Looking down from the top floor of one of the best luxury hotels, Hotel Stadt in Melk we could see splayed out below a whirligig of red tiled roofs and whitewashed houses and buildings. Melk is a quiet town and ideal for vacations.
Sue and I had arrived in the morning from Vienna. After a meal and a rest at the hotel we made our way to the renowned Stift Melk, also called the Melk Abbey. Sue told me that this was one of the most famous monasteries of the world. I loved the drive up to the rocky outcrop close to the Wachau Valley in lower Austria. From the monastery one can see the rive Danube flowing by. The Cupola, the frescoed ceiling, the long corridor, and beautiful pieces d’art like ‘The Triumph of the Monk’ were nothing short of a visual treat.
While visiting the museum of Stift Melk we came upon the library, Grosse Bibliotek, with the most extraordinary collection of books. There are, for instance, close to 2000 manuscripts and some 1,700 books dating back to the sixteenth century. The ceiling here too, is beautifully frescoed.
Sue and I came out, quite overwhelmed, into the mellow Austrian sunshine. We had coffee and snacks inside the garden pavilion which again, happens to be a work of art. It is very baroque and just as beautiful. Never have I sipped coffee surrounded by so many artistic pieces.
Just as we were about to drive out of Stift Melk we spotted a bench and stand to the right of the foot of the stairs, practically hidden by the foliage. Behind the stand was this man, a farmer, selling candles and soaps along with cakes, wines and brandies. We bought some cakes and wine which we sampled at the hotel. Both were great. The next morning we had to drive back to Vienna and felt sad about leaving Melk.
No comments:
Post a Comment