My apologies for being so late posting this blog! I’m like the rabbit out of “Alice In Wonderland.” The Konig family has kept me busy the last week, so I am behind on my writing. J I will keep it to summarizing the first week though so I can have plenty to write about for my second week here.

Sunday, June 30^th, I made the journey without a hitch. My host dad Leopold and my host brother Thomas picked me up from the train station in Loosdorf and we made the 5 minute drive to their house in the small village of Inning. The Konig’s live near the Wachau, an area along the Danube popular for wine, fruits, and small farmer restaurants called “huerigers” where you can order the farmer’s wine and a cold meal for supper (comparable to what I would consider deli meat). The landscape in the Wachau is beautiful, so I was excited to be in near traveling distance.

View of the Danube from a church tower

In the Wachau

Roast beef at a hueriger

Monday was a day for a little farm work! The Konig’s are crop farmers, raising wheat, corn, and sugar beets. In addition to this they also own a corn silage energy plant. They use a fermenting process with corn silage to produce CH4, or natural gas. This natural gas is then used to create electricity that goes out onto the grid. That is an over-simplified explanation, but I don't have the knowledge to go into further detail. Monday we had to go order some parts for a broken tractor and pick up seed so Thomas could do a little planting in a small field. It was nice to do a few things that felt like home. For instance, a hitch on one of the tractors required some persuasion to operate properly. It was comforting to see other farmers, even in a different country, must drag out a multitude of tools only to revert to a large hammer and mallet. J

Checking the sugar beets

Getting the planter ready

Thomas planting a small field of peas

There's quite a few wind towers here, kind of like central KS!

This week also included some tourist activities. First we visited a nearby castle. It’s so funny to me to think that’s completely normal here to live near a castle. I also became a “world traveler” and traveled to another country. We visited Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia. I was strange to me to drive less than 2 hours and be in a completely different country. I can drive 6 hours from home and still be in Kansas (at Lyndee’s house J). I also really enjoyed the chance to ride a riverboat on the Danube through the Wachau. The landscape really is stunning, but I’m not a good enough photographer to really capture the beauty and do it justice. We also were able to visit some of the well-known churches and monasteries in the area. The cathedrals here are so historic and richly decorated, it just blows my mind.

In Bratislava, Slovakia

On the riverboat

Ksenia, Gudrun, Thomas, & me

The monastery in Melk

You wouldn't believe the amount of gold in this cathedral!

Stift Gottweig

Absolutely beautiful!

The stift from the hueriger were we ate supper

The Konig’s are currently a little bit “in between” farm work, as wheat harvest won’t start for a couple weeks. However, Leopold and Thomas have been so kind to take me around to a variety of local farmers to learn about how their operations work. I've really enjoyed meeting the farm families and learning from them, and it’s interesting to compare and contrast to practices in the U.S. We visited a dairy farm owned by the Loschenbrand family. They milk about 40 cows twice a day, producing approximately 900 kilograms of milk per day, about 300,000 kilograms per year. Each cow produces, on average, 10,000 kilograms per year. Later in the week we visited the Gleis family swine operation that worked as a farrow-to-finish facility. (It only took a few minutes of confusion between me and Leopold to clarify the difference between the words “piglets” and “pickles.” I eventually figured out that we were not in fact going to see a cucumber farmer. J) He raises about 120-130 Landrace/Yorkshire sows and uses artificial insemination to breed them to a meat boar. Throughout the year each sow produces, on average, 25 piglets which would then move through the entire facility. Farms here in Austria tend to be slightly smaller, but even by American standards I thought this was a pretty significant number of hogs (over 3000) for a farmer to raise by himself. Thomas also took me to one of his friend’s house where they raise a small herd of Scottish Highlanders.  It’s fun to see breeds that are not as popular in the U.S. The babies were adorable! For the most part I believe farmers operate in similar fashions in Austria and the United States. Differences include: size as Austrian farms are generally somewhat smaller than those in America; pasture utilization as there is less land available it is less common for grazing to be the cattle’s only form of nutrients; and castration within cattle herds as they generally leave bulls intact. (This is slightly confusing because the word for bull in Austria is “stier” which sounds very much like the English word “steer” and means the opposite. Oh well, I’m learning!)

Baby at the dairy. So cute!

Milk cooler storage

Scottish Highlanders

It's so fluffy!!!!

Sow barn

These were the young gilts

I just wanted to hold one, but they'll squeal so loud!

I have really enjoyed family life here with the Konig’s! I got a pleasant surprise my second day here – I have an exchange sister from Russia! Ksenia stayed with the Konig family for 6 months last year and it just so happened that she is visiting again the same 2 weeks I am here! So Leopold and Andrea went from having 3 children to 5 children in just 2 days! J So now the whole family consists of my host parents, Leopold and Andrea, my host siblings Johannes (22), Thomas (20), and Gudrun (16), and my exchange sister Ksenia (18). The house is busy, but it keeps things interesting. It’s so fun to try and have a family conversation because we are working with 2 or sometimes 3 different languages. Everyone speaks English (thank goodness) to an extent, but German is often used, so we end up with what we’ve come to call “Genglish.” Or if Ksenia reverts back to Russian at certain times we have “Genglishsian.” It’s never too much of a challenge (thank you Google translator) and everyone usually ends up laughing!

