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MELK ABBEY FRESCO IN MELK, AUSTRIA
VIEW VOYAGE
by Petronella Oortman, the wife of wealthy
upper class Amsterdam silk merchant. It has
a real marble floor, silk curtains, oak and
walnut inlays, plus miniature porcelain that
was ordered through the Dutch East India
Company and made in China. It would have
cost the same as a real canal house, according
to the guide.
As for my most swoon-worthy experience,
top prize goes to the historic library at
Austria's sprawling Melk Abbey in the
Wachau wine region. The richly decorated
11th-century baroque abbey sits on a rocky
outcrop near the town of Melk, overlooking
the Danube. Step inside the library and a
pleasing aroma of old leather-bound books
greets you —reminding me of spicy cologne.
There are thousands of books here and
samples of perfect spidery writing from
ancient manuscripts. I get an overwhelming
urge to run my fingers over the
well-preserved tomes including rare medieval
manuscripts written by early scholars.
On our last day we visit pretty UNESCO World
Heritage listed Kinderdijk, near Amsterdam,
where there are 19 well-preserved windmills
dating back to the 18th century. A young
woman invites us to step inside the typical
Dutch structure and explains its unique
drainage system that has kept the land
dry from the Middle Ages —it is a
fascinating insight.
Back at home, memories of fabulous art,
history, culture, architecture and cuisine
continue to shine–it is all part of the
surprise around every river bend.
