Our next stop is Melk, in Austria, at
the beginning of the Wachau Valley. Melk
is a very small town, only about 6500 residents, and is quaint and pretty. We
did not, however, see much of the town itself, opting instead to spend our time
visiting the Abby for which Melk is famous.
Melk Abby houses a prestigious
monastery school with more than 700 students. The Abby was originally a palace,
and it shows! Back home, the abby would be considered, at the very least, a
cathedral. The marble statues, the frescoed walls, the ornate tiles, the gold
gilt (everywhere!) made the term ‘abby’ a bit of a joke. Admittedly, there were
black-frocked Benedictine monks strolling about but they seemed very out of place. Isn’t the vow of
poverty one of the Benedictine vows – I think so! The castle (sorry, abby) is
located above the town of Melk on a high rocky outcrop. The views from the
balconies were stunning – looking up towards the Wachau Valley. Though we
didn’t see them, the abby was built (back in the 12th century) atop
the tombs of several saints and families of ruling dynasties. It seems that
just about every building and place we have been to has its many ghosts and
spirits and moving amongst the dead is common and everyday. You get quite
comfortable with it after a bit.
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