Blogs from Austria, Europe - page 304

It had been some time since Linda and I had been on a ski trip. By now the kids, or at least the girls, were getting to be old enough to learn to ski. Our church was sponsoring a week-long ski trip to Innsbruck, Austria, so we signed up knowing that we would be with good friends. So on Friday, February 14th, Valentines Day, we loaded up our car with our snow gear and drove part of the way to Innsbruck, and on Saturday completed the journey to the ski village of Igls, just south of Innsbruck. Our ski lessons were from Sunday through Friday. Linda decided to stay with Will and sled. She really never enjoed downhill skiing. Tamara, Rosanna, and I were assigned to our respective classses based upon our previous experience. The girls ... read more

Vienna was a good night's sleep away, so that was our next destination. We had to share the compartment on the train with two Japanese guys, which made it very cramped. On the assumption that they couldn't understand, we shared stories about life at college, which consisted mainly of drunken depravity and sexual conquest. When we all got off the train the following morning, they happily grinned at us and said "Goodbye" in perfect English! First order of the day was to get some local currency. We were all very bitter and twisted when it cost us £2 to change a £10 travellers cheque. I think that if any of the Euro-sceptics in our political parties were to go inter-railing, they would soon be in favour of European monetary union. Bloody pain in the backside changing ... read more

An Excerpt from the Travel Journal of Nigel Fox circa 1925 Entry 23 -- DOPPELGäNGER Nov 10, 1923 - Alfred Horn crossed his legs, leaned back comfortably in a high-backed rattan chair and let his gaze fall upon the spectacular mountains for which Austria was famous. This particular view never ceased to comfort him: the sheltered mountain chalet had begun to feel like home. He had fully recovered from his surgery and was still marvelling that Dr Fuchs was every bit the surgeon his comrade Hans had promised. When Hans finally arrived, Alfred Horn was troubled. Having agreed to his friend's request, it now seemed to have no purpose. He turned to confront his companion: "The revolt failed; the Party has been disbanded; the Armanenshaft has been destroyed; their leaders have been killed or utterly discredited ... read more

Geo: 47.4923, 13.0361Marilies' wedding... read more

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 ... read more