Melik Abby

Still in Austria, chugging down the Danube - and today we got all spiritual and visited the Melik Abby. it sits high on a hill (surprise!) above Melik town - a benidictine monastry since the 1200's and founded by monks who followed dear old ST Benedict. this abby is absolutely gorgeous! it has been continously going since that time, as a working monastry and school. it has 900 pupils (mixed) going to it as day pupils - high school, as well as 30 monks living there. In the 1990's it had 20 million Euro restoration work done on it - and all I can say is wow! i wish i couldve gone to school there! they rely on lots of tourists to visit to help pay for the upkeep and it is a world heritage site. one arm of the abby is a museum of their artifacts, see slide show then a library established around 1300 with manuscripts and books that are still being used for research by religiousy types , but app. hold many early scientifc books as well. you couldnt take photos in there for obvious reasons. the church is covered in gold leaf, and literally shimmers as you walk into it. (all in baroque style - see Im getting good at these big arty farty words!) mUst be very uplifting for the congregation! anyway just beautiful.