Herrischried

Jackie and Bernice and I went skiing today in this little Black Forest resort town. Here we are taking a break during the lunch hour. Jackie is a pretty good skier - certainly fearless! - and we love the freedom of racing down a hill, to meet at the bottom and ride up on the chair again.

Bernice and I have skied ever since we were married, mostly at Bozeman Montana and Kimberley BC. She's got great form, though not the daring spirit I tend to be. Here in Europe the skiing isn't as exciting, even in the Alps, because the snow line is too high. All the runs are above the tree line, so there are no cozy runs carved out of the forests, no forest trails to dipsey-doodle through at high speed! But the towns and villages at the bases of the ski areas are much "quainter" and more interesting, and there are no Golden Arches visible from the runs either!

Witches

Today is Fasching, that is, the day when a period prior to Lent begins. Over the centuries, this came to be known as the last day to really round out your load of sin before you had to think of repenting, and so many occultic traditions developed. Now, of course, it is just a cultural thing, or so they say.

Each Fasching, clubs from the surrounding towns mount a huge parade, with many carved wooden masks and eerie costumes.

In nearby Basel, my friend Ted Dick and I observed the piccolo parade. For that, one sets himself down on a square prior to 4 AM, just in time to see all the city lights switched off. Then columns of piccolo players - thousands in total - emerge from all the darkened side streets, carrying lanterns and playing the same melody over and over again. Quite a cool experience, though I'm not sure what the historical significance is.

Europe has always been a spiritually dark place, though it was through the centuries of darkness that the truth of Scripture was preserved by monks and monastic orders. One wonders what the spiritual future of Europe might be.