20 - 26 October 2008

The Austrians are a nation of boy scouts. They can tie knots, climb trees and are always prepared. While we are still picnicing and playing in the sun, they are putting on the Winter tyres and chopping wood and Spring cleaning in preparation for the long cold Winter months - taking a leaf out of the book of the flora. Just as the leaves are turning, new growth is budding everywhere. The trees and flowers make a good start on all the Spring work before the snow comes. The snow softly blankets them and keeps the young buds safe and warm, and when the thaw comes, they are already half-way there. So we can be full of the joys of Spring twice a year!

13 - 19 October 2008

Our good friend Martin, from Munich visited this weekend. Following a walk he decided to run to a nearby lake and have a swim. It didn't concern him, or us, that he had no towel or swimming costume and that the water temperature was about 12 degrees, such behaviour is not uncommon this side of the water. It was, however, a little more unusual when he did the same, some years ago, in the English Channel off the Devon coast, in March, and then ran along the coastal path in his underpants!

6 - 12 October 2008

The children, and visiting friend Emily, ran up a mountain on Sunday. The grown-ups trailed behind but eventually made it to the Birnbachloch where the river springs from a very deep hole in the rock. So deep that the true depth is still unknown. Legend has it that a huge lake lies undiscovered within the mountain and when one tries to find it a deep muffled voice warns,'if you discover me, I will swallow you'! Simon tried various techniques, Caspar took the story very seriously and got a bit panicky, but thankfully, it wasn't discovered, and noone was swallowed.

29 September - 5 October 2008

In a land where everyone is as fit as Jimmy Mcfit who won the prize for being fit in Fitsville, the Austrians indulge in some pretty unhealthy habits. 47% of Austrians smoke, and on Saturday in our local Tabak, shoppers could sample a range of tobacco brands for free. Maybe it's part of an initiative to get that figure to over 50%! For the children there's sweets. Post a letter, get sweets, visit the bank, get sweets, get a book out the library, get sweets. It's no wonder our children love it here.