Dec 25 2012 Mission Blog
Oberndorf Silent Night Kapella
The Kapella Good picture of the Kapella
Advent Calendar in Hellbrunn Schloss Windows
A Schloss in Giligan
Display window in St. Wolfgang
Who is that Tirolean Man?
Norm, is that you. here in Wolfgang.
Heidi and Karen in Oberndorf
The antique train ride (yup) Coal burning engine.
Mechanic woring on greasing wheels.
The baby being baptized in the Silent Night Movie.
Recognize the parents. Couldn't get a picture of his bashful sister.
Walk from train to Stille Nacht Kapella, across river in Germany
Sunset behind forest, Note no snow. Rainstorms melted it all
St. Johanns in Pongua has snow for Christmas
So we awakened too
early having gotten to bed aft er 2:30 am having attempted to Skypp the kids. And attending a Catholic Christmas Eve High
Mass. It was a very old church and
very cold. It was odd to attend a church
service with everyone dressed as if they were going on a cold Sleigh ride. The music of the mass was beautiful. We were nearing the end of the mass and the
song was a Kyria. It shocked me. I suddenly connected that I was listening to
a composition of the Mass, when I connected with the Kyria, having studied the
form and parts of a Mass in a composition class back in about 1967. We were with the Feggs and she invited us to
go up above where the Choir and Orchestra had been performing. It really was a very old church, with very
old uneven and wide floorboards. We also
met the Organist. The performance he
gave was about as good as I have ever heard.
The Orchestra and Choir though small. preformed excellently.
The culminated a
wonderful day with the Andreas and Nadia Dengg family. We arrived for a traditional Chistmas Eve
breakfast We were greeted warmly by
Nadia Andreas and their three girls Yasmin, Julia and Lina. The breakfast was also very European with
Breads, thin meats and sausage, and a choice of cheeses and marmalades. Then a few games of Uno until it was time to
hit the road. As we came upon an antique
train along side the road, we all knew we were headed to Oberndorf, a family
tradition, on the antique train. The
town of Oberndorf were full of tourists even foreign ones. It was very festive with a Brass band.
We were all treated to “Kindle Punch.”
A lot of Dengg relatives met us at the station and we walked around the
Salzach River as we looked across into Germany.
We returned home to a
wonderful traditional Austrian Christmas Eve supper. It was a clear soup with whole carrots
floating in it. The accompaniments were
noodles, Rind roast, and a special white sausage that is only made for
Christmas. It was marvelous.
Dinner cleared away and the three girls disappeared to their rooms. Mom and dad having loaded the dishwasher
prepared the Christmas gifts for under the tree. The family gathered, we sang Christmas carols
and then Mom read the Christmas Story from an old, very worn, Kinder
Bibel. (Child’s Bible.) They finished with the traditional, “Silent
Night.” Dad handed out the presents as
he explained to us they found it much more pleasant one at a time as they all
appreciated the gift with the receiver.
It was wonderful as some of the first gifts were given, it included
cards from each other to express their appreciation and love. We and the Elder’s even received one. Karen Birth had left three the the swatch
style watches with the jewels around the large face. There were the perfect number of 3. We had noted that it was becoming a popular
watch around here, so it was perfect.
So it is almost 9 am, and the Christmas bells are ringing in
Salzburg. It has been a good Christmas
and the day is just beginning. Loved
seeing the traditions of the area this year.
Interesting conversation with Bruder Dengg, the father in picture of their little boy. Wonderful spiritual man from Neumarkt. So we were in Oberndorf, and seeing all the alt. And were talking about why American's love to come to Europe to see history. Well Norm says, "We don't have a lot of very old With the exception of the Indian ruins.."
Brass band Christmas Eve in Oberndorf