Day 13: Mauthausen Concentration Camp in Salzburg, Austria

Just a taste of Vienna.

Today they are off to view the sights with a City Quest checking out some of Vienna's most important sights. I expect that's probably in the morning because they then move on to Salzburg and an area just 20km away that houses the Mauthausen Concentration Camp. 

From what I read, this camp was created to work the prisoners to death. It's hard to imagine something that horrific. That people sat in a room, conceived of this and then somehow made it come true. The link below provides some background and after today's visit with a Camp Survivor, I think this will be a very meaningful visit for the kids.

It's supposed to rain and lightening in the afternoon; it's interesting how nature will conspire to make the camp even more ominous and desperate. 

~~~~~~~

In the good old US, I was up at 4am trying to work with Customs in Vienna who have her package but won't release it without a copy of her passport. I actually thought I had a copy - I looked for more than an hour - but did not find it and sent what I had to the agent. I called to follow up and was told he had just stepped out and would call me right back. 

I waited 30 minutes and called back, at about 4:03 pm their time, and the office had closed. That was that. As I have learned with FedEx, if it ain't on the truck to Salzburg tonight, it's not gonna be there tomorrow. What's even more aggravating is there are both in the same place right this minute (Katie and the package) but I can't get them together!

I know Judy has an iPad charger that will work on Katie's phone. I have asked her to at least give Katie a charge for Eiffel Tower day. That's all she's dreamed of since she signed up for this trip nearly a year ago. I hope Judy will come through in the clutch. 

Otherwise, no other news. No photos. No health update.

This Just In: It's 10:28pm my time, 7:28am their time. Judy just sent me a message that did manage to make it through. Pretty much all I needed to hear!

I did send another message but it is still sitting in my out box along with 3 other emails of pictures that I sent last night. After unpacking and repacking everything in my suitcase I discovered a battery operated charger that my husband must have stuck in at the last minute. I'll give it to Katie at breakfast and in a 1/2 hour or so she should be able to call you. The other message said that we would figure something out. If all else fails, I will share my charger with her. Relax, it will all work out.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

People to People Itinerary: WEDNESDAY, JULY 11: Salzburg, Austria

• Continue with a City Quest including Vienna's most important cultural highlights like the State Opera House, the Imperial Palace, St. Stephan's Cathedral and many more...
• Experience a darker chapter of European History when you visit the infamous Mauthausen Concentration Camp. Learn about the history of these camps as you delve into Mauthausen's terrible past.

Day 12: Service Project in Vienna, Austria

This is the structure so far.

Today they work on the Castle Project which is all-the-buzz among historians, archaeologists and scientists. This article describes the amazing feat: building an entire castle by hand (just like the old days). 

The project sounds amazing - if not crazy - and it's thrilling that our kids get to be part of something so big. It won't be finished until they are in their mid-40s! That means they can return to this site to see the completed castle with their children and say, "Hey, I worked on this!"

This is the People to People service project. They always do one on every trip. 

Tonight they stay in Vienna (I can almost hear music when I hear that name). They will stay at the Eventhotel Pyramide in the south of Vienna. Based on the website, it looks pretty posh. They might get a little lightening and rain tomorrow.

I did not hear from Katie today. It's like having a broken TV. I sit here with no idea what's happening in the next episode. Jeez. I did manage to successfully send a converter and a charger to Austria. Now we pray it sails through customs and arrives in Salzburg on Wednesday. I am pathologically checking the tracking number so I can see what's happening. I have never been more grateful for a client onsite tomorrow -the distraction of going to San Francisco is welcome. It will help the time pass.

In the meantime, I look forward to hearing about their visit with concentration camp survivor. They are rapidly aging and dying and I so want this piece of living history to be part of Katie's life experience.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
People to People Itinerary: TUESDAY, JULY 10: Vienna, Austria

• Participate in a true People to People moment as you work with local residents on the "Castle Project". For over 30 years, volunteers have been united in building an authentic medieval castle without the use of modern technology.
• Meet and take part in a discussion with a survivor of a concentration camp (Theresienstadt). This is an unique opportunity and a true honor for Student Ambassadors.
• This evening you'll attend a performance at one of the famous concert houses of Vienna.

This is just one of the Viennese concert houses. Wow. Gorgeous.