Venice

DOGS ARE ALLOWED

I was sitting in a café with Chee Chung for lunch and out came a dog with its owner from the corner. Dogs are allowed in any restaurants here. In fact, most of the dogs I had met seemed happy and warm during winter. One even played “fetch” at the garden of Mirabell Palace.
Salzburg is a lovely place to go, with everything within walking distance. They had large strawberries, cherries and raspberries here and I tried them all (exc for blueberries). Once you tasted the real thing, you won’t settle for preserved fruits, you know the one you find on top of Malaysia cakes. Salzburg also has a rich history which goes back to 700BC, but then there’s another story. For now, I like what I see in Salzburg and I promised to be there again in summer.

MORNING, SALZBURG! (28 Jan ’06)

The morning air greeted me. The skyline from my window at Gasthaus of Hinterbruhl (gasthaus means guesthouse/inn) was awesome. From far, I could see the church with a blue dome. We were staying in a cosy room, equipped with sink. Toilet and shower are shared. Quite a deal with only 54 per night for 2. Though the room can get quite smoky, the price came with daily breakfast. I learned how to enjoy fresh coffee in Austria.

A HAPPY DAY (27 Jan ’06)

Second day in Austria and it was a happy day for strolling! The sun was out and boy, was I glad to see it. I was unable to sleep well on the first night due to the cold. My body was screaming for Malaysia weather as I fought the cold under the blankets.

I had been walking out to the little town of Velden, discovering new things each day. Had my brunch at a bakerei (bakery) with cinnamon & cheese rolls and cappuccino. Total cost = 5.90. Now, now I promised myself not to multiply everything with 4.56 because if I do, I won’t get to eat anything at all! The Lord had provided for us so far, he would not let us down.

As I walked back, the sun got warmer. Perhaps God created snow or winter so people can appreciate the sun more. I did. To be able to enjoy God’s creation is one of the simple pleasures of life.

snow covered playground

That's me by the half forzen lake.

House buried in snow....no lar. snow piled up only.

some ducks/birds lepaking at the half frozen lake.

This was my brunch, yummy!

IN THE LAND OF GIANTS (26 Jan ’06)

I was among giants on the flight to Austria; Germans or Austrians who were way too tall to meet eye to eye with me. 16 hours of flight across the Europe continent wasn’t something that I do often in my life. In fact, it felt like a dream to be able to travel that far. It was something out of my world; even winning a grand prize in a contest does not come this close (Never won anything major in any contests before). It was something that God made possible. Also meeting with Chee Chung halfway across the world was really exciting. I had not met him for a month now and the feeling is like meeting a blind date, acquainted through Internet. What would he look like? I dozed off again, listening to the soft humming of the plane engines.

View from twin prop plane enroute to Klagenfurt