Category Archives: Architecture

Melk Abbey

All my photos are from the outside areas of the abbey. We did tour several indoor rooms as well as the library and church. No photos were allowed inside the museum, library or church.

Stift Melk (Melk Abbey) is a renowned Benedictine monastery in Austria, located on a rocky outcrop overlooking the Danube River. Founded in 1089, it is a significant, UNESCO-listed Baroque architectural masterpiece that operates as an active monastery, school, and cultural center. The term Stift means abbey or foundation, and it represents a major center of faith and history.

The history of Austria is closely connected with the history of Melk Abbey. Some of the first rulers of Austria, the margraves Heinrich, Adalbert and Ernst are buried in the collegiate church. Also buried there is the first patron saint of the Babenbergs, St. Koloman, who was the patron saint of the country until the 17th century.

Melk Abbey is one of the most beautiful and largest unified Baroque ensembles in Europe. Its magnificent architecture is known worldwide and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The baroque building (1702 – 1739) on a rock above the Danube is one of the most visited art-historical sites in Austria.

Known for its active Benedictine community following the motto of Ora et Labora et Lege (pray, work, and learn).

The italicized parts of my posts are information from the Melk Abbey website.

Our group from the river cruise were divided into two groups and we were the only folk at the Abbey at this point in the late afternoon. Our group went through the Abbey last and our tour guide locked up each room as we exited the room.

The Prelate’s Courtyard forms a trapezoid, 275 ft. long and 138 ft. wide. On the cornices on each of the four sides are statues of apostles and prophets. In the center of each cornice is an area framed by a round arch. These originally contained Baroque frescos by Franz Rosenstingl but, unable to be restored, were replaced recently (1988) with more contemporary forms by Peter Bischof and Helmut Krumpel.

The four murals in the courtyard represent four virtues: Prudence, Justice, Fortitude, and Temperance.

The four murals in the courtyard represent four virtues: Prudence, Justice, Fortitude, and Temperance.

Time to walk up all those stairs to our bus that would take us back to the AmaMagna for dinner. We turned right at the stairs and took the elevator instead.

This was the night we were slated for a smaller dinner group in the Al Fresco Restaurant and I’ll share that dinner event in another post.

Dürnstein, Austria

On Tuesday March 3rd we had a one hour walking tour of the little town of Durnstein before we continued by bus to Melk Abbey. I’m breaking up the posts on this day because of photo overload.

You could tell our tour guide has been doing this tour for a long time. Her younger sister was also another tour guide.

Dürnstein (German pronunciation: [ˈdʏʁnˌʃtaɪ̯n]) is a small town on the Danube river in the Krems-Land district, in the Austrian state of Lower Austria. It is one of the most-visited tourist destinations in the Wachau region and also a well-known wine growing area

The town gained its name from the medieval Dürnstein castle, which overlooked it. The castle’s name derived from the German duerr/dürr, meaning “dry”, and Stein, “stone”. The stone castle was dry because it was located on a rocky hill, high above the damp conditions of the Danube at the base of the hill. The modern town stands between the castle and the river.

Dürnstein was first mentioned in 1192 when, in the castle above the town, King Richard I of England was held captive by Leopold V, Duke of Austria, after their dispute during the Third Crusade. Richard the Lionheart had offended Leopold the Virtuous by casting down his standard from the walls at the Battle of Acre, and the duke suspected that King Richard ordered the murder of his cousin Conrad of Montferrat in Jerusalem. In consequence Pope Celestine III excommunicated Leopold for capturing a fellow crusader. The duke finally gave custody of the king to Henry VI, Holy Roman Emperor, who imprisoned Richard at Trifels Castle.

 

I don’t know if this is the kind of Copy Right I would want to market with. The chocolate covered treats and the apricot bits were good, though.

I enjoyed the signs for the shops and restaurants.

Interesting architecture and the cobbled streets were distinct.

