Cheese Improves the Flavor of Life

Guten Tag!
I have only been in Linz for about a week but yet, it seems I have been here so much longer! Since my last post, I received my adaptor so now I can finally use my laptop in my dorm room! This past week I started my intensive german class. Although I have studied german for the past 6 years, I still have so much to improve. Hopefully by the end of my time in Linz I will be able to speak the language fluently. Yesterday, I went on my first excursion to the towns of Schlierbach and Steyr. The first stop was Schleirbach, about a 45 min drive from Linz. The town of Schlierbach is a very small town in upper Austria, here we visited a monastery. The monastery had a beautiful view of the Alps, I finally got my first glimpse of them!, a cheese factory and they manufacture glass paintings. The group got a complete tour of the monastery which included the beautiful church, library, glass painting gallery, and the cheese factory. We also watched some videos on how the cheese was made, I found this all very interesting. The tour ended with a cheese tasting, I do love some good cheese. 

This is an example of some of the glass paintings. The glass manufacture also makes colorful glass bowls and trinkets. The guide talked about the way stained glass production has changed over time. At first they used steel bars to separate the pieces of glass but, today it is done altogether. On the left is the newer way and on the right is the old way.

 Here is the Library in the Monastery. The guide informed us that in his opinion is was the most beautiful room in the building. The pillars are wood designed to look like marble. None of the books in the library were written at the Monastery, but they do have some first editions All the paintings in the library are centered around the books. I don't think I saw a portrait or painting with out a book displayed in it

The inside of the Church, as it was only my second baroque style church and I have little to compare it to, left me speechless. I am excited to continue to visit more old european churches and leave speechless.

On the left is the view from the monastery, and on the right is all the cheese I was able to taste. Not all the cheeses were my cup of tea but, I did enjoy trying new things.

Next, we journeyed to Steyr. Steyr is the third largest town in Upper Austria, about 39,000 people. The town itself has a very medieval feel, they have a building that dates back 900 years! In Steyr we got a guided tour, ate lunch, and enjoyed a step back into medieval times!

Here are some pictures of the town, including the entrance to the castle and the city center of Steyr.

I came home from my first trip exhausted but filled with so much insight into the history of two cities in Upper Austria. I look forward to all the places I have yet to visit and continue to be amazed by the beautiful history and architecture of Austria. "Without history there would be no future"

Auf Wiedersehen,
Alex