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Austria Exchange (Spring 2011)

On Thursday 3rd of March 2011, 12 students woke up eagerly anticipating the days ahead. Bags packed, weighed and re-packed we boarded the coach bound for Gatwick Airport. Before we left we were each issued with two sets of epaulettes and a 'Gucci' College baseball cap as currency for any bartering we would perform in Austria.

We arrived at Vienna Airport late in the evening where we were met by the olive drab bus of the Austrian Bundersheer (Armed Forces). On board were some of our Austrian hosts who were keen to begin practising their English asking about our flight, the College and our sporting preferences. Following a short bus journey we found ourselves in the town of Wiener Neustadt and shortly after that at the Military Realgymnasium, our home away from home for the next couple of days. We were shown to our rooms where the males had a room all to themselves and the females were split into two rooms, each with their own Austrian girl who would normally live in the room.

During the next few days we were given tours of the school, the Military Akademy (the Austrian equivalent of Sandhurst) which was found directly next door to the school and the town of Wiener Neustadt itself. We also found ourselves joining the Austrian’s English lessons and having conversations with the different classes, ranging from 14 to 18 year olds, all of whom spoke surprisingly fluent English (fortunately)! In the evenings, when we were given free time, we completed work and went out to explore the town and experience the Austrian culture.

On the Sunday we travelled from the school to the Felbertal region where we would be skiing for the majority of the week. When we arrived we found ourselves at a military ski lodge and were all allocated our rooms. This time the females had a room to themselves and the males were split up and placed in rooms with one, two or three Austrian roommates. After introductions we were all settled into our rooms and went to sleep, many of us anxious about our first time skiing in a while or, for a handful, ever!

On our first day out on the slopes we were graded as to which ski group we would join later on. Some were taken into a Beginners group and the rest spent the remainder of the day skiing down red runs and the occasional off piste section. The next day the Intermediate group joined up with a group of Austrians, and to our surprise joined them skiing for the rest of our time at Kitzbühel. After a long day's skiing each day we were presented with a great evening meal and the opportunity to experience some of the après ski facilities, including a gym and sauna room.

After a fantastic 5 days of skiing we had all improved our skiing abilities vastly, with some of us having the opportunity to tackle one of the more difficult Olympic runs Kitzbühel had to offer. The majority of us were very tired and mostly in a state of sleep on the coach journey back to the school. We were then given free time to catch up on some of the work we were missing.

The following day we were taken to the Austrian Military History Museum where we were guided around Austria's past and present militaries, ranging from pike men and musketeers to the events sparking the First World War and to the annexation of Austria by Germany during the Second World War. We also enjoyed a trip to the Austrian Summer Palace where we spent time exploring the gardens that were kept previously by the Austrian Emperors and Empresses.

After packing for the impending return home the final day's plan involved a trip to the Austrian Honour Guards' base where we were given a brief history of the Honour Guards and a tour of the barracks. We were shown a tradition room which displayed the Honour Guards' history, both past and present.

We then travelled to Vienna where we were given a tour of the city, including the Cathedral, and were then given time to explore the bustling marketplace. Following the tour we were allowed some shopping time.

We then regrouped and headed back to the coach taking us to the airport where we said our goodbyes and left for our flight back to the UK. We all immensely enjoyed the trip and enjoyed learning about the Austrian culture and the history of its Armed Forces. We also thoroughly enjoyed the skiing, despite many falls experienced by all (some more than others)! We all thank the Principal and Mr Rola for organising the trip on our behalf, and we are extremely grateful towards the Austrians for their hospitality, patience and the many enjoyable experiences and memories which we have taken away from this trip.

We would most definitely rate this Exchange as one of the best extra curricular and cultural activities the College conducts during the year, and certainly one which raises the College's European profile forming lasting relationships with our Austrian counterparts. We now eagerly look forward to welcoming the Austrians to the UK in June to visit Welbeck and to take part in our Summer LVI CCF Training Camp.

Alexander Locke, Stirling 10E

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