Austria: Mozart & Strauss Concert

While we were in Vienna we attended at Mozart & Strauss concert. What an amazing experience it was to listen to the beautiful Blue Danube with the Danube River just miles away.  The orchestra was splendid and had us laughing one minute and moved to tears the next.  I could have listened all night...

Beautiful Vienna

After we arrived in Vienna we immediately went to a schnitzel restaurant then spent the evening strolling through the city.  The historic center is filled with baroque beauty including castles and gardens, grand historical buildings, sculptures, cathedrals and monuments.  It was simply stunning~ 

Eating in Austria

efore Dallan and I left on our trip we vowed to eat as much of the local cuisine as we could!  There were so many things that we enjoyed:

We loved gelato! It seemed like there were gelato stands on every corner in Prague and Vienna, and we made sure we tried almost every flavor! 

When we arrived in Vienna we all went to a Schnitzel restaurant so we could  try the traditional dish! It was delicious and filled our bellies to the brim!  

I loved all of the corner cafes and the bratwurst stands!  

The bakeries were delightful.  The bread was delicious, 

and the chocolate was melt-in-your-mouth amazing!

We didn't bring home a lot of souvenirs, but we brought home loads of chocolate!  

Austria: Mauthausen Concentration Camp

When we finished our time in Prague, we boarded a tour bus and headed to Austria!  Our tour Guide, Fritz, was delightful, and he even turned on the Sound of Music for us to watch as we drove through the country side!  The rolling hills were beautiful and little towns that dotted the countryside were so charming. It was everything I imagine it would be.  I wanted to jump off of the bus and sing The Hills are Alive...!  

When we arrived in Austria, our first stop was Mauthausen, a concentration camp that grew to be one of the largest labor camps in German controlled Europe.  Mauthausen was mostly used for extermination through labor and the death toll is remains unknown though most sources estimate 320,000 for the entire complex.

Walking though the camp was a sobering and humbling experience.  The barbed wire and barred windows were in stark contrast to the rolling hills and wildflowers just outside the gates.  I was moved to tears as we walked by the fences where many were electrocuted. We walked along a wall where hundreds of prisoners were lined up and executed.  We walked down into the gas chamber and passed the incinerators where the bodies were burned.  We passed by countless photographs of victims and smelled the flowers that were still being placed there for loved ones.  

We looked through barbed wire fences saw watch towers and an ash dump.  We walked down to the quarry and saw the "Stairs of Death" Where Prisoners were forced to carry  blocks of stone weighing as much as 110 pounds up the 186 stairs.  We learned that the exhausted prisoners would often  collapse and fall on top of each other creating a horrific domino effect domino effect down the stairs.  We also learned that often the SS guards would force prisoners to race to the top of the stairs only to line up those who survived giving them the option of being shot or pushing the prisoner in front of him off the cliff.

As we walked through photographs that depicted the horrible events that took place here, I also saw quiet courage, and faith.  I was filled with pride as I watched the American soldiers liberate the camp, and I was touched as I read through the many monuments placed here by countries around the world.  I will never forget the quiet and tender feelings of my heart as I walked through this place and I promised myself that I would never forget.  

You can read more about Mauthausen here and here. You can see a map with a descriptions of each area and photographs here.

Prague: Pankrac Prison

While we were in Prague Dallan and I had a unique glimpse of our family history.  Seventy three years ago Dallan's grandpa served an LDS mission in Czechoslovakia.  It was a neat experience to know that Grandpa had walked many of the same streets that we were walking.  In 1939 Dallan's grandpa was put into Pankrac Prison, a large prison on the outskirts of Prague.  Dallan and I spent an afternoon using the metro and maps to find the prison where Grandpa was held.  You can read more about the prison here and here.

While Grandpa was serving his mission tensions began to heat up between Germany and the rest of Europe.  Soon the Nazis took over Czechoslovakia, and Grandpa was in the city of Brno when Hitler came in as part of a military parade.  He took several pictures and was so close that Hitler's mustache is easily visible in the photographs.  

