Friday, June 16

 On Friday, we had our fifth day of class and then again went over the IUHPFL Core Values.  Again, students discussed in small groups which of their classmates have best represented the various characteristics before sharing their thoughts with the whole group.

After classes and our discussion of Core Values, we headed to Schloss Eggenberg (Eggenberg Palace) on the west end of Graz. We took the tram to the palace, and then the students had a bit of time to explore the expansive grounds before our tour.  They were most fascinated by the peacocks that live on the property.

We waited in the courtyard of the palace for our tour guide. Schloss Eggenberg is a Barock palace that Prince Hans Ulrich von Eggenberg began building in 1625. 

Unfortunately, we weren't allowed to take pictures inside the palace rooms, but we really enjoyed seeing the impressive rooms and learning about the history of the family and uses of the rooms.  One of the most fascinating facts about this palace is how it was designed to represent a calendar: there are 365 windows for the days in a year, 24 state rooms for the hours in a day, and there are 31 rooms on each floor for the 31 days in most months. 

After our tour students could either stay to enjoy the grounds some more or head home to their host families.  Some of the students decided to stop at the cafe in the park to try Eiskaffee (coffee with ice cream).