In the vibrant heart of Dürnstein, our estate stands proudly, nestled beside the historic town hall and set against the tranquil backdrop of the lightly traveled village street. A charming courtyard leads you up a stone staircase into the embrace of an ancient gem, built in 1453. On the first floor, you will find cozy guest rooms with private bathrooms and modern TVs, as well as direct access to a dreamy garden paradise. Here, after an eventful day, you can unwind in an oasis of tranquility or lose track of time while savoring a fine glass of wine.

This little town boasts a 5 star hotel, Hotel Schloss Durnstein. Entrance to the courtyard above.

I posted several photos in another post of this blue tower when we passed it earlier on this day. While we were in Durnstein we didn’t walk to this former monastery but after the fact we realized it was a big part of historic Durnstein.

History of Stift Dürnstein

Stift Dürnstein was founded in 1410 as an Augustinian Canons monastery. It was part of a larger spiritual and religious network that played a significant role in the medieval region. However, Dürnstein was already famous by the 11th century, particularly due to the imprisonment of Richard the Lionheart, who was held captive in the nearby castle of Dürnstein.

The monastery experienced its golden age in the 18th century when it was rebuilt in the Baroque style. Under the direction of renowned Baroque architects Jakob Prandtauer and Joseph Munggenast, the monastery was transformed into the magnificent structure seen today. The distinctive blue-and-white church tower, visible from afar, has become one of the iconic landmarks of the Wachau Valley.

In 1788, the monastery was secularized, and the Augustinian Canons left. Today, the monastery serves as a venue for cultural events and is a popular destination for visitors eager to explore its rich history and Baroque splendor.

We headed back to the bus for our trip to Melk Abbey Visit. After our visit to Melk we would be bused to the AmaMagna that was now docked in Melk. We would reach the boat in time for dinner and on this night we were scheduled to enjoy the Chef’s Table.

Leaving Budapest

Our boat set on it’s cruising course on the evening of Sunday March 1st. The captain let us know when we would be traveling past the Parliament building so we could get the night time photos. It was during our dinner that we sailed past.

Below is a fold out map of the parts of the Danube that we would be traveling on.

Our first stop would be at Bratislava, Slovakia.

We would then cruise beyond Vienna to Melk, Linz and Grein returning to Vienna for a two night stay before we returned to Budapest.

On this first evening on board we had a welcome cocktail with the captain of the ship for his mandatory safety briefing.

For our cruise the heads of the departments were from Spain, Romania, Indonesia, Serbia, Bulgaria, Poland, and the Philippines. During our briefing we met some of the heads.

Dinner on the first night was open seating and we sat at a table of eight and enjoyed learning about the different people we ate with.

Most days breakfast was from 7:30 – 9:30 with a bistro option from 6:30am-10:30am for early or late risers.

Lunch was served from 12:30 until 2:00

Dinner was from 7:00-8:30 (some evenings dinner started later when excursions were longer)

There was a sip and sail cocktail hour every evening and after dinner entertainment, too.

Late night snacks were available each evening.

On this first night of our journey I woke and looked at my phone to see what time it was. It was 2am and I noticed a message from our credit card company about possible fraud on my card. After a call to the credit card company to verify that I did not make the charge, I was advised to destroy my card and they would issue me a new one. What a bother that was so early into our trip. Thankfully we would still be able to use Greg’s card. Next time we travel I’ll take a back up card, too. Oye! Needless to say there was no going back to sleep for me and when I made the call to our credit card company Greg was up, too. After a couple hours we ended up going in search of coffee. Coffee pods were available in our room but we preferred going to the machines on board that were available 24 hours a day.

Next river cruise post will be about Bratislava, Slovakia.

Back to the present: What beautiful weather we have been enjoying since Saturday. The highs are reaching 60 and beyond with lots of sunshine and blue skies. We even got outside to clear some of the thousands of branches that are strewn across our yard from the major wind storm that developed while we were away.

Our kids gathered the largest branches while we were gone but there are many more smaller branches that still need gathering.

Our unprotected daffodils finally opened up on Easter.

