Wednesday 29 September 2010

Philosophy or Dung

Here I mentioned my ongoing discussions with the webmaster at http://kjv1611.org.uk/hivyersay/index.php

So here is my previous comment and the reply.

Thank you also Webmaster. I'm sorry that you feel my blog is "obviously" nothing more than a self indulgent ego trip. I'm impressed that you have read my whole blog ... I'm not aware of anyone else in the world that has done that, so thank you. I think though that to say that there is "no reason" in the whole of my blog ... well ... honestly ... that just isn't true. Honestly ... if I could look you in the eye and say this I would ... I firmly and honestly believe that the assertion that there is "no reason" in my blog is not true. This assertion is a lie. I would be very happy to meet you one day to discuss this further if you were willing. My whole life I have been a studious person ... ask my family or friends. I realise that some of what the Bible says is not easy to understand. But this has no relevance to my non-studious answers to the studious questions posed on your web site. I apologise if you find my reasoning difficult to follow - but honestly I am happy to meet with you so that you can explain to me and I can explain to you.
I know ...from your perspective I am blinded by Satan ... a dog that has turned to its own vomit ... a sow wallowing back in the mire. But from my perspective things are different.


Andrea:
It comes across that you are totally deluded in your philosophy ( so called ) and spoiled with vain deceit. Your blog is of a falsehood. I wouldn't waste any time browsing through your blog, I have enough dung to pick up after my dog.
There's one thing for sure though, The Lord Jesus is faithful.
2Ti 2:13
If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself.

I’ve signed off on the discussion. I don’t know how to have a rational conversation with such a person. My losing words:

Dear Webmaster,
Your words speak for themselves.
I'm sorry that your mind and heart seem to be too small to have the common courtesy to discuss things in a polite and adult fashion.
The reason I assumed you had read my blog is that you said: "Andrea, you talk about having “reason” but have none in your whole blog."
If someone were to tell me that there is no sense in the whole Bible ... and then tell me that they had never taken the time to read the whole Bible ... well I would be unimpressed.
I will now leave you to follow your delusions as you are leaving me to follow mine.
I'm sorry that you don't seem to be prepared to discuss things nor to answer any questions or respond to challenges in any way other than belittling and insulting the person that asks the questions.
You know ... I Peter 3:15 says:
"But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and [be] ready always to [give] an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear."
I'm really, really sorry that you are not able to do this. Don't you feel that you do your Lord a disservice?
I feel that your Guest book isn't a place to continue this ... and realise that I am becoming an unwelcome guest.
So ... it's goodbye.
But please ... email me if you would like one day to discuss things. I'm always ready to try to explain why I believe what I believe to anyone that asks me.
Andrea

So … there you go. Which one of us is deluded?

At the last check … the webmaster deleted the above message … adding the text to the end of the previous posting:


Webmaster:
Heretical blog removed from site guest book

I think I am almost proud to be a heretic.

A little later I tried adding the message to the guestbook again. It was deleted again.

And then again. But was informed that my IP Address was banned from the guest book.

So … accepting the challenge … using a proxy server … posted the message again.

The reply is:

Yet Again:
Andrea, you came to this site and said that the KJV1611 bible was full of errors and the reasons were on your blog and named the page. I checked out that "blog," (named)whole and fully.
I was the one who asked you questions not the other way about as you are now pretending. You have gave not one iota of proof that the KJV1611 bible is in error.
As anyone can plainly read on our guestbook, we are more than willing to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear.
There is only one here who is delusioned and thats you Andrea, because I have already emailed you with the question and you refuse to explain why you believe what you believe.
But up you pop on the guestbook again, under false pretense.
Webmaster

Also the:


Webmaster:
Heretical blog removed from site guest book

 

stuff has been removed.

I said in my last message that I would not add more to the guestbook, so I won’t.

However I have received no email. And I have made no pretences.

To be honest … there has maybe been mix-up of terms and phrases here. The terms blog and blog posting seem to have been misunderstood. And perhaps the idea of emailing a question with posting a question on the guestbook.

I did, however, say goodbye to the guest book. So I’ll leave it at that and maybe will eventually receive an email?

