Da noob, haha, sorry, Danube

Danube sounds to me like a gangster referring to some novice, but if you’re slightly more mature than I am, which doesn't take much, you will perhaps recall that Danube was one of the frontiers of the Roman Empire and the longest river in the European Union, flowing from Germany to the Black Sea.

Anyway, today we spent the day visiting a few notable locations in this definitely-not-ghetto River valley.

Like, for example, a very tiny monastery:

Just kidding! That’s only a model. The real monastery Melk was at least four times that size.

I could probably go on and on about the pros and cons and how it made me feel, but I don’t think you want to hear me rant about how the modernists ruined the exhibit rooms. On the plus side, their libraries were fabulous, and so laden with knowledge that it takes very strong men to carry the weight of their shelves.

On display they had the oldest book in their collection, a book on astronomy by none other than the Venerable Bede himself. Apparently that man was quite intelligent.

Oh! And, it would also take 310 years to read their collection of over 10,000 books.

…and who can visit Danube without paying tribute to Richard the Lionheart? We hiked up to the castle where he was held captive following the Third Crusade.

I don't know what the white speckles are on the bottom of the picture, but I don't claim to be a brilliant photographer, either. Anyway It was simply breathtaking once we reached the top…and no, I'm not that out of shape. The view was incredible!

After a quick dip in the Danube River, we headed back to Gaming where we’ve been held captive in Student Life Meetings ever since. Call me Mary the Lionheart.

But as far as the day of exploration went, being a part of these places that have shaped our world is really an experience like no other. I mean, it’s one thing to memorize maps of empires, dates of crusades, and disputes between kings, but walking through monastery Melk, where centuries of history has taken place, and standing in the Danube River, where the Romans defended their empire...and walking into the jail cell where Richard the Lionheart was kept? That’s something special.