Arrived in the gorgeous Linz, Austria! On our train ride from Prague to Linz, we saw some incredible Austrian countryside. The majority of the time on the train we discussed about the Von Trapp family from the sound of music, and how they shot some of the scenes right where we were. It is incredible to think that people live on some of the farms we passed. They are many miles away from any local town or store, I can’t imagine if they forgot to buy eggs at the shop and had to go all the way back to pick it up! Once we arrived in Austria, we headed to an old concentration camp called Mauthausen Memorial. It was the camp where my roommate’s grandma was liberated. Being there was really a remarkable experience. It is very humbling and unimaginable to believe what went on.

 

 

To get to the camp we had to take a bus outside of the city to a small town, then from there we walked up a big hill to where the camp was. On the way up the hill, you see abandoned posts where guards used to stand, as well as the massive fields were the Jews worked. Being there was surreal, and an experience I will never forget. After we visited the camp, we headed back to the small town to explore and visit what life is like for a local Austrian. The houses were very quaint and homey. We stayed at an Austrian’s home in the middle of town, and in Linz there is a big town center, then little stores on the outside of the center. It is crazy to see so many American chains there, including McDonalds, Chipotle, and “New York Pizza” places. Austrian food was cheaper than in London, but not as cheap as Prague. London is almost double the American dollar, whereas Austria is about 1.5. Overall, Austria was beautiful, and a really great country to visit. I wish I had more time to explore more, but it left me wanting to come back again sometime in the future!