Diabeatus Takes On Europe: Milka, Peach wine, and the Austrian Hills...can't get any better than this...or can it?

I have been in Austria for a whole week now and in some ways I feel like I have been here for ever and in other ways I feel like I just got here a second ago. Although I was really sad to leave Ireland I am very glad I made the decision to get on the plane. When we landed in Austria, it was so warm that I was ready to go back to Ireland to the cooler weather. Well, let me tell you it has cool off a lot in one week. It has been a very busy week with classes starting up in full force and traveling around the area. The second day we were here we went to the huge monestary in Melk and we also went to durstein where there is a castle that King Richard the Lionheart was imprisoned. Then this past weekend we traveled to Vienna for a day and it was amazing. The city is so clean and beautiful. I know I will be going back at least one more time before I leave Austria! While we were in Vienna we had Mass in this beautiful church and then had a walking tour of parts of Vienna. Then we had lunch which was the famous wiener schnitzel and it was quite tasty. Then after lunch and after changing my mind like a hundred times, I decided to go to the national treasury and boy am I glad I went. I ended up in a group with one of my household sisters, Rose, and some other student as well as Fr. Brad, two of the sisters and a professor. The national treasury is a collection of some of the Hofburg Family's treasures. The Hofburg's were the imperial family of the Austrian Empire as well as many other empires for centuries and therefore have an amazing collection of treasures, which include many holy relics due to the fact that they ruled over the Holy Roman Empire for some time. Some of these relics included Veronica's shroud, the nail that was in Christ's right hand, and multiple pieces of the cross. From here I have a busy schedule but I know that by giving my time to the Lord it will only be return a hundred fold. I started my job today working for some of the sisters, and I am also involved in some different ministries including sacristans and FOP team. Along with this SOL as a whole has been getting up and going to morning prayer and also saying evening prayer. I have a holy hour on wednesday and I just know more great things are going to come from this semester. Next weekend we head off to Salzburg and Munich, in a few weeks I will be going to the Passion Play and at the end of october I am going to Medj. It has been such a blessed trip thus far and I can't wait to see how it all will play out. Please pray for me and I will do the same for you. Below are some pictures of the past week. Please enjoy them!