The "altar on wheels," also known as the Life Mobile, was transferred to the Austrian movement on Thursday, September 26th. Our Blessed Mother remained still in Italy and was being driven around in a minivan during that time.
The Life Mobile was experiencing problems with the breaks, therefore it had been decided that it would be best to cross the Alps during the day and gain some time for the repairs. Robert, the driver from Slovenia, who drove Our Lady also in Italy, brought the Life Mobile. The necessary repairs took up half the night and the greater part of the next day. The long journey, often on rough and bumpy roads, and the constant change of guardians had their effect [on the trailer]. The electrical installation caused most of the problems. The glass shrine has its own battery power in order to be able to illuminate the Icon while in transit. Not everyone remembered, though, about the fact that the battery had to be charged from time to time. The lighting of the shrine and the Icon of Our Lady is particularly important during evening and night travel.
The flags with the logo of the peregrination, located in the two corners in front of the shrine on wheels, have currently travelled ca. 10 thousand kilometers. This was already the second set of flags. It is hard to believe how quickly they become dirty and torn from the flapping in the wind. We didn't have any new ones, so we had to "reanimate" the ones we had. After some washing and the hemming of the torn edges, they began looking like new. On the other hand, every country places its own flags with great pride in the back [of the Life Mobile]. This time, the Austrian flags were attached.