Egotistical and reasonless wallowing

In my most recent post (here) I mentioned the comments I had left dated 27th September 2010 at http://kjv1611.org.uk/hivyersay/index.php

Here is my comment:

Thank you for replying to my earlier comment of September 21st.
I believe that you are misguided over the issue of the infallibility of the KVJ1611 version - but also about other things as well.
I've written in a little more length in my blog at: http://andrea-wright.blogspot.com/2010/09/popes-cardinals-catholicism-evil-and.html I do though, respect your right to your beliefs and also respect that you are prepared to allow people to leave messages on your guest book even where the message is in disagreement with you.
Andrea

At the moment, the replies I’ve received to this are:

Tommy H. Heffner Sr.:
Howdy Andrea,
This is from another poor "misguided" King James Bible Believer in the USA. I was just wondering if you were saved by the "Blood of the Lord Jesus Christ"? You weren't if you read in the "ASV" Colossians 1:14 in whom we have our redemption, the forgiveness of our sins: OR in the "World English Bible" Colossians 1:14 in whom we have our redemption, the forgiveness of our sins; OR in the NIV Col. 1:14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. OR in the ESV Col.1:14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. OR in the Good News Translation Col. 1:14 by whom we are set free, that is, our sins are forgiven.
I could go on and on but I'll take the King James Bible Colossians 1:14 In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:
Are you saved "by the blood" of Jesus Christ? Maybe you should check up on how you were saved!
Tommy H. Heffner Sr.
Bible Baptist Ministries
http://www.akjbible.com/


Hello Andrea,:
Your blog is obviously a self indulgent ego trip, as you were asked a reasonable question to your accusations. Andrea, you accused people of being mistaken. They asked you, “What may we ask 'are we mistaken about'?”
Your big answer goes like this “It begins with the infallibility of KJV 1611 thing. And the way that “reason” seems to be belittled and scorned whenever it seems to conflict with the infallible.
Andrea, you talk about having “reason” but have none in your whole blog. That is why I say you’re self indulgent. You like to hear yourself and be heard. If your statements to the questions posed are anything to go by, then you’re not very studious.
2 Peter 3:16 As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.
By your own statements you claim to have been a Christian, and now reprove people of wanting things set in stone. Here is a scripture perfect for you.
2 Peter 2:20-22 For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them. But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.
Webmaster

And here … my additional comments added today – dated 29 September 2010:

Hello Tommy. Thank you for your comment added to my entry of 27 September.

Honestly, I do not see you as being a 'poor "misguided" King James Bible Believer'. Just misguided. I'm not attempting to pass judgement on your honesty or personality or character. All I'm saying is that I disagree with you. I think then I am not saved by the "Blood of the Lord Jesus Christ".

Thank you also Webmaster. I'm sorry that you feel my blog is "obviously" nothing more than a self indulgent ego trip. I'm impressed that you have read my whole blog ... I'm not aware of anyone else in the world that has done that, so thank you. I think though that to say that there is "no reason" in the whole of my blog ... well ... honestly ... that just isn't true. Honestly ... if I could look you in the eye and say this I would ... I firmly and honestly believe that the assertion that there is "no reason" in my blog is not true. This assertion is a lie. I would be very happy to meet you one day to discuss this further if you were willing. My whole life I have been a studious person ... ask my family or friends. I realise that some of what the Bible says is not easy to understand. But this has no relevance to my non-studious answers to the studious questions posed on your web site. I apologise if you find my reasoning difficult to follow - but honestly I am happy to meet with you so that you can explain to me and I can explain to you.

I know ...from your perspective I am blinded by Satan ... a dog that has turned to its own vomit ... a sow wallowing back in the mire. But from my perspective things are different.

Please feel free to add to the discussion at: http://kjv1611.org.uk/hivyersay/index.php … look for the comments from Andrea dated 27th and 29th September 2010.

Monday 27 September 2010

Popes, Cardinals, Catholicism, Evil and King James – an Andrea’s eye View

Recently the Pope visited the UK.

It was a mixed kind of event.

The biggest challenge seemed to be the Catholic Church’s involvement in child abuse over the years.

In addition to expressing sorrow over this … the Pope expressed concern that religious views … especially Christian views … maybe especially Catholic views … and people … are being marginalised and their views and values are not being taken into account sufficiently.

But I can see why the un-churched might not see a problem in this. Looking around the world, religion has a very mixed history.

It isn’t all bad … but bad enough to mean that almost anyone involved in any mainstream religion ought to be prepared to apologise for past misdeeds before suggesting agendas for the present and the future. And some way of making sure that it doesn’t happen again.

I guess the same goes for political parties and a lot of non-religious groups as well.

Cardinal Walter Kasper hit the news in the UK just before the Papal Visit … though what he actually said in the context in which he meant it to be heard is something that the media seemed to lose track of.

For a little while I gave some thought to the Church’s role in past misdemeanours.

I typed the following search into the little box displayed at www.google.co.uk

is the catholic church evil

The second result in the list that came back tells me that God Hates the Catholic Church!

The thing I find difficult to understand is that the person that wrote this stuff expected to be taken seriously.

