Wiesenmarkt in Bleiburg

The town of Bleiburg, in today's Lower Carinthia, close to the Slovenian border, celebrates, since 1393, its  biggest festival between September 2nd and 5th.

One can therefore claim that this Festival was first celebrated just about 100 years before Columbus set sail to discover America.

Each year about 130,000 visitors make merry "Auf da Wies'n" and events are measured whether they happened before or after the "Wiesenmarkt".( market on the meadow ")

She: "Let's get married"
He: "Yeah, right after the Wiesenmarkt."

He: "I would like to visit Vienna"
She: "Okay! But we have to be back before the Wiesenmarkt."

You think 'Bertstravels' is exaggerating ? Nooooo!

I heard this dialogue: 
She: "The baby is due soon"
He: " Can't it wait until after the Wiesenmarkt ?
She: " It doesn't know about the Wiesenmarkt."
He: "But you do".

Below: The "Freyung" is planted at the fountain, indicating that the "Wiesenmarkt" will open in 2 weeks:

The traditional bearer of the "Freyung" 

slowly proceeds up the Main Square, 

followed by the Mayor (Bürgermeister) Stefan Vesotschnig

and other dignitaries.

Mayor Vesotschnig and Professor Arthur Ottowitz

place the "Freyung" under lock and key.

Old and Young now look forward 

to the opening of the Wiesenmarkt.

In traditional costumes

the members of the  "Trachtenclub"

participate in this festival.

Sugarbaker Gottfried Stöckl

serves his traditional "Met" ( honeywine )

that's very funny

a little girl had just finished her first week in school, when she complained to her mother:

"I am totally wasting my time in this place. I can't read and I can't write and they won't let me talk!"

Bertstravels

is laughing out loud.

Mary's Ascention - 15th August -

I returned to Bleiburg on the 13^th August 2016 and, lo and behold, on the 15^th of this same month there was a big, and I mean Big, holiday in Austria.

It is on the 15^th day of August that the Roman Catholic Church (among others) celebrates the Ascension of Mary, the Mother of Jesus Christ, and with this, the Mother of God, into the Kingdom of Heaven.

In the 5^th century A.D. It was Cyrill of Alexandria who determined this date but it was not until the year 1950 that Pope Pius XII spoke these words:

“By the authority of our Lord, Jesus Christ, and by our own authority, we pronounce, declare and define it to be a divinely revealed Dogma, that the immaculate mother of God, the ever Virgin Mary, having completed the course of her earthly life, was assumed body and soul into heavenly Glory.”

Keep in mind the key words: “divinely revealed Dogma.” This means, if I understand this phrase correctly, it was announced by God and is therefore 'incontrovertibly true.'

It is the fervent and unshakable belief of this congregation that Mary, after her death, was buried in a stone grave and when this grave was opened a few days after her burial, the body of Mary was gone and only her garments were left.

Legend also has it, that Thomas ( later St. Thomas ) was late coming to Mary's burial. Therefore the stone grave was opened so that he ( doubting Thomas) could be convinced of Mary's death.

In fact, and this is where the story gets truly funny, Mary is said to have unfastened her girdle and dropped it down, while she was on her way up to Heaven, so that Thomas could have absolute proof of Mary's ascension.

This “original girdle” is now a relic belonging to the Prato Cathedral in Tuscany.

There are other, “original, genuine” girdles claimed to be in possession of other churches, such as Westminster Abbey.

This multiplicity of “truly original girdles” is not enough ! There are also “tertiary girdles” which are girdles or belts, which had touched the original genuine girdle, which Mary had dropped from the sky to Thomas.

There is, in fact, some argument, whether Mary's ascension was before or after her death.

It must be admitted that the wonderful fairy tale of the girdle-dropping is not part of the Dogma of Mary's ascension. The ascension story is a fairy tale all of its own.

One truly has to wonder to what extent the Roman Catholic Church ( and other churches ) will dream up Fairy Tales which then can be embellished ad nauseam.

Bertstravels'

astonishment has no end.

The little church of Einersdorf, just a few kilometers from Bleiburg

celebrated "Maria Himmelfahrt" ( Mary's Ascension ).

Believers came from near and far to attend a special Mass.

The Mass is celebrated by Monsignor Olip

After the Monsignor had celebrated Mass

visitors consumed liquid and solid refreshments, also en Mass.

Justifiably famous Sugar Baker ( Konditor ) Stöckl

offered for sale great amounts of sweets and Honey wine ( Met )

while other purveyors provided "Wienerschnitzel" and 

other local foods.

It can therefore be said, without much fear of contradiction, 

that the population received everything necessary for

Body and Soul.