These tulips that we bought at Trader Joe’s this past Saturday are Peony Tulips. They make me smile.

I’ve made good progress on my Easter puzzle and only have the very hardest dark part left.

That is all the up to the minute news from our house to yours. Hope all is well in your corner.

Dohany Street Synagogue

On Sunday, March 1st, after another delicious breakfast at our hotel, The Matilde Palace, we packed up our belongings and left our suitcases outside our hotel room door to be collected by AmaWaterways. They would be curried to the boat and deposited in our room onboard. We would board AmaMagna later on this Sunday for the beginning of our cruise on the Danube.

But first, we had another walk ahead of us to the Jewish District in Budapest to visit the Dohany Street Synagogue.

The Dohány Street synagogue is one of Budapest’s touristic highlights as it is the largest synagogue in Europe and the second largest in the world. The synagogue was built in 1859 in the Moorish style and it can seat 3000 people. Its huge size demonstrates the significance and the high economic and cultural standards of the Budapest Jewry of the age.

It was another beautiful winter day in Budapest.

After we purchased our tickets for entry we had to go through security. This was the only place we visited on our entire time in Europe and England where we had to do this. I wasn’t surprised of this added security as the history of antisemitism around the world seems to be continuous.

The plaque and memorial reads; In memory of the 440,000 Hungarian Jews deported to their deaths between 15th May and 9th July 1944. Theodor Herzel Square, 5 May, 2024.

That is sobering and brings such sadness.

We got to the synagogue early and waited for it to open to visitors.

The temple was designed by Ludwig Förster (1797-1863), a German architect, professor of the Vienna Academy. The clerk of works was the architect Ignác Wechselmann (1828-1903) who later bequeathed his entire wealth to the Institute of the Blind. After Förster left, Frigyes Feszl, the famous architect of the Budapest Vigadó designed the temple’s inner sanctum. The official consecration of the synagogue took place on 6 September 1859. 

The interior of the synagogue is 1200 square metres, the towers are 44 metres high. There are 1497 seats for men downstairs and 1472 for women in the galleries, altogether the seating capacity of the flat-ceilinged inner space is nearly 3000 people.
The Synagogue is the temple of the Neolog Jewry. It was built in Budapest’s former Jewish quarter where many people of the Jewish faith still reside today.

The building is a holy place!

  • The building and the cemetery are holy places. Please comport yourself accordingly.
  • Men are forbidden to enter the synagogue without covering their heads. If you have a hat or cap, please put it on. After ticket validation you will be given a kippah at the entrance that you have to wear in the complex at all times.
  • Entry will be denied if you wear clothes inappropriate for a temple (e.g. sleeveless tops, short skirts or shorts). In such cases the ticket inspectors of the Synagogue will not grant you entry. Tickets are valid for 2 days. Clothing items can be purchased from the ticket inspectors.

The memory of the Holocaust is strongly connected to the old Jewish quarter where the Synagogue is situated. Dohány Street constituted the border to the ghetto during World War II. The area which was planned as a garden is the burial place of nearly 2600 Jewish people who perished during the Holocaust. 

Raoul Wallenberg was a Swedish architect, businessman, diplomat, and humanitarian. He saved thousands of Jews in German-occupied Hungary during the Holocaust from German Nazis and Hungarian fascists during the later stages of World War II.

According to Jewish tradition it is our duty to remember. To remember our martyrs and those non-Jewish people who did not fear for their lives but helped Jews during the holocaust, saving theirs.
The Emmanuel memorial tree was envisioned by Tony Curtis and completed by the sculptor Imre Varga. You can find memorial plaques of Hungarian and other nationality rescuers of Jewish people in the memorial park.

The cemetery in the synagogue’s yard is of particular significance as it is not usual in Jewish customs to situate cemeteries next to synagogues. The cemetery overlooking Wesselényi Street, however, was created during World War II, out of necessity.
When the ghetto was liberated on 18 January 1945, thousands of unburied corpses were lying in the streets, more than 3000 dead bodies were found on Klauzál Square alone. 1140 known and 1170 unknown martyrs were buried in 24 common graves in the yard of the Synagogue.

