Visiting our exchange daughter's family

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This blog entry comes from Linz, Austria, where we have had an unbelievably friendly and convivial weekend with Franz and Eva, parents of our Rotary guest-daughter Magdalena. The photos will come in a later blog, but some of the highlights are these.

After we arrived on the friday night, and met with the family, we travelled (by a somewhat circuitous route) to the centre of Vienna and drank a very young (still fermenting) local red wine. We then enjoyed a wonderful meal of boiled beef at the famous Plachutta. Later in Linz itself we walked around the old city and enjoyed the sights of a medieval castle and churches, and tasted Linzer Torte (s). A very strange moment occurred when we met a lady on the tram. She kept a groomed rabbit as a pet, but was adamant that this rabbit loved being fed like a baby, and using his computer ; ). Lucerne was conveniently stored in her Prada handbag.

On the Sunday we travelled with the family to the Dachstein mountains (Welterbe) and the Rieseeishoehle (Ice cave). Finally the spectacular little village of Hallstatt on the Hallstattersee. This place was picture-postcard perfect in terms of alpine cottages, window flower boxes, mountainous surrounds and reflective lake. Unbelievably beautiful particularly with clear skies and a full moon night. Brilliant experience.

This interlude reminded me why I am so fanatical about the benefits of Rotary Youth Exchange, and the life-long friendships it so often starts.

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