Skiing In Austria and Christmas at Home with friends

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Our first Christmas in Overijse we spent with my colleague Dave W. and his wife Linda and their three boys on a ski trip to Kirchdorf, Austria returning to Overijse on Christmas Eve, where on Christmas Day we had dinner together at their home. By then my sister Carol had moved to Overijse from Thailand, where she would live with us for about two years. She joined us for this trip.

14 December 1984 Friday. We fondly remembered the Kriskindelmarkt in Rothenburg ob der Tauber, so decided to make that our stopover destination on the way to Austria. We arrived by mid afternoon, and stayed for the last time with the farmer and his wife on the outskirts of town. After renewing our acquaintence, we walked to the market to see the festive decorations and Christmas items, such as the traditional tree decorations and nutcrackers. We had some gluwein to keep us warm.

15 December 1984 Saturday. We completed out journey to Kirchdorf, Austria which is just a couple kilometers east of Erpfendorf, where we first learned to ski in January 1978. It was great to be back, although this time not with a large group of colleagues from Ramstein. It was just the eight of us, with strangers who we soon got to know in our ski classes.

16 -22 December 1984 Sunday through Saturday. We had ski classes all week with the slalom races on Saturday, followed by a ski banquet where the winners received their medals. Carol was in the beginner class and won first prize.

23 December 1984 Sunday. We started home through Innsbruck and Garmisch and northward, stopping for the night in a quaint Bavarian inn in some small town, which I don't remember the name of. It was Linda and my wedding anniversary and Linda W's birthday, which of course, called for a major celebration. The adults ordered the gourmet dinner which started with an appetizer of sweet bread, which is brains. We each tried a bite; over rated and never eaten again. This was followed by a wild game dish and then for dessert we had a birthday cake. I'm not sure how the restaurant was able to come up with the cake on such short notice, but they did good!

24 December 1984 Monday. We continued back to our homes in Overijse, arriving after dark.

25 December 1984 Tuesday. I'm not sure how Linda W did it but by noon on Christmas Day she had prepared a delicious dinner of turkey with all the traditional dishes. We opened our presents before going to Dave and Linda's home, ariving at their place just in time to watch them open their presents...mostly for the boys. This was followed by Christmas dinner, and a pleasant afternoon celebrating the birth of Christ.

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Photos

Linda W opening her present while Brit and Parrish and Linda look on
Linda W is an avid horse rider.