Port-Cath Install & Touring Bad Tolz

This sidewalk cafe is owned and operated by the Asklepios Hospital.  It's adjacent to the garden park (well-benched!) in front of the hospital.   Esthetics is so important for wellness.  It's a nice thought to be connected in blood & marriage to so many people who understand & commit to this in their vocation!

The infamous hospital garb once again...

For two euro's you can plunk your weary body into a Rucken Massage chair (this stand is down the hall from the hospital foyer) and treat your back to a glorious ten minute massage.  We rushed into the Leonardis clinic like two little school girls to tell Christine all about it.  She sniffed & politely informed us of a massage bed available in the lower level.  Well then!  The things we have yet to discover.

Isn't this a quaint cobblestone street in upper Bad Tolz.  The regular patrons here at Leonardis have suggested that there's not much happening here but at this stage of the stay, Mom and I beg to differ.

The 17th century church rebuilt after a fire claimed the original building.  I'll try and dig up some history on it later but for now - just enjoy the fantastic sights and views that were ours to revel in this day following the Port plant.  

Flash update!  Remember I was going to research some history on this church?  

Here it is from Google Translate: 

Bad Tolz an der Isar

Hoch uber der Isar auf dem Kalvarienberg steht die Krone von Tolz, die barocke Kalvarienberg-Kirche diese uberdacht die ehemals dort im Freien stehende Heilige Stiege mit 28 Stufen, diese wurde nach dem Vorbild derjenigen in Rom gefertigt, welche der Stiege nachgebildet wurde, auf der Christus zu Pontius hinaufgefuhrt und von dort oben dem Volke vorgestellt wurde.

Bad Tolz on the Isar

High above the river Isar on Calvary is the crown of Tolz, the Baroque church of Calvary that formerly covered the Holy Staircase standing there in the open air with 28 stages, this is modeled after those made in Rome, which the staircase was modeled on the Hinaufgefuhrt Christ to Pontius and from there to the people was presented.

(Many thanks to my dear friend Lilly who somehow gets me out of every technical fix I find myself!) 

Oh, the sound of a tolling church bell!  Victor tells us that it still tolls for ten minutes every Saturday at 3pm to commemorate a time when that signaled the end of the work day 

and the duty to start preparing for the Sabbath.   

Now there's a good custom to get back into.

An exquisite work of ceiling art in tile.  Man. That'd give you one crick in the neck eh?

I'm a bit of a freak for ancient doors.

Hey beloved?  Are we still considering a new wooden door entry?  :)

This is at 700m elevation.  The Alps tower to 2000m elevation.

Victor lit a candle here and I asked about the propriety of taking a picture.  We were the only three in the church but I didn't want to offend him.  No chance of that, so I took one anyway.  The town is decidedly Roman Catholic - and he thinks the possibility of locating an English speaking Protestant church is slim to none.  Good thing you once gave me your pastor's website and archived sermons Pouse.  It'll be 'church on the little screen' come Sunday.  Maybe I should find a bottle of wine in town....and some baguettes..... & then compliment that with some Muenster cheese??

Mercies New Every Morning

Mom and I were scheduled to be picked up at 7am for the port implant at Asklepios today.  I awoke, looked at the EDT on my laptop - did the math and calculated that it was 6am.  I was treated to a marvelous sunrise and our very first glimpse of the sun here in southern Germany.  

It wasn't till I was all spit-shined and ready to roll a half hour later that I became aware of my miscalculation.  It was actually 5:30 am.  ACH!  

Not that a certain creature (native to these woods) was going to let me sleep in anyway:

A cuckoo bird was making the most distinct, rhythmic
and highly incessant cuckoo noise somewhere much too close
to my 'tilted forward' balcony door.

At first I thought - Aha! - too much Sound of Music recall the day before - remember the scene where the VonTrapp kids are singing "an absurd little bird, is popping out to say cuckoo" at the Captain's farewell dinner party?

You don't ?  You've never watched  The Sound of Music??  Truly???
Well then, I can attest to the fact that the cuckoo bird is authentic, not at all extinct
and as much a disturbance to sleeping in as a flock of strutting henpecked roosters --
a bit like our cooing morning doves back home.
You know the ones -- little barrel chested grey creatures that nest in your eavestroughs and make you think longingly about owning a BB gun?

But there now.  That just sounds plain ungrateful - especially since I would have otherwise missed the ethereal sight of the morning mist rolling over the meadows here in the southern tip Germany - so very close to the Austrian border.  

And this is where the VonTrapp cuckoo bird lives of course!

Psalm 19 is a personal favourite:

....the skies proclaim the work of His hands.

Day after day they pour forth speech;

night after night they display knowledge.

There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. (!)

Their voice goes out into all the earth,

their words to the ends of the world.

*wowsers & wunderbar*

Hope you 'heard' Him today too!