hangings and curtains. Absolutely beautiful to the last detail. The President of the court was our host and since he has been working there since 1949 had very many things to say. I personally found it very interesting. However, I can’t disagree with the fact that the room was extremely hot, there was no air circulation, and the talk was about 2.5 hours too long.

Our hotel, the Aureus Clavis, was very cool. It was all Ikea furnished so it looked very modern and slick. The only down side is that they only gave us one key per room, which made for some creative thinking so we could all do what we wanted and none of us get locked out of the room.

The group had planned a dinner cruise, and since we had had such a great experience in Budapest, we decided to join. Unfortunately, it wasn’t quite what we expected. Fortunately, someone had ran into our friend Renee on the street and told her where to meet us. She goes
to Georgia State with us and is spending the month in Prague studying International Environmental law. What are the chances we would run into her half way across the world!!

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The food was not so great- except for the potato wedges which were delicious- and the drinks were overpriced. Nevertheless, it was really fun to finally hang out with a large group of people and not have to worry about losing people or deciding where to go. Professor Samuels, my new favorite law school professor of all time, joined us, too. He is an amazing teacher with very interesting stories. It was very cool to see someone so young who has accomplished so much. In a way, it’s a vindication that it is possible for someone like me to accomplish the things I want to do- as ambitious as they may seem.

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While most every one went to the Biggest Club in Europe to dance, Lauren, Renee and I decided 5 stories of sweaty people wasn’t what we wanted and instead decided to wonder in search of a cozy pub. Instead, we found some of Renee’s classmates from her program who dragged us to another (much more civilized) club called Duplex. As I was STARVING from our lack of digestible food on Sloppy (the boat), I braved the street cart foods of Budapest and ended eating the largest hot dog in the world. I’m not kidding, it was a foot and a half long!!

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Duplex was really cool, although we were all too exhausted to enjoy it. So after a drink, we headed for home and our very very comfortable Ikea beds.

Since our time in Linz proper is quickly running out and since the Ars Electronica and Lentos Museum came with raving reviews we opted for having a cultural and educational afternoon.

While I didn’t have very high expectations of Ars Electronica, it didn’t disappoint. The place is an amazing collection of innovative ideas and digital technology. The best of the best around the world compete every year for the Prix Ars Electronica (think along Oscar lines) and their projects are something else. We went into a virtual reality cave, flew around Linz suspended from the ceiling, played video games on the ground against light, and created our very own virtual world. My favorite thing was a pink projection screen that could be programmed to react in different ways. You could make music and create light shows by simply arranging shapes and shadows against the screen. Hard to describe, absolutely incredible to see!

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For a more traditional (although not so traditional) experience, we went to the Lentos Kunstmuseum to check out the futuresystems : rare moments exhibit. A beautiful structure sitting on the side of the Danube, the museum houses contemporary art, including a very interesting temporary exhibit of the future of art: visual and auditory ranges mixed together to create an artistic experience. Perhaps the coolest exhibit was that of french artist Celeste Boursier-Mougenot. The entrance to the exhibit is a strobed red tunnel (which has been scientifically proven to keep birds away). Inside you find a “self-sufficient Eco system and a complex ethnological theater” for over 30 zebra finches. The birds are free to fly around and often land on strategically placed electric guitars which are linked to an audio system. The room is filled with the music of their singing, interacting with each other, and choosing where to rest. It is an amazing sight!

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The best part of the museum, though, was the cafe! Karisa and I split the most delicious banana split in the entire planet! Best of all, it was free (our city pass included a 10EUR voucher)!!