My information comes from the Synagogues website and from our Tour guide who was a practicing Jew from this Temple.

I was surprised by the interior of the Temple and especially the presence of an organ.

Unlike traditional, intimate synagogues, the Dohány is vast and longitudinal, resembling a Christian cathedral. It features a large, decorated ark and a massive organ designed to be played by non-Jews on the Sabbath.

I will save the Jewish Museum and the Heroes Temple for another post.

Back to the Present:

We are still experiencing freezing temps in the early hours. More blooms have opened up on our daffodils.

In our neck of the woods it is always a treat to have a new eatery open up. This month Buck 25 Roadhouse in Kettle Falls opened up. We decided to try lunch there after our church workday this past Saturday. We were pleased with the atmosphere and the light and friendly new spot to enjoy good food.

Yesterday was Palm Sunday and our service was good with a sermon from 1st John. This is the beginning of Holy Week culminating with Resurrection Sunday. It is a special week for Christians around the world. We are looking forward to our Good Friday Service and Resurrection Sunday service. Easter preparations are commencing here.

Panorama Look-Out, St. Stephens Basilica

To get to the panorama views of St. Stephen’s Basilica and Budapest, there was an elevator option and stairs. We took the elevator up but when it was time to go down again we chose the stairs. Thankfully there were good railings and it was an open airy space so we didn’t get claustrophobic.

Saturday February 28th was a beautiful sunny day. We were so thankful.

This view is of the square in front of the Basilica with the pedestrian street beyond that takes you to the Danube. Looking beyond small slice of the Danube you can see the Buda side of Budapest.

On our way down to exit the Basilica we stopped at the Treasury. This painting of Peter and the Rooster caught my eye,  “the rooster will not crow till you have denied me three times“. This experience of Peter makes me emotionally as I consider times that I’ve denied or not stood up for my Lord and Savior.

The “Holy Family” was painted by Murillo (1682).

An artistic depiction of Jesus and the Samaritan Woman at the well.

Not quite busts but these circular heads of all the apostles were on an arched ceiling as we left the Treasury.

 

It was a narrower exit and walkway and I wasn’t able to get photos of all the apostles because of other people pressing in.

We exited the Basilica and found our way to the Jewish District for our lunch meal at Mazel-Tov. I wrote about our eating experience in Budapest and this restaurant in an earlier post.

This was a day that we were up on our feet and walking for the majority of the day. I was thankful that my Plantar Fasciitis was not an issue for me during this trip. I thanked the LORD several times. I did manage to get a nasty blister on my baby toe, though, that I had to doctor and pamper the next few days!

St. Stephen’s Basilica

On Saturday the 28th of February we broke away from our excursion group to buy tickets to visit the inside of St. Stephen’s Basilica situated centrally in the Pest side of Budapest. This is a photo heavy post!

St. Stephen’s Basilica is a Roman Catholic basilica in Budapest, Hungary. It is named in honor of Stephen, the first King of Hungary, whose right hand is housed in the reliquary.

It was awe-inspiring to see this finished work of art.

 

It is one of the grandest buildings we have been in.

This is kind of creepy to me. This is the right hand relic of King Stephen of Hungary. King Stephen died in August of 1038.

Not being Catholic, this Basilica was not a point of worship for me and in fact holds some areas of veneration that are against my beliefs. I did appreciate the beauty and the grandeur of the building. The way the architecture and artwork draws your eyes upward is appreciated, too. It is an amazing collection of artwork and treasures but not something to be worshipped in itself.

I’ll share the views from the panorama look-out in another post since this post is already photo heavy.

It is going to take a while to share much of our Danube River and Cambridge adventures.

Eating in Budapest

On Saturday February 28th we walked from St. Stephen’s Basilica to the Jewish District looking for Mazel Tov. We had reservations for a meal at 4:30 but we wanted to see if they would slip us in at 1:30 instead since our dinner reservations at Retek Restaurant were for 7:30 on Saturday instead of Friday. (Did you follow that?)

