TWO DAYS IN

It seems to be fun, so as usual I'll start once everyone else has. Well not really, my very good friend Rustan Lefin was the first at www.afreemanintown.blogspot.com and then I discovered at New Year that my friend Jill was a blogger too. So I thought I would give it a try. The title of this blog refers to the fact that I have been home from Austria for two days now, back in UK, which for me is never a pleasant experience. There have only been a couple of places in the world where I have returned from to be grateful to be home. Austria is NOT one of them.

I have been going to Austria for over 25 years now and to my shame I still, in typically stoic British style, have not been bothered to learn German. Yes, I can speak Swedish after a fashion, but not German. How useful this would have been over the years. But modern life seems to make it all so easy. Google translate means the hotel is never at a loss as to my arrangements for the coming stay, and Tom Tom sat nav makes it almost impossible to get lost in the country, or now for goodness sakes, on the pistes. There is also the mobile phone. Never again does the ski group get permanently lost during the ski day. When we lost JD as we always do, we simply phoned him and we were all met up within 15 minutes.

JD found again

And there are countless other occasions when to speak German was not necessary. But what about simple conversation? yes that's when it would be useful. I am sure Christian landlord in our local bar in Wagrain would be collapsing to the floor in shock if, next time in his hostelry I were to greet him with,

" Greetings mein Mann, vier Liter Ihrer besten dunkles und ein für sich selbst"

Time to get the evening classes booked!

The ski Team