Austria

What a fabulous holiday! Singing every morning, exploring and sharing our songs with the mountains and previously warned bystanders (as well as the unsuspecting ones on trams, bridges, etc) every afternoon/evening. Never have I met so many budding Marias, so many positive thinkers, so many weiner schnitzels. The whole week has been inspiring and I have made friends that have changed my life.

So!! No more dry, cynical comments!! No negative remarks about things being �not possible�! Just some nice pictures of a wonderful holiday with some exceptional people in a stunning setting. Who could ask for more?
 

Now at home this is a Christmas treat ... 

Workshops every morning, preceded by 5-rhythm dancing and the shamans' prayer, or tai chi by the river. Coffee breaks were an opportunity to explore EFT, positive thinking, Louise Hay, and the list of names to see if we knew everyone yet. I haven't learned so much in such a short space of time since a biology field trip in 1972 

Coffee break in the cafe next door. At the end of the week the bill was hugely inflated and they refused to negotiate. We put a hat out when we sang at the Goldene Daht in the centre of Innsbruck and raised 56 euros towards it. 

Lunch in the pit, in the lobby of the jugenherberge (Alice is teaching us a calypso round).  

If you wipe your computer screen and peer hopefully onto the covered bridge, you may just see some singers with glowing lights, their harmonies rising above the noise of the rushing river. 

Is it a ghost? No, it's a Swarovski crystal dress in the lobby of 'Winter Wonderland' - a veritable cornucopia of crystal, polystyrene and a fertile imagination. 

Time for some local scenery I think - these are Bavarian houses on the river Inn and we are about to look at the menu of a restaurant on the town side of the river (I had dumplings) 

This picture and the one following were taken from the top of the ridiculously high tower at Innsbruck - but I have been shown how to control my fear of heights by a fellow singer, Jill, by tapping meridian points on my head and hand while affirming my worth and acceptance. Incidentally I did not take these two pictures as I could not remove my hands from the wall behind me and the squat position I had chosen to adopt was at the wrong angle! But I was up there! Last week even looking at these pictures would have made me dizzy. 

Another technique for bringing joy and health into your life is to be aware of your negative thoughts and replace them with positive ones. Our guru, Annie, suggested we wear a rubber band on our wrist and 'ping!' it when we had a negative thought. Unfortunately for Jo, she was the only one who had a rubber band so we all pinged hers. She would then have to ping it herself to counteract the negative thoughts caused by the pain. 

Having endured a mediocre meal served by a hostile waitress, we settle down to experience some yodelling and an eyeful of lederhosen (ping! ping!) sorry start again - Having tried local delicacies such as weiner schnitzel and apfel strudel at a local family-run hostelry, we gathered excitedly in an adjoining room for an evening of Tyrolean culture 

How the long winter evenings must have flown! (as Blackadder would say) 

Synchronised slapping 

Last one I promise! 

This take-off of the Tyrolean evening had us all in stitches !! 

I have no photos of our performances but this was taken backstage after our gig at 'Soko Rum', an old people's home! We recognised a couple of the care workers when we next sang, at the Goldene Daht in the middle of Innsbruck. Our last concert, on the Sunday night at the Haus de something-or-other, was attended by people who had PAID (albeit for charity). One local choir enjoyed it so much they nabbed a couple of the teachers and tried to persuade them to come back and do a workshop for them! 

Clive had his car because he was staying an extra week in the mountains (I've had an e-mail since saying he 'walked to Italy!) Jo, Libby, Pete and I were invited to an outing in the mountains which was so enjoyable - we yodelled at a glacier, oohed over brown-eyed mountain cattle, and had an excellent 3-course set menu for 7euros at a mountain gast haus in Gris. Spookily however, these yeti followed us everywhere, attracted no doubt by the harmonies and the lively spirits! 

Singing on the tram - luckily the other occupants offered a round of applause rather than raised eyebrows 

I look at this picture and feel such warmth for everyone! 

Storytelling by the lake at Lansersee (this particular tale was about 'Jumping Mouse'). When 40 of us arrived at the lakeside Dee checked with the scattered people around that it would be ok if we settled there and sang a few songs - they were delighted that we were not German and brought us smiles and things to sit on. After the lake we journeyed up the mountain to Igls and shared our last meal all together (mountain lamb and apfel strudel) 

The idea of giving our teachers these gifts of christmas tree balls displaying 'silent night' and the yodelling Tyrolean hats above was inspired - the rest of us immediately went out and bought the whole stock (much to the surprise of my family!) 

Perhaps an odd picture to end on, but the last thing I saw every night. Auf weidersein xx