from the Car

I was on my way to Salzburg. 

Traffic on the "Autobahn" had come to a stop. 

So, I took the opportunity to take these pictures 

through the car window.

Christin in better times

Hey, Christin, keep on swinging

Do I like those?

I'm not sure that I like this stuff!

Well, I'll give it a try.

Country Party

Sometimes it happens, that this happens, which you did not expect to happen.
That's happenstance.
We went for "just a little drive in the countryside."
It was a beautiful day. Early Fall, or Late Summer. One just did not know which.
I did not matter.. it was just a beautiful day.
So we drove into remote Valleys which we had not previously visited.
An isolated farm here, an abandoned sawmill over there.
The brook still bubbling away.
Late blooming flowers on the side of the road.
A Goshawk on the look-out for a careless mouse.
Just driving slowly, with the windows open.
Over there, a cluster of buildings.
There are two farms, several sheds, a small Pub.
People dancing, singing and playing "good old folk-music."
A horn player, old enough to know better, but swinging good ol' country tunes.
An accordion, accompanied by a bass-guitar and a guitar.
Every one of them an amazingly good musician.
You could order from a "wide ranging" menu:
Fried chicken or Wiener Schnitzel. Potato Salad.
Bier, or Bier or good spring water.
A great time was had by all:

Prevention: Condom vs Prayer

Pope Franciscus in Mozambique!

One of the poorest countries in the world, Mozambique, was visited by Pope Franciscus recently.

Hundreds of thousands (?) of Faithful are said to have turned out to attend Mass being celebrated by the head of the Roman Catholic Church.

The question rears its ugly head: How many of those faithful were infected by HIV?

How many could be free of the dread disease of AIDS if only that same man, Franciscus, would not, as did his predecessors, continue to forbid the use of condoms during sex?

Sex is, reportedly, the main transporter of the HIV virus.

The use of condoms, so scientists and common sense tell us, would largely prevent this virus from traveling from one partner of sexual relation to the other.

However, the use of condoms would also prevent conception and thereby the eventual birth of another human being.

Stubbornly the Catholic Church, lead by its Popes, still clings to the absurd notion that sex is to be indulged in only for the purpose of procreation, which the wearing of a condom would of course also prevent.

So, a country of approximately 30 Million people, of which about 2.2 Million people suffer from Aids, or at least are HIV infected, must continue to suffer because one man “celebrates a Mass” and “prays” for the suffering, but refuses to urge his adherents to protect themselves and/or his partner from this horrible disease by wearing a protective device.

Here, before you, are two preventatives:

“Prayer”, which, unfortunately, has a worse than extremely poor track record in prevention of sickness and disease, and

“Condoms” which, while probably not fool prove, have a very high probability of success in this prevention.

Come on, Francis, wake up and do the right thing.

Bertstravels

fears that he will not.

"Market of the Meadow" - revisited

Today is the last day of this marvelous Festival.
Bleiburg boasts about 4000 inhabitants. 
About 140,000 visitors are expected over the three day period.
I was there again yesterday and took some more pictures.

A gondola of the Ferris Wheel took me up to the top, 

where, on my request they paused for a minute

 to let me take several pictures.

This one should give you an idea of the extent 

of this over 600 year old Festival.

There are, of course, the more serious parts of the Manufacturing and Production.

They are  probably more important, but not as much fun.

LEST YOU FORGET!

80 Years Ago.

1^st September 1939

Today, Eighty Years ago, the most devastating war, in which some 30 Nations were actively involved, started. Under instructions of Adolf Hitler, supported by his Generals, German Tanks and Army Units crossed the border into Poland.

Hours before, the German Air Force, tried out its “Stuka,” a dive bomber, on a small town near the border, housing some 12,000 inhabitants, of which about 1,500 were killed in this sneak attack. This war, started exclusively by Germany, ultimately cost the lives of 56,000,000 people.

That is: Fiftysix Million People.

An additional 17 Million persons were murdered in innumerable Concentration Camps, established for this purpose within Germany and all occupied territories.

This is not a history lesson! You may learn all the gruesome details by checking out Google or other historical records.

This is just a reminder. “Lest You Forget.”

Bertstravels

worries about the return of Right Wing Movements

in many countries of the world, including Austria.