Host mom & dad - Leopold & Andrea

SO glad ice cream is readily available in Austria :)

Nearby lake where we go swimming

Learning to play Skip-Bo

My Russian sister, Ksenia :)

Swimming in the "farmer pool" the boys made (yes it's a wagon filled with water)

I’ll leave it here so I can keep the blog summaries separated by weeks. Since I’m so late posting this one I need to start writing the next one so I can get it published on time in a couple of days! I’m having a blast here and learning so much! Stay tuned to hear about more adventures. Praying everyone at home is doing well!

Hey Mom, I’m really glad we got that raincoat for me to bring to Austria! My first week in Austria was unusually warm. This past week has been unusually cool and quite rainy. The weather’s mood swings made me feel like I was back in Kansas!!! :)

Monday was kind of a relaxed day since we had spent such a long day in Vienna the day before. There was some reading involved in the afternoon and my eyes may have had an extra long blink or two. The nice thing about the rainy weather was that Monday and Tuesday afternoons included some very good movies! The family was a good sport and played them in English for me, with subtitles for them. The whole family’s English is really quite wonderful, which I am so thankful for. 

Monday me & the boys were in charge of lunch...sausage spaghetti &garlic bread

The Kuhrer’s live in a region of Austria called the “Wine Quarter.” Tuesday I got to experience a little bit of the wine culture here. I was able to go and tour the family’s two wine cellars, which are really quite fabulous. Picturesque, you might call them. Later than day we went to a nearby uncle’s farm. He has his own vineyards and produces his own wine. He said in a good harvest year he could produce 50,000-70,000 liters of wine. We sampled two of his wines, Gruener Veltliner and Rose Wine. I am not a wine connoisseur (FAR from it), but I enjoyed them both and couldn't really decide which I like better. During our mini wine tasting, Great Aunt Poldie stopped by to visit. She is an elderly Austrian woman who has rarely left the village. She speaks no English, but was quite happy to keep up a steady conversation in German. I really didn't understand any of it, nor was she able to understand me, but Raphael was able to translate for the most part.  There were a few minutes when Great Aunt Poldie and I were alone, but she kept talking. I was able to catch most of it because she kept saying, “so thin!” and “you’re cold?” It was particularly cool that day and I only had on a light jacket. I was honored she was so friendly because the family later told me she usually does not talk much to outsiders. She was a really sweet woman and I think I would have enjoyed spending more time with her.

In the newer & larger cellar

Grandfather's older cellar...really beautiful

Those were there when I got there, I swear :) 

Sampling wine from uncle's farm

Great Aunt Poldie 

Tuesday evening was also a town BBQ for the youngest Austrian parliamentarian, Ava Himmelbauer. She just happens to be from this district, so I got to enjoy free sausages! She came over to mingle and we even got a picture together, though not with my camera. Afterwards we were able to hang out with a few other members of Landjugend, which is the Austrian organization that partners with 4-H to coordinate the IFYE exchange.

The weather cleared up later in the week, although it’s still a little cool. This gave us the chance to visit a large amethyst vein that was discovered in a nearby village. They have part of the vein on display and give tours to explain how it was created and the importance and uses of amethyst throughout history. There was also a shop to purchase amethyst items; they were beautiful, but mostly out of my budget. We were also able to go back to Vienna on Thursday to visit the famous shopping streets and the First District where some significant buildings, such as Parliament and the Opera House, are located. I must say, the architecture in Vienna is exquisite, as is the hazelnut ice cream! :) 

At the Amethyst mine 

House of Parliament 

SWEET bike we saw in Vienna...gonna have to get one of these! :)

Om nom nom nom....yummy in my tummy!  

Friday was a significant day for the Kuhrer family. We traveled back to Vienna for the youngest boy Michael’s last day of school. For the last four years he has attended a special school where he is a member of the Vienna Boy’s Choir. It is a prestigious choir of boys 10-14 years old. They travel and perform internationally. As Michael is now 14 today was something like a graduation ceremony from the choir. Afterwards we attended a BBQ and helped Michael move his things back home. When I asked he said he was both sad and relieved to be done with the busy choir touring schedules. I am so lucky the timing worked for me to be present. There are not very many people who get the chance to attend such an event.

Saturday was my chance to make the "American meal." I brought over recipes for BBQ meatballs, parmesan  potatoes, spinach salad, and apple pie (because, really, what is more American than apple pie?). It was fun to share some of our family's favorite recipes, but also a challenge because they do not always have the same ingredients available. Liquid smoke flavoring is hard to find, as is Crisco. (Also, Europeans do not really have peanut butter and for those of you who know me well, this is NOT ok! I will probably go on a peanut butter spree when I get home...lol.) Because I had to make a few substitutions and improvisations, not everything was EXACTLY like it would have been at home, but I would still say it was successful! They really seemed to like it. That or they're just really polite pretenders :) There weren't any leftovers, so I took that as a good sign.

BBQ meatballs, Parmesan potatoes, & homemade vinaigrette salad

Apple Pie!