The area had a lot of interesting murals.

We arrived tired and thirsty from our 1.6 k walk in the sunshine. They graciously changed our reservation and we joined the crowd of diners for our meal. We met someone from Costa Mesa, California who is studying abroad. That was fun.

 

Our meals were both delicious. Greg ordered the DIY Falafel Sandwich and I ordered the spicy lamb shank ragout, couscous with root vegetables, raisins and red onion chutney.

We had another long walk (1.6k) ahead of us to get back to our hotel. We were entertained by interesting buildings on the way.

Our dinner reservations at Retek would be a 1 k walk so we opted for a taxi ride to the restaurant and then we’d walk back to the hotel after dinner.

We went traditional at this very popular restaurant.

Hungarian Beef Goulash with the fresh bread.

Chicken Paprikash

Cottage Cheese Dumpling and Grandmother’s apple pie for dessert.

A delightful all around experience. This was all my kind of comfort food.

This statue was the beginning of history we would learn all through our cruise about the Habsburg empire.

The year 1795 saw Archduke Josef, son of Emperor Leopold II and brother of Emperor Franz, being appointed Palatine of Hungary, a post he held for more than half a century. As such he was the deputy of the King of Hungary – who was of course none other than the Emperor in his capacity as the head of the house of Habsburg. 

The streets we walked at night in Budapest seemed safe.

I’m saving St. Stephen’s Basilica which we visited on this two restaurant day for another post.

Budapest Pre-Cruise

We arrived in Budapest on the afternoon of Friday February 27th. There was an AmaWaterways Kiosk just outside of the baggage claim area where we checked in and met a few of our fellow river cruise passengers before it was time to board our bus to the hotel. When making our arrangements for the cruise we chose the 2 day pre-cruise option and we are so glad that we did. On our bus ride to the hotel we were able to get our first glimpse of the Danube.

When we arrived at the hotel we were pleasantly surprised at the luxury level of the hotel.

The Matilde Palace is a luxury hotel and part of the Marriott properties. This is not the type of hotel we would book for ourselves. There were automatic buttons for everything including the curtains and sheers.

Matild Palace, an iconic gem of Budapest, was envisioned in 1902 by her Imperial and Royal Highness, Maria Kotild of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha as part of the twin Kotild Palaces, a beacon of the Bell Epoque Era. Standing proudly beside the Elisabeth Bridge, these two majestic landmarks were designed to inspire and sere the social heart of the city. Over the decades, Matild Palace has borne witness to profound historical moments. From the grandeur of its early days to the trials of two world wars and the Hungarian revolution. Following a meticulous restoration, it emerged reborn in 2021 as a masterpiece within Marriott’s luxury collection.

Today, Matild Palace invites guests to immerse themselves in art nouveau inspired rooms and suites, and dine in exquisite venues led by the globally acclaimed Chef Wolfgang Puck.

Before dinner we had a meeting with our Tour Director for some general information. I thought I had made dinner reservations on Friday evening at a restaurant in town but come to find out it was for Saturday night instead of Friday night. We shifted our plans and headed up to the rooftop bar in our hotel and had some charcuterie and lovely views of the town at night.

 

Saturday morning we woke up early. Breakfast was included with our pre tour package. The hotel puts on an amazing buffet along with items you could choose off of a menu. We were really impressed with all of it and with the honey comb that was part of the buffet.

The breakfast view of the Elizabeth Bridge.

We had an early morning walk on streets next to the hotel. We tried to get some local currency at a bank ATM and the transactions would not go through. We hoped this was just a local issue.

So many grand buildings with impressive architecture.

The back entrance to the Matilde.

There was a excursion on Saturday morning that we were part of and into the tour we broke off to be able to buy tickets to see the inside of St. Stephens Basilica. I’ll share those photos in another post. We had time on Saturday to be on our own and also on Sunday before it was time for embarkation on the AmaMagna.

