where others come for vacation ...
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It's a dull cloudy day. I check the webcam @ Klewen .. and as expected, it's above the Sea of Fog. Why not walk in Sunshine? No matter how many times i do it, the moment of breaking through the cloud cover into the Sunshine, is always a miracle... And I'm all for miracles - Today and hopefully Everyday!!
I revel in the blue skies and the green meadows as i make my way to our Christmas Tree. All the ornaments are still in place, happily swaying in the gentle breeze.. I sit by the tree, light a candle, sip on the Tea and munch the cookies... I bask in the peace and tranquility of the Sunlight filtering through the thick forest cover for what seems to be eternity.
I feel refreshed as i step back on the trail to continue on to Stöckhütte, hop on a Gondola to Emmetten and then Post Bus back Home..
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It's a foggy foggy day as we drive up along narrow winding roads with zero visibility to the small mountain village of Bristen. From here, we hop on to the red cable car, which slowly starts it's way up to Golzernsee in the wild-romantic Maderaner Valley 1400 m above sea level.
A brilliant sunshine greets us as we step out and down below, we can see the Sea of Fog hanging over the valley. A nature trail along colorful mountain pastures and charming farmhouses takes us in 20 minutes to the banks of the idyllic mountain lake.
Brilliant Sunshine Above, Foggy Sea Below, Grassy Banks, Unspoilt Nature, Colourful Mushrooms - Enough to bring on a Smile..
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The time and place is the turn of the last century in Banff, Alberta. The European settlers came to this rough, crass, and largely lawless region nestled in the Rockies in search of wealth, carried here on trains riding the 3000 miles of steel ribbon linking one ocean with another, spanning the continent of North America.
This is the setting for Jens Kruger’s narrative work “Spirit of the Rockies”. The piece begins as an old man reflects on his first arrival in the Canadian Rockies to work as a guide. There he falls in love, with a young woman who mysteriously goes missing. We listen spellbound, in Uwe's rich, resonant, and mellow baritone voice, as he recalls how his brief encounter with her forever changed his perceptions of himself and his place in the world. A defining time in his life, that all these years later he still struggles to fully comprehend. Ultimately, this is a story of discovery about how a new land, and a new perspective, can lead us to find new things in ourselves.
The music (a seamless mix of Bluegrass, Country, Classic, Pop and Blues) comes from Jens Krüger, the lyrics from his brother Uwe. Bassist Joel Landsberg sits cool on the stage like usual, offering his light-hearted smiles and quick-wit-one-liners. They're accompanied by "The Symphony of the Mountains", a special 15-piece orchestra consisting of professional musicians from Tennessee and North Carolina. The orchestra is led by Cornelia Laemmli Orth, originally from Switzerland, who now lives in the USA.
Twenty years ago the Krüger Brothers moved to the USA. On a regular basis, however, they return to Switzerland. Each time the Krüger Brothers play in the Uri theater, the hall is always full. Today there's ~500 of us fans in the audience. Standing ovations and never-ending applause prevent the trio and the orchestra from getting off the stage. They repeat parts of "Spirit Of The Rockies".
I too contribute my bit, by trying to sing along their Swiss-German song: "Immer em Härze nah".
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Today I'm teaching the 40+ Age group @ SU. Heidi meets me at 18.30 in front of Turnhalle Isenringen and shows around. I go about with the regular drill: drag the roll-cart laden with Yoga matts into the hall, collect the sign-in-sheet from the cupboard, lay my mat and wait. The women start entering in groups, chattering. Soon the hall is full. Today there are 25 women. As the last few are apprehensively rolling out their mats in front, I reassure them that being a Vegetarian i won't eat them. They have nothing to fear... 
We start off with Pranayama and continue with different Asanas. I notice some women continue to breathe through their mouths even as i tell them to breathe through the Nose. They have a skeptical look on their face. Some 60+ women find SuryaNamaskar interesting, some others decide to just watch... A few groans for Halasana and finally everyone is happy to lay down in Savasana and go into la-la land. I hear a couple of snores as i guide them through the relaxation ;)
Another round of applause after the class and then a couple of women from the skeptical group, come & ask me why do we need to breathe through the Nose, while during Sports they've been instructed to breathe through the mouth. As i explain to them, i also make a mental note to talk about it during my next Session.
After the Class, a few of us endup at Nidwaldnerhof again for a round of Tea, Coffee and GirlTalk in Swiss-German. Too bad i'm learning German and not Swiss-German.. Perhaps if i close my eyes and meditate, I'll be able to understand all this priceless juicy Gossip better.. 