Because tensions were so high, many of the Jewish people were trying to flee the country.  They commonly asked the missionaries to change their Czech money for American money because American money would help them to flee the country easier.  This practice was eventually declared illegal by the German government.  However, a lady who the missionaries thought was a sincere investigator of the church asked the missionaries if they would make a money exchange for her.  When the missionaries went to meet her to see if there were other ways they could help, the women turned out to be a Gestapo informant.  The missionaries were met by Gestapo agents and their room was ransacked and searched.  They were detained for hours while they were interrogated because the Germans assumed they were helping the Jewish people to escape.  Grandpa and 3 other missionaries were incarcerated  while the Germans tried to find evidence and extort the church for money.  

They were each placed in different cells.  In Grandpa's cell there was Englishman and a member of the Austrian underground resistance.  They were not allowed to shower or shave.  The food was terrible, and they even made chess pieces out of their bread because it was so hard and impossible to eat.  They had one small window in their cell that they weren't supposed to look out, but they were still able to sneak  an occasional glimpse.  

Grandpa was in prison for 6 weeks before the church was able to negotiate the release of the 4 missionaries.  They were evacuated with the rest of the missionaries and traveled through Germany on their way home.  They were in Berlin on September 1, 1939- the day World War 2 was officially declared. 

They continued to travel through Denmark and embarked across the Atlantic with 200 other passengers on a boat meant for 12.

The prison experience was difficult and Grandpa suffered the effects of malnutrition for the rest of his life. However, his testimony of the gospel was always strong.  He served twice as a bishop and was in the stake presidency for almost 20 years.  He even went on another mission with Grandma Bishop where he continued to share his love of the Gospel.  

What a wonderful example he is of remaining faithful even in difficult circumstances.

(Pictures taken by grandpa in Brno) 

Prague International Dance Festival

hile we were in Prague we spent several evenings watching the BYU Cougarettes compete in an international dance festival. It was quite a treat to watch them perform with companies from all over the world! The Cougarettes were stunning and won the grand prize of the competition!  Their competitors gave them a standing ovation and held their hands over their hearts to express their love and admiration. The girls were also voted as the most friendly team and really touched the hearts of the girls they interacted with.

Prague: The Jewish Quarter

One of our favorite days in Prague was spent in the Jewish Quarter.  I was especially touched by the Pinkas Synagogue where the walls are inscribed with 80,000 names of Jewish holocaust victims. We weren't allowed to take pictures inside, but we were able to take pictures outside the synagogues. 

(Text from aviewoncities.com)
 The Jewish Ghetto was created when the Jewish community in the city of Prague was ordered to leave their homes in various parts of town and settle in one single area. As centuries past, the area grew and grew and became more crowded as Prague continued to impose laws that forbid the Jews to live anywhere else in the city.

 There were also restrictions placed on the movement of the Jews that settled in this community as well as on trades they were allowed to conduct. These restrictions changed every now and then but greatly affected the lifestyle of the Jewish settlers here. The Jewish Quarter in Prague contains the most well-preserved Jewish historical monuments in Europe.

Six synagogues still stand in this region in addition to the historic Jewish Town Hall and the Old Jewish Cemetery, considered one of the most remarkable burial grounds of its kind in Europe. Several of the synagogues feature museum-like Spanish Synagogue exhibits outlining the history of the Jews in this region of Europe.

After World War II, the Pinkas Synagogue was turned into a Memorial to the Jews of Bohemia and Moravia who were murdered by the Nazis and its walls are inscribed with 80,000 names of Jewish victims.Josefov's Old-New Synagogue is the oldest preserved synagogue in Central Europe. Built in the late 13th century, it is of early Gothic style and features marvelous intricate stonework. All interior furnishings are originals. This synagogue now serves as the main house of prayer for Prague's Jewish community.

Prague Castle

(You can see the compound with the cathedral at the top of the picture above)
The Prague Castle compound contains  the largest ancient castle in the world!  Constructed in the 9th century by Prince Bořivoj, the castle transformed itself from a wooden fortress surrounded by earthen bulwarks to the imposing form it has today. Rulers made their own additions so there is a mixture of styles. Prague castle has had four major reconstructions, but it keeps its classical face lift it took on in the 18 century during the reign of Maria Theresa. The castle has three courtyards and it has always been the seat of Czech rulers as well as the official residence.
When we left for our trip, the only thing Mitchell asked for was a map of a castle, and this compound was the perfect place to get one! (and he loved it!)

