Danube Day 8

Susan: This morning, we had a lecture on Austrian history, economy, and society. Dr. Luisia Pichler who is the head of diversity initiatives at the University of Linz discussed the significant “shocks” of the 20th century, starting in 1913, that re-shaped Austria. The end of World War I led to the end of the Habsburg Monarchy. Before this, many Eastern European countries, including Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Bulgaria, and Romania, were part of Austria. The country’s economy was in ruins, and the population was impoverished, creating an ideal environment for Hitler to gain support and implement his vision of the superior race. After World War II, Austria, like Germany, was governed by the four Allied powers—the United States, England, France, and the Soviet Union—for a decade. During this period, Austria was required to maintain neutral.

James: The lecture segued into a discussion of the current state of affairs encompassing many different aspects of Austrian life. It was quite interesting. It kind of just whet our appetites to know more. One of my main takeaways was just how conservative Austria is. There is a strong emphasis on women as the main care givers and keepers of the house. Only something like 8% of men do the majority of care giving. Men also make 40% more than women overall although considering that women are the care givers, not surprising. Homosexuality is not widely accepted except in Vienna and foreigners have an inordinately hard process of becoming citizens. They are in a conundrum like most other industrialized countries - their populations are declining so that their social security programs are running out of money. But they are not particularly welcoming to outsiders so they are not replacing the workforce like they need to. Plus, the attitude towards refugees and non-Europeans has fostered the rise of right wing politics. It is expected that in the next nationwide elections, they will take control.

Susan: Following the lecture our guide Sylvia—who had led our concentration camp tour the day before—took us on a walking tour of her hometown, Linz. It is Austria’s third-largest city and is filled with very old, fascinating landmarks. We passed clothing shops that specialize in traditional Austrian garments such as dirndl dresses and lederhosen. The lederhosen are custom-made from stag leather, take a year to produce, and cost around 3,000 euros.

Sylvia also spoke about the Counter-Reformation, which followed Martin Luther’s Protestant Reformation and sought to bring Protestants back to Catholicism. She shared a memory of her grandmother’s warning: “If you don’t behave, I’ll make you Catholic.”

While many classical composers are associated with Vienna, Linz has fewer musical celebrities. Sylvia noted that Anton Bruckner was from Linz. Mozart, however, lived in Salzburg and Vienna and often stopped in Linz when traveling between the two. A local baron once invited Mozart to stay at his villa in Linz; Mozart ended up staying for three weeks. When the baron asked him to give a concert, Mozart had no music with him, so he composed the Linz Symphony during his stay.

James: On the walking tour, we saw impressive cathedrals, historic buildings and interesting town squares (platzes). We also walked by the historic original makers of the Linzer torte, a fourth generation family operating in their original location. We vowed to grab dessert there later. Our walk ended at the newer town square with its statues and fountains and cobblestone streets. She had pointed out another well known location for pastries and sandwiches called Brôt (bread) so we stopped there for a quick meal. I had a spinach pie. We didn’t have much time until meeting our bus, so we hurried back to the pastry shop. We had some spectacular desserts and a cup of coffee and then headed back to the hotel and our bus.

We rode on the bus for about 45 minutes to our biking starting point in Asbach, right on the Danube. Joan had told us that today was a 'free day', that we didn’t have to ride in a pack if we didn’t want to. But Franz asked me to be sweep again for the “faster group” so Susan and I joined the group.

For the first time since we arrived, the sun was shining and it was warm. It was so warm that I actually took a layer off.  We stopped to photograph one of the Habsburgs’ castles high up on a hill. Franz tried to tell us that he is distantly related to them...but we all knew better.

We followed the path along the Danube through some tall hills and thick woods. It was breathtaking scenery. Saw a few ferries and a couple of river cruise boats. Shortly thereafter it clouded up, the temperature dropped about 15 degrees and it started raining. More shitty weather. I was freezing and fortunately we stopped not too long after for water so that I was able to add another layer. It was a short total ride and we arrived in Schlögen about 3:30.

James: Schlögen is located at a dramatic horseshoe in the river and at the base of tall, forested hills right on the water. Our hotel is a resort and spa and has a swimming pool, sauna and relaxation rooms. I was really excited to try the sauna but nervous because they don’t allow clothing in them. I wasn’t sure what was proper and what wasn’t. I put on the bathrobe that the hotel provided with a pair of shorts underneath and made my way to the health center. Not wanting to look like a total doofus, I inquired of a big Austrian man who was there as to the proper procedures. He gave me an incredulous look that said, “Really? You’ve never been in a sauna?” I confessed that, as an American, I didn’t know exactly what I was supposed to do. He nicely coached me through the protocol. No suit. He was cool so my shyness left and I settled down to a wonderful, therapeutic sweat. It felt great.

Susan: The accommodations in Schlögen are lovely. Our spacious room overlooks the river, tucked in a valley where the water bends in a graceful S-curve. After settling in, I joined a few members of our group on the balcony for a drink, taking in the peaceful view. The river here is so still and calm—quietly, classically beautiful.

James: After my sauna, I joined our group in the dining room for dinner. It was a solid buffet with enough choices to keep it interesting. Had a G&T and a beer and afterwards we took a walk with the Harmons along the river. The sun was almost down and we hadn’t gone far before it got pretty cold. We retreated to our rooms for the night.