A lovely walk with Gabi and the kids through the woods until twilight. On the way back to home we stopped in at the church and listened to the organ player practice in the darkness lit only by candles from the altars.

Very gothic and surreal experience.

Afterwards Jeff and I strolled through the cemetery that surrounds the church, red candles on the graves flickering. Jeff had to leave when we came upon one plot too recently created--a little too morbidly real for him. For me, I'm always fascinated and mystified by death and its accoutrements.

For special dinner we had boiled potatoes sauteed in butter (a special request from me), fine slices of roast beef sprinkled with olive oil, parmesan cheese and chives, Austrian bread, and Stiegel beer, naturlich!

Gabi and I had a girls' evening afterwards, revisting the bar we went to three years ago when I was last here. Rum and hot chocolate and good conversation, storing up memories with eachother to last us another several years.

Back home and more conversation with Christoph, a nice farewell to him last night--but then Jeff and I had to get up at 6am to see him off to work as we weren't ready to say goodbye just yet.

Elisabeth came this morning to deliver Stanger schnaps and goodbye hugs--we all have the sense and the knowledge that we will see eachother again in not too many years.

We are packed and waiting to go to the train station in an hour.

The sun gives us a glorious last few vistas of the surrounding area; I try hard to burn them into my brain.

Known and expected endings make now so much more poignant. Without these goodbyes would we appreciate things as much?