(all historical text was taken from www.prague.cz) 

St Vitus Cathedral (Katedrála Sv. Víta)

The Castle compound also contains St. Vitus Cathedral.  The cathedral's foundation stone was laid in 1344 by Emperor Charles IV. The first architect was Matthias of Arras, after his death Petr Parler took over and completed much of the structure in late-Gothic style. Over the following centuries renaissance and baroque details were added and the job was completed in 1929. The most beautiful of numerous side chapels, Parler's Chapel of St Wenceslas, houses the crown jewels and the tomb of “Good King” Wenceslas. 

There are many superb examples of 20th century Czech stained glass and marvellous pieces of art, for example a wooden relief by Caspar Bechterle that shows the escape of Frederik of the Palatinate from Prague in 1621, and wooden Crucifixion by František Bílek 

The Royal Crypt contains the remains of Charles IV, Wenceslas IV, George of Poděbrady and Rudolf II. 

Golden Lane (Zlatá ulička)

Named after the goldsmiths who lived here in the 17th century, Golden Lane is popular with its tiny colourful houses built right into the arches of the Castle walls. In the 18th and 19th centuries they were occupied by squatters, later it was the home of the writer France Kafka (house 22) and the Nobel-laureate poet Jaroslaf Seifert. Most of them are souvenir shops today. 

Dallan and I loved browsing each of the little houses and getting a feel for what life on the castle grounds was like.  Our boys would have loved the long hallways of armor and weapons! At one of the little shops we purchased a little knight figures for each of them!

Prague: Windows and Flowers

While we were in Prague and Austria I was completely charmed by windows. Windows everywhere were adorned with flower boxes that were so cheerful.  Even in the barest apartment building you could find windows with flowers draping the sills.  Whenever I saw a happy window I'd try to imagine the person who lived there.  It made me want to find more ways to make the world more beautiful. 

This window made me smile. 

 I loved the flower baskets and the laundry hanging together.  

Someone delightful lives there, I just know it!   

Prague: River Cruise

While we were in Prague we were able to go on a river cruise down the Vltava river! The view of the city was spectacular!

Prague: The Astronomical Clock

Prague absolutely took my breath away!  Even the street lamps, the old doors, and cobblestone roads were oozing with History.  Everywhere I looked there was a story to be told.  

The medieval astronomical clock adorns the southern wall of the Old Town City Hall in Old Town square. It announces every hour with 12 apostles passing by the window above the astronomical dial and with symbolic sculptures moving aside. 

The wooden figures of apostles with their attributes appear in the windows every hour, while at the same time some of the sculptures begin to move: the Death holds its hourglass and beckons to the Turkish man sculpture, which shakes its head in response. There is Vanity portrayed as a man with a mirror and Miserliness as a man with a moneybag, shaking a stick. The other statues, that don´t move, are an Astronomer, a Chronicler, a Philosopher and an Angel. When the apostles finish their journey, the golden cockerel at the top crows and quivers its wings, the bell rings and the clock chimes the hour.

The astronomical dial shows the medieval perception of the Universe: the Earth is the center. The blue part of the dial represents the sky above the horizon, the brown part the sky below it. 

(Text from www.prague.cz)

I wish the clock could have made time pass more slowly while we were in this beautiful city!

Prague: Charles Bridge

One of the first places we visited in Prague was Charles Bridge. It is an amazing stone Gothic Bridge that was commissioned by the Czech King and Holy Roman Emperor Charles the IV and began in 1357! It is even said that egg yolks were mixed into the mortar to strengthen the construction of the bridge.

Along both sides of the bridge there are many Baroque statues. The most popular statue is probably the one of St. John of Nepomuk, a Czech martyr saint who was executed during the reign of Wenceslas IV by being  thrown into the Vltava from the bridge. The plaque on the statue has been polished to a shine by countless people having touched it over the centuries. Touching the statue is supposed to bring good luck and ensure your return to Prague! (text from myczechrepublic.com)

Prague: A Wink on the John Lennon Wall

 When John Lennon was murdered in 1980 he became a sort of hero to some of the young Czech people.  His picture was painted on this wall along with other graffiti and lyrics that encouraged free speech non violent rebellion.  Back then the Czech people had very little freedom so their expressions on the wall were considered to be against the state. However, even the threat of prison couldn't keep people from slipping there at night to paint graffiti of the Beatles and also their own hopes and dreams on the wall. 