Third day back in Bleiburg

I wish I could say that this is "the First Day back in Bleiburg" but, quite honestly, I suffered a bit from Jet-Lag and just did not feel like writing in this Blog, nor, for that matter, anywhere else.
I just felt like sleeping a bit.... a lot ?
On the second day, however, we drove up to the Hemmaberg and listened to some most interesting stories concerning the first settlements atop this rise.
The Chief of the archaeological group, doing the digs up there, held a talk about these excavations.
He spoke of the Celts and the earliest Christians, who, over the years, built churches and homes on top of this hill.  

Christin and Nanni study a plan of the excavations.

Last day in Toronto, Canada

Tonight, at 7PM I shall board the plane to take me back to Austria.

I had a wonderful time in Toronto (with its almost 6 Millions inhabitants) and environs...

but I am also looking forward to returning to little Bleiburg with its fewer than 6000 souls, about 600 living directly in the town.

The truth is, however, that I now know more people in Bleiburg, than in Toronto.. well, almost...

The next time you hear from me, I will be blogging from Bleiburg.

I took no pictures of our little family fare-well party, last night in my house. Lianne and Jason, Steven and Janet were the only guests.

The night before, however, I met with my best friends in Toronto.

Lake Ontario at Pickering Harbour

Pickering Harbour... 

exclusively for Pleasure Boats and Swans

Andy, John, Bert, Shirley and Peter

Shirley and Peter, born and bred in Zimbabwe, 

John and Bert veteran Safari goers ( foto only, of course)

it is easy to imagine that Safari Adventures formed the leading  theme.

TWO FACES

Every country has two faces. At least, maybe more.

Take Ontario, Canada: There is Algonquin Park, the North of the Province and there is Yorkdale Shopping Center in Toronto.

If you have been a visitor to this Blog, I do not need to describe Algonquin Park to you. You've probably heard too much about it, since I have a tendency to go on and on about this favorite place of mine.

The forests, the lakes, the rivers, the wide open spaces …. this is one face of Canada.

Yorkdale with Gucci, Chanel, Prada, Tiffany, Cartier and the like, this is the other face of Canada.

The first is not of our creation. It is simply there and we are charged with its protection and preservation.

The second is of our making and bears witness to the industriousness, the creativity and the desire to create something beautiful of our own.

This is not a “comparison”, not a competition between the two faces, but solely a statement that they are there and that both should be treasured and enjoyed.

True, to enjoy the first costs little if any money, while the second can be enjoyed by most of us only from afar.

"Yorkdale" is Toronto's largest shopping center.

It is also the most "upscale" shopping center

and it is the most successful shopping center where sales achieve $1,650 per sq.ft.

If you are not sure what this means, believe me: These are remarkable Sales Figures. The best in the Country.

Over 250 stores vie for the visitors' dollar.

Even "Tesla" has a store here, where, for just over $100,000.00 you may purchase a fully electric automobile, which gets you 300 km on a full battery load.

unfortunately, the very attractive sales lady told me 

that she was not permitted to be photographed with the cars in the picture.

Too bad ! Otherwise I would have bought both of them.

Last day at Lake Simcoe

The Seagull, the Lady and the Man!

A stiff breeze blew from the North. The waves, crashing into the boulders on the shore line, had carried white foam caps before they broke up among the rocks and yet, the day was hot.

The Seagull made no forward gain, however swiftly it might have beaten its white wings.

For a moment then, it stood still as if frozen in space and time, until the wind carried it backward, still without motion of its own. Then it dropped straight down into the foaming waves, the black marking on its tail feather visible for a second, entirely submerged, only to reappear dipping and doodling like a miniature white gondola.

Slender to the breaking point, tanned from many hours in the sun, long body in a dangerous bikini, stretched on a blanket, the wind did not seem to disturb her. She lay on her stomach with her head turned to one side. The tension of her muscles however strongly suggested that she was awake.

Her long blond hair, tousled by the wind, was sun-bleached and looked as if it had been worn pony tail fashion.

He came from the nearby three-wheeled refreshment booth, carefully carrying two large paper cups of liquid. He bent down, so that his fat belly doubled over his knees. A heavy black haired, muscular back and seemingly disproportionately long arms almost suggested the presence of a distant relative of his species. With, what seemed like a gentle, mischievous smile of anticipation, he touched the obviously ice cold container against the small of her back.

Was it an involuntary reflex, or a gesture of annoyance, her hand flew out in a wide arc hitting the cup dead square on and sending the liquid in an ice cube filled splash onto his face and down his belly.

At first he scowled, she looked horrified and then they started to laugh; uproariously laugh, rolling on and off the blanket with helpless laughter. When they came to rest, they lay side by side, she curling his black hair upon his back with slender well cared for fingers and his burly hand gently caressing her neck.

The seagulls, there now were three of them cawed and cawed and cawed, as if they too found this situation funny.