24 - 30 October 2011

According to the Bauernkalendar and local wisdom, the first snow always comes 100 days after the first frost. The first frost came this week so we can expect snow at the end of January! According to websites promoting Christmas skiing breaks in Maria Alm it's snowing already!

17 - 23 October 2011

The Peberdy family were one of two families that took part in a very enjoyable village family walk on Sunday - the second being a family of marmotts that we serendipitiously chanced across when our guide led us on an accidental diversion up the wrong mountain on what should have been a little stroll between the Filzensattel and the Erich Hütte.

10 - 16 October 2011

We are enjoying an Indian Summer just as England is. Referring to a mild spell after the first frosts, the Indian summer is so called because raiding parties of native American Indians had a stay of leave before the snow came and their tracks betrayed their settlements. This warm spell is known here as an 'Altweibersommer' (old ladies' summer). Raiding parties of old ladies can be seen all over the countryside.

3 - 9 October 2011

For the occasion of Hans and Erika's wedding which took place on Saturday, Simon composed a mass and directed the choir for it's first performance. At the evening reception everyone was very complimentary about the music so Simon was reassured that the fact that the bride started crying and Mary had to leave the service to be sick, was not as a direct result of his music.