 Some people say John Lennon's Peace wall is the Prague's equivalent of the Berlin Wall.  The original wall used to be covered in anti communist graffiti but is now covered in messages of love and peace.  John Lennon's picture is long lost under layers of new paint, but you can still find many tributes to him and the Beatles. 

We couldn't resist adding our own message of love to the wall... "WINK!"

 Near the Lennon Wall there are railings covered in padlocks.  Local Lore says that couples put their padlock on the railing then throw the key into the river below to demonstrate their love and commitment.  It reminds me of the sealing power and promise from our Heavenly Father that love is eternal and families are forever.  I loved this quote from an article discussing the locking of hearts:
With time, keys in the water will drift away, engraved or written names will slowly fade away, padlocks will disintegrate or perhaps be removed, but a covenant with God will remain throughout all eternity. 
I am eternally thankful for the blessing of a temple marriage and the promise that our family is not only together for this time, but for all of eternity.   !

God Delights to Own and Bless You

When I was in 8th grade, I had to choose a country to report on to my class.  I chose the country of Austria because it was the country I wanted to visit most in the world!  I remember showing clips from the "Sound of Music" and bringing pastries and cheese for the class to sample.  Oh I hoped  someday I would be able to visit the country where the hills were alive!

Back in October Dallan's co workers in the athletic department asked if Dallan and I could accompany  the BYU Cougarettes on an international competition in Prague and Vienna!   The trip was scheduled for July.  They were aware that it was difficult for us to leave Caleb and were hoping that by giving us enough notice we could arrange some nursing for him so we would be able to go. To say were were thrilled to have that opportunity is an understatement.

However, as I really started to think about it, I was very conflicted inside.  Dallan and I had never both been away from Caleb at the same time, and I was nervous about being so far away from him.  I was terrified  something might happen while we were gone.  I started toying with the idea of  joining Dallan for a couple of days but even that didn't feel right.  By the time February came we still hadn't firmly committed. Little did we know how much our lives would change.  After Caleb died, going to Austria was the furthest thing from our minds.  However the time came to commit to the trip... and we did.I cried the whole way to the passport office. 


A couple of weeks ago we returned from the trip of a life time time.  Prague was amazing and Austria was everything I imagined.  While on our trip a phrase from the hymn "Dearest Children God is Near You" kept going through my mind.  And (God) delights to own and bless you...
Back in October we didn't know how different our lives would be in July.
God did.
No one in the Athletic department knew that this was the place I wanted to visit most in the world.
God did.
We didn't know how each one of the girls we traveled with would touch our hearts.
God did.
He delighted our hearts with a blessing that was beyond what we could have ever imagined for ourselves.

(And guess what, hills really are alive!)

(Warning:  Lots of pictures to come:)

I Have Been Changed for Good

This past Christmas I heard that WICKED was coming to town!  The last time it came to Salt Lake I tried for hours to get tickets but was unsuccessful.  I crossed my fingers this time and called the ticket office to see if I could surprise Dallan with tickets for Christmas.  There were some seats left, but none of them were together, so I decided to send a message to Dallan work.

Me:  So... would you want to see WICKED?!!!!

Dallan:  Why?

Me:  Because I really really really want to see it but just found out there are no seats together. 

 Would you still consider going?

Dallan:  Um...what if  hypothetically we already had tickets for July 19th.....?

I had hoped to surprise Dallan with tickets for Christmas, and he had already purchased them for me for a birthday surprise.  I was really touched that he knew how delighted I would be.

 With a heart full of gratitude and delight, I went on a special date with my sweet heart along with my brother Jacob and his wife Teresa.  We ate a wonderful dinner at the Copper Onion then went to see WICKED! Oh I absolutely loved every minute!

I couldn't help but think of Caleb during several parts of my favorite song:

 It well may be
That we will never meet again
In this lifetime
So let me say before we part
So much of me 
Is made of what I learned from you
You'll be with me
Like a handprint on my heart

...But because I knew  you,

I have been changed for good.