Sunday Morning Stroll in the Rain

 There is something almost 'spiritual' about a very quiet Sunday morning stroll in an old traditional Bavarian town with its inimitable sounds of tolling bells
and singing wet woodland birds.

I trust you will enjoy it with me again....

Okay, okay.  These first two don't come from my camera, true.

But all the rest of these do.....and they are published in chronological order of my stroll as well.

I had all 70 pic's arranged in a slideshow and set to Rachmaninov's Piano Concerto No. 2 in C Minor 

but alas, I couldn't upload it to my blog for love or money.  Pfft!  

Now you have to do the walkabout sans serene music.  :(

Listened to a sermon online today and have to think about the fact that I serve a RISEN Saviour.

The cross is paramount to my faith but the resurrection is what propels it and drives me forward!

You will see several pictures of massive Copper Beech trees. While they are a personal favourite of mine (yes, I have favourite trees), I publish them mainly as an educational opportunity for my sweet sister, who, though we have grown up side by side in the same nursery tree environment

all our lives and who,
even works in that business to this date.... does not know what said tree looks like.

I hereby suggest that TreeTagging 101 should be mandatory for all nursery office secretaries.
Paid hours of course - with a Starbucks in hand.

So there you have it sista.  Copper Beech's in all their immense glory.

More is on it's way but right now, I have a chance to Skype with my husband and YIPPEE,
THAT is not going to wait!!

One sweet hour lapse of time passes....

Hey Richie?  Identify this for me please...

(I don't do perennials very well)

Stumbled across Mr. Tumnus in the bushes.  Boys are so yucky.

C'mon y'know Mr.Tumnus - meets Lucy by the lamp-post in Narnia?

The rear of the Leonardis Klinik

That upper balcony to the left is my room.  Fortunately, there's an overhang so I can still stand out of the rain (which has not stopped since we've arrived) to enjoy the mountain air.

Somewhere out there - is a very big mountain range....

And now I submit evidence of the farm that is literally 200 steps from the Klinik (I counted them:)

This is the 'front lawn' of an old traditional Bavarian Working Farm.  I couldn't spot the Clydesdales anywhere (I did smell them tho') & when I see them next, I hope to have the camera in hand.  

Exhibit A -The horse trailer

And full circle back 'home' (for a little while longer)

My beautiful strong mom.  When I grow up, I want to be like her.

   Hans found a bottle of Italian Merlot.  

*sigh*

The Beauty of Blessing

Thanks sister Pauline, 

your morning mail 

is a great inspiration!

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!

Day Two/Three June 17, 2010

Had a few procedures and tests done at the Asklepios Hospital today.  An EKG and ultrasound for the heart to determine whether the port can be installed without risk.  That turned out just dandy by the way.  

We were sent home within 45 minutes WITH the test results in hand.  How's that for speed?  And all for 247 Euro's.  It practically costs me that to get my teeth cleaned.  

Asklepios is a greek god of medicine and healing.  The sign outside refers to it as a Krankenhaus.  Sounds like crankyhouse to me.  

I think it's important to let my hubby know that they offer this clinic at Asklepios. 

I think he should come and take advantage of this asap.

And Mom?  

She was taking it all in stride.

A waiting room televising the World's Cup soccer match of the day?

She could've waited all day with no crankiness whatsoever.

Guten Morgan, wie geht's?

Points of interests and not so:
Laundry facilities for public use are unavailable here at the clinic or anywhere locally.
This creates an interesting dilemma.
Do I case out the nearby valley for a local stream and bring my bar of soap?

Public washroom facilities are also a novelty.  Unless you find a fairly upscale restaurant with such a luxury, one's request is met with a shrug of the shoulder.   You have the option of playing the charade game to get the point across and follow an animated set of directions in German.  This could be highly entertaining.

There are no screens in the windows or doors.  Move the handle down to lock.  Move the handle to a centre position to open.  Move it upward to tilt the top of the door forward a few inches for some fresh air.  It's all very... provincial.
I couldn't get my patio door to stay shut at all and eventually moved a chair in front of it to keep it closed until the morning when the resident Mr. Fix-it Stop's 'em Fella came to show me a thing or two about European doors.

There are cows mooing in the pasture behind us.
There are two horses eating grass in front of a house about 90 seconds down the road in front of Leonardis.  They are the size of a Clydesdale.

This is a sugar free, wine free facility.
This is a cruel realization.

I humour myself however, with the small gains today.  Fritz the cab driver made a detour to Faukland (Germany's diminutive WalMart) on our way 'home' from the Asklepios Klinic in Bad Tolz.  He even escorted me into the supermart to scout out some shampoo and laundry soap.  

I was using the shampoo today and suddenly thought:  What if Fritz thought I meant Hair Remover??  

.... It was the quickest application and wildest rinse of my life.  

Six dice.  It's Mom's game and I need to prove to my sisters back home that I am sacrificially honing my skills.  In fact, I beat Mom two out of three today before supper arrived.  Hey.  I tried not to but only a seasoned gambler would know how to manipulate dice.  And I'm not seasoned.

The food is really good.  Yesterday I tried Ostrich Stew.  

I had to block out that pervasive mental image of a very tall beady-eyed bird staring me down,

but eventually my taste buds won out.  

Mom is getting infusions intravenously (thru a vein in her hand) until the port is installed in her chest cavity.  We take a cab back to Asklepios tomorrow for that procedure.  We may cajole Fritz (or Victor or Hans:) to make another detour of interest on the way back?  

I still have my hair on my head -- it seems the man can be trusted after all.