Icy Slopes; Warm Hearts

This was a such strange year in Lech: very little snow; many ski injuries from the icy slopes; lots of long mountain walks; and a daily yoga class filled with a quiet magic all its own. I also heard reports of liberal kissing policies around the hotel. 

Now i myself would never kiss and blab, but let's just say I may have missed Frau Schneider's cheek at midnight on New Year's Eve. 

(What can I say? It's a romantic place....)

I will fill in details later, but I'm at 30,000 feet, and there are movies to watch and long eyelashed teenagers to gaze at, in these, the waning hours of vacation.

Below is the speech I gave Christmas Eve. Everyone was really kind and told me they loved it; perhaps because it was only 2 minutes and a half long. 

They do love me; but foie gras waits for no man.

More soon.

Xxx

Katia; me; MFB; Angelika S.

Kate and her squad

Sunshine skiing

Thomas' new passion

Yoga squad... 

When Gerold asked me if I would give the  speech this year I said:

Never.

I am unworthy of the Almhof Schneider

Christmas speech and happily admit it.

And actually I liked the old days best when Mrs Schneider just congratulated us on how great we were, and then we went in to dinner.

And Gerold said you must- and make sure it's deep and meaningful. Quote Trotsky perhaps.

And then i told him that the truth was I found 2016 to be disheartening to say the least. We had a year of violence in Syria and Iraq under our sometimes indifferent noses; Terror  attacks  around the world; and at least two elections that seemed to me at least, deeply pessimistic and uncharitable; 

Plus David Bowie died.

I told him I couldn't possibly say something cheerful this night.

And thats when he threatened to move me to a smaller room.

So Here i am

The 12th century German theologian Meister Eckhart said: if the only prayer you learn is "thank you, it will be enough" . 

But Gratitude is not a duty, it is the path to relief. it Is the salve for despair. 

And coming here to Lech, makes gratitude at least, easy.

When I first came to lech as an innocent Californian..

I was utterly enchanted by this particular evening- by Mr Schneiders speech, by familiar songs sung in a foreign tongue, by the pyrotechnic Christmas tree-

We don't use lit candles and fireworks on xmas trees in America; especially directly over the heads of children... And I found this marvelous.

And while the mystery and meaning of Christs birth  is so often beyond my understanding..I am profoundly moved  by the rituals surrounding it. Particularly the rituals at this hotel.

And even after a difficult year, I find tremendous comfort when I come. 

I am comforted by the familiar and the beautiful.

I am comforted by the mountains and their eternal knowledge

I am comforted by the sight of my friends and their beautiful, growing  children

By my family and our endless dinner debates; By Giddy behind his bar.

I am comforted by Gerold's long silences and Mrs Schinders straight posture as she makes her rounds in the dining room.

I am comforted by laughter with Katia and the chair by the fireplace-

and the pianist whose name I do not know

I am comforted by the voices of the people wearing chefs hats and dirndls who sing so beautifully this night

I am comforted by my newly soft bed in room 219

And I am so very comforted and grateful that God willing, this will happen again next year. 

Exactly as before.

Merry Christmas .