I have to have everything packed up Saturday night because Sunday we leave early to head to Vienna for a final celebration of Michael's graduation. We'll attend Mass and a then a reception for Michael. From Vienna I'll catch a train to take me to my next host family, the Konig's, in a small village called Hurm.

The Kuhrer's have been a wonderful host family!!! I've enjoyed my time in Glaubendorf and I feel so privileged to have met them all and been welcomed into their home :)

The whole family (L to R): Gabriel, Monika, Erhard, me, Michael,  Raphael

Stay tuned to meet my new host family, the Konig's! Praying everyone at home is staying safe and doing well!

This past week has been full of “firsts” for me! I flew by myself for the first time, made an international flight, got a stamp in my passport, rode on a train, and was welcomed into a wonderful Austrian family!

              

I left home Friday, June 14^th, to head to Illinois for IFYE Orientation for outbound U.S. participants and inbound foreign participants. It was a really fun weekend and I met so many wonderful people!

Monday was the day I was a little nervous about because that was the day I would begin my travels half-way around the world. The flight from Chicago to Dublin was at 3:50pm and took not quite 7 hours, but with all the time change it was about 5:30am Tuesday, June 18^th, when we arrived in Dublin. Thankfully I was able to sleep a bit during the flight. From there the flight to Vienna was only a few hours. I was able to fly with Klaire, who is also an IFYE to Austria from Montana, and we arrived in Vienna around noon. I was a little nervous about getting through customs, but all we did was get our passports stamped and then walked through the door. The Austrian program coordinator was there to pick us up and take us to the train station so we could travel to our first host family. I have never ridden a train, or even the subway, in the U.S. so I didn’t really know how it all worked. I was afraid I would get on the wrong train or something when I had to switch trains, but I asked for a little help at the station (thankfully there are quite a few people in Austria who speak at least a little English) and I made it to the village Glaubendorf where my host family lives without any hiccups. J

Sunset (or sunrise? can't remember) on the flight to Dublin

I slept off my jet lag Wednesday morning…okay, so I accidentally slept until noon…but it’s been a busy and exciting week since then! My host family is the Kuhrer’s, consisting of my host mom and dad, Erhard and Monika, and three host brothers, Raphael (20), Gabriel (16), and Michael (14). Raphael was previously an IFYE to Virginia, so he has taken it upon himself to show me some of the sights around Glaubendorf and Vienna, since we are less than an hour away. In Glaubendorf there is a multi-section museum where we went to see stables where some of the Lipizzaner Stallions are trained, a memorial for a very famous Austrian military General, a re-creation of some Stone Age villages discovered near Glaubendorf, and a car museum that Dad could spend all day in. I also had the privilege to attend one of Michael’s concerts in Vienna. Michael is a member of the Vienna Boy’s Choir, who tour internationally. Luckily, he happened to have a small concert in Vienna this past Friday, so I was able to attend. It was wonderful! Gabriel also had a piano recital Saturday afternoon, which was also fabulous. This is a very musical family, as Raphael also plays trumpet in a local band/orchestra. Unfortunately, it is unlikely I will get to hear him perform because he broke his finger about a week before I arrived.

A young Lipizzaner Stallion

Vienna Boy's Choir

                

I have enjoyed the home life here. I’ve tried some new foods (like sheep cheese) and everything has been great! I’m planning on making one of my family’s favorite meals later this week. They also taught me a card game that I can’t pronounce, but I think I am getting the hang of it. They were game to learn how to play 10-point Pitch Saturday night, and they really caught on quickly! We played “call-for-your-partner” and Monika was the first one to reach 52 points.

                

Monika's homemade apple strudel 

Sheep cheese that I can't correctly pronouce...good though!

Playing Pitch!

Sunday was a very interesting, long, fun day. Raphael and I went to Vienna for the day. We got there about 10:30am and went to see Schonbrunn, which is the palace where the rulers once lived. The palace is gorgeous, but we weren’t allowed to take pictures inside. We also spent a few hours in the palace gardens, which are unbelievably large and beautiful. After our tour of the palace, we went to Saint Stephen’s Cathedral. Afternoon mass was about to start, so we didn’t stay long, but it is absolutely remarkable. Later that evening we went to a music festival on an island that is on the Danube River in Vienna. This past weekend also happened to be “Donauinselfest” which is a very large music festival, supposedly Europe’s largest open air event, and it was free to attend. There are multiple stages all over the island playing different kinds of music. There were what I would consider a lot of people there, especially for a Sunday night, even at the smaller stage where we stayed. It was a fun, new experience, and even though we were in Vienna for over 13 hours, it was well worth it! But let me tell you, I slept REALLY good Sunday night! J

At Schonbrunn

                

Saint Stephen's Cathedral

I will stay another week here in Glaubendorf with the Kuhrer’s before I move on to my next host family. Raphael says he still has more things he would like to show me while I’m here. We may make another trip into Vienna since there are so many things to see there. Can’t wait to see what else Austria has in store for me! I will do my best to do this blog more-or-less weekly while I'm here in Austria, so stay tuned! Praying everyone at home is doing well and staying safe!