26 September - 2 October 2011

Simon is rehabilitating. To an onlooker, such as the one left alone with the children for three weeks, Simon is living the life of a millionaire playboy. His daily programme at the sanitorium in Saalfelden includes massage, physio, swimming, water gymnastics, arnica baths, group back exercises, parafango, gym sessions, relaxation classes, electro therapy, art and craft and good food. This week he strolled into town in between therapies and won a prize draw for an aeroplane flight, so he flew over the mountains between Zell am See and Maria Alm before heading back for a little snooze.

19 - 25 September 2011

We do not have a terribly busy social life but hornets are regular evening visitors to our apartment. This one, as you can see, is as big as the building next door, but most are about this big ______________________________________________ (cross my heart a million times no exaggeration). Since no one else seems to be plagued by them, Justine is convinced that they are coming for her, which makes them frightening and sinister. Her colleague at the Waldhaus helpfully told her that three stings from a hornet can kill a man. Yesterday it snowed and snowed and last night the hornets didn't come. Hopefully they are all frozen and the month of terror is over.

12 - 18 September 2011

This week Caspar started school at the Gymnasium (grammar school) in Saalfelden. The bus leaves at 6.45am, his bag weighs 8 kilos and the graffiti on his classroom wall, that should have been removed before the new term, reads "du bist sheisse", but despite all that he thinks it's fab. Justine's German skills enabled her to translate the graffiti but not the heading of the important information that he was sent home with on the first day, which was titled with the following 30 letter word; Einziehungsermächtigungsauftrages.

5 - 11 September 2011

Following the partial destruction of Simon's beloved bike came Divine Retribution and Justine's beloved bike was stolen the next day. This week divine Simon found Justine's bike abandoned in Saalfelden. Justine is very happy.

29 August - 4 September 2011

Two weeks until the end of the holidays and we are trying to squeeze everything in. This week we climbed the Breithorn (2400m), (apart from Elizabeth who remained playing with friends at a comfortable 800m). Caspar and Mary took part in the Saalfelden Trimotion event (Elizabeth watched in comfort from the sidelines). And we visited the world's largest ice caves at Werfen which were spectacular. This was an endurance test for all three children since it was 30 degrees outside the caves, for which we dressed appropriately, and 0 degrees in the caves for the hour long tour and Justine had left the children's winter jackets in the car at the bottom of the mountain. Thank goodness she hadn't forgotton hers and Simons!