Back to the Present:

Monday afternoon was JJ time here while Addy was at dance lessons. While we were away he had to go to dance with his mom and Addy which was quite boring for him. He kept asking how many more days until we would return.

Today is St. Patrick’s Day and we will be enjoying a corned beef and cabbage meal later in the day.

We are still in recovery mode and I’m forcing myself to stay awake till at least 8pm. Hopefully sleep patterns will return to normal, soon.

Hello October Hodgepodge

Speaking of Southern Charm and September…

The Rhett House Inn, Beaufort S.C.

Hello October Hodgepodge. Thank you, Joyce!

1. What’s your favorite fall scent?

Vanilla with just a hint of cinnamon.

Would we find this in or around your home right now? 

No

2. October is Country Music Month…are you a fan of country music? Do you have a favorite country artist? Ever been to Nashville?

I enjoy country music but I do not have a favorite artist and I’ve never been to Nashville.

In terms of lifestyle are you more country mouse or city mouse? 

I was raised and lived the city mouse lifestyle for 67 out of my 74 years but I’m adjusting to the country mouse lifestyle. We moved to the country in 2018 and we are enjoying the country life. I have bonded with Wal-Mart. 🙂

3. How about ‘country cooking’? (loosely defined as rich flavors, familiar foods, large portions, often fried, and often associated with the southern region of the US of A)? 

Fried Green Tomatoes were delicious at a restaurant called Wren in South Carolina. Katie and I were in South Carolina in 2010 staying in Beaufort to attend Andrew’s graduation from Marine Boot Camp at Parris Island.

chicken and dumplings-fried chicken-shrimp and grits-biscuits and gravy-mac and cheese-fried green tomatoes-cornbread-collard or turnip greens-deviled eggs-‘barbecue’-gumbo-banana pudding 

Which of the foods listed is your favorite? 

I would say that barbecue, deviled eggs, cornbread, biscuits and gravy are favorites.

Any on the list you haven’t tried or would say a firm no thank you to if offered? 

I would be fine with eating any of the items on the list once in a while.

4. What’s something that always has a positive impact on your mood? 

Good Christian Worship Music and Hymns. Music speaks to my heart.

“May I be singing when the evening comes.”

5. As we say so long to September share a noun, a verb, and an adjective that tells us something about how that month looked for you.

September had some fun travel and joyful events but the horrific assassination of Charlie Kirk hit me hard. His Memorial service reaffirmed my great hope in God and our Savior, Jesus Christ.

noun: assassination ~~verb: travel ~~adjective: horrific

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

September of 2010 was a memorable one in our family.

The photo above is from the Parish Church of St. Helena in Beaufort, S.C.

This wonderful old church and graveyard were around the corner from our lodgings in Beaufort. (Photo at the top of this post) I took several photos here of the grounds and of the fresh in love couple!

Beaufort is a city on Port Royal Island, one of South Carolina’s coastal Sea Islands. It’s known for its antebellum mansions, especially in the downtown historic district.

Being at Parris Island and experiencing all the ceremonies involved with Andrew officially becoming a Marine were amazing and unforgettable.

Katie and I stayed in Beaufort while we attended Andrew’s graduation from Parris Island Marine Bootcamp in September of 2010. Later that month on September 29, 2010, Katie said yes to Andrew’s proposal of marriage. The photo below was taken on that evening.

We are looking forward to some special times in October starting this Saturday with Marcus Cider Fest! It was fun to turn the calendar page this morning.

The Barn

Last week I showed a photo of the leaning barn taken from our kids’ driveway. The photo above is another shot I took last Friday. The next photo was from 7 years ago.

From July, 2018.

I’m adding more photos with closeups and different sides of the barn that I took last Friday.

We’ve enjoyed seeing this barn through the years and are sad that it won’t be in the landscape for many years to come unless it just decides to stay leaning and not collapsing. Judging from the photos it doesn’t seem likely that it will last for too much longer.

How will you spend the last day of June?