Another day and another country to visit.  But before that, we had a picturesque drive through snow-blanketed fields and forests.  A peaceful start before our emotionally heavy first stop…the former concentration camp and memorial at Mauthausen.  The weather was setting an appropriate mood as the wind was bitingly cold and no one was entirely at ease.  Our tour guide was the grandson of residents of the town and had heard directly from the people who lived through the war all about what happened to the Jews, Germans, Spanish and Russian people who were forced to work at this site, as well as how it was seen and thought of by the locals.  It was an interesting but sobering experience.  

We digested what we had all seen and learned while digesting some pasta and then it was on the road again towards the border with the Czech Republic.  Two hours later we hit Cesky Krumlov, a medieval town surrounded on all sides by a river.  The first thing that started was a snowball fight as we walked up towards the top of the castle.  This was a great way to break any tension that we were feeling.  Once no winner was determined, we got a picture looking over this UNESCO-protected city.  We all got a little time to explore the city on our own before another snowball fight back to the bus.  

Perhaps the highlight was the hotel for the night….Hotel Stekl.  This stately manner has a bowling alley, pool table and swimming pool.  It also has its own castle!  An elegant meal of foie gras, river trout and castle cake made us feel like nobility and Ita was surprised with a birthday cake, a card, and round of Happy Birthday from the group.  Since we arrived later in the evening, we managed to convince the staff to stick around for an extra hour so that we could enjoy the hotel’s amenities.  Some students even felt the presence of its ghost wandering the halls.   Finally, we turned in for another night of great sleep (did I mention it was basically in a castle!)