Mountain top experience

Spent this Sunday afternoon ín summit sunshine at over 6,000ft - courtesy of cable car whose top station at exactly 2,000 mtrs. The posters around town spoke of a free Johann Strauss concert there at 15:30, but while we could see the bandstand, and 200 seats arranged on the hillside, the band and the audience failed to show up - so we did 3/4 of the Telegraph crossword instead.

Stunning views down to the lake below, and clouds changing the whole time revealing and shrouding distant summits, including the 3,750 mtr Grossglockner where the coach takes us tomorrow - heavy rain forecast!!

But showers was today's forecast, and while we had a few spits on the top, blessed that the nightime thunderstorms that ended yesterday's sunny day of coach travel, and lakeside evening walk did not revisit.

This morning we walked straight from the breakfast table - a struggle given the copious quantities consumed to the 10am service at the town's "Evangelical Church". Proceedings entirely in German, which featured on neither of our school timetables, but the last two hymns included an English translation in the hymnbook so we could enter in there. The first clearly said 'Jamaican folk tune', but we first sang the 3 verses in the style to which the organist was accustomed, before the preacher stood up and sang out at twice the speed and with a little rhythm. 80% of the congregation appeared to be visitors, and 50% of them Dutch. But good to have time for quiet reflection and prayer.

A good day, or to be more accurate, a God day. Auf weidersein.

A Good Report

Tuesday afternoon saw us back at Bristol Oncology Centre. A familiar spot during chemotherapy but this was to receive the latest news of the scan Dave had had 2 weeks ago.
The consultant's first words were that this was a good report and went on to say that it was the best we could hope for at this stage. There was still talk of the next line of treatment -'when it grows back', but step by step, and this felt like a huge leap for which we are truly grateful.
We had both thought that Dave would be further down the road of recovery by now so this was a timely encouragement.
We are off to Austria tomorrow (leaving Bristol tonight). I ( Elaine) for one am needing the break though I have to say that the stress of packing makes me doubt whether it is worth while!? But I am sure that to be out in mountains and great scenery will greatly restore Dave's body and soul - mountains reach parts of Dave that nothing else can!
Will hopefully give a fuller up date on our return but felt we should share our good news with you.