Even harder to understand is that some people agree.

And even harder … how can someone write all that stuff and then … at the very top of the page in bright red letters make the following quote:

"The fear of the LORD is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate." -Proverb 8:13 

My mind is boggling.

I then took a look at the home page: http://www.jesus-is-savior.com/

Oh my gosh!

Which led me to: http://www.jesus-is-savior.com/Bible/NIV/why.htm where Mr Stuart tells me:

If you are using the New International Version (NIV) of the Bible, and continue to do so after reading this article, then you are truly blinded by Satan, or just don't care.

At this point Andrea breathes a sigh of relief … no NIV for me.

There’s a part of me that thinks – so what? What if David J. Stewart thinks this?

And another part of me thinks – David J. Stewart should not go unchallenged.

So … here goes … in my opinion … David J. Stewart is a misguided man who misunderstands the book which he proclaims to be divinely inspired and infallible. He’s lost touch with the God that is described in the New Testament. He has made the book that He reads into his God.

I guess that he might see me as an abomination … under the influence of Satan. The only way I know to disagree with that it to discuss things rationally and reasonably. But maybe I’m on a loser when disagreeing with the infallible.

The letter that Paul wrote to the Galatians says:

... the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance …

Or in the 1611 version:

…  the fruit of the spirit is loue, ioy, peace, long suffering, gentlenesse, goodnesse, faith, meekenesse, temperance …

It would be nice to see a little of this at http://www.jesus-is-savior.com. But I’m not holding my breath.

Having spent a little while reading some of this stuff I wondered if there were other people that had similar views on the King James 1611 version of the Bible.

And Google led me here: King James Bible Believers

Mostly it saddens me. It seems that people are willing to buy into infallibility at the cost of their reason.

I left a message in the guest book:

http://kjv1611.org.uk/hivyersay/index.php dated 21 September 2010:

I'm convinced that you are mistaken ... but have the feeling that no amount of discussion will change your mind.
Infallibility - real or imagined - is a difficult thing to enter into a discussion with.

The reply:

Andrea:
You signed our guest book saying we are mistaken. What may we ask 'are we mistaken about'? What article are you referring to?
Webmaster

 

It begins with the infallibility of KJV 1611 thing. And the way that “reason” seems to be belittled and scorned whenever it seems to conflict with the infallible.

But it doesn’t end there. I read parts of the article at: http://kjv1611.org.uk/What%20Happens%20to%20Babies%20and%20the%20Retarded%20at%20Death.htm. There was a time when I might have thought the same. But really … to follow this logic to its extreme … wouldn’t it be better if most of humanity had never grown beyond babyhood?

The page that I first visited at this site was: http://kjv1611.org.uk/Questions%20for%20those%20who%20think%20the%20KJV%20Only%20are%20wrong!.htm

Here are the questions from the web site … and my thoughts in italics:

Let me ask you to answer the following questions about my position:

1. How many people am I leading to Hell because I believe the AV1611 is infallible?

If there is no hell … then no one.

If there is a hell … then perhaps there is just one person that turned away from Christ because they found it hard to see how anyone could make such a big thing out of this.

And if there is one … perhaps there is another.

2. How many young Christians will grow up with a stunted knowledge of the Bible, if I teach them to read it with the belief it is infallible and the very words of God?

To read it in the belief that this one translation is infallible requires a leap of faith that, I believe, discredits the word faith. How can it be infallible? It’s a translation. Really? How can it? And what happens when they discover the truth?

3. What is wrong with holding up the AV1611 and telling Bible-believing Christians, "You can trust every word"?

There are mistakes in the translation. Really. There are.

4. How much of my reward will I lose for trusting God to keep his "WORDS" to every generation?

Which generation? Which language? Where? When? You mean God promised somewhere that there would be a 100% accurate, unequivocal and unambiguous translation of the Bible in English? For ever? Always? 

5. If I am not allowed to believe the AV1611 is infallible, then which version should hold that distinction?

You may believe what you will … but really … honestly … there isn’t one.

6. If no version can hold that distinction, what do you suggest I tell my grand-children the next time they read Psalm 12:6-7?

This would be a start: http://kjvonlydebate.com/2010/03/17/psalm-126-7-preservation/

7. If I am forced to learn Hebrew and Greek before I can study the "words" of God, will you pay for our lessons?

I didn’t mention Hebrew nor Greek. And you do know … they aren’t infallible either. Honestly. 

8. Please tell me why you still "preach from" the AV1611 but do not believe it is infallible?

Actually I don’t. 

9. Which Bible do you use in your private studies and which one is the "best translation"?

None. But if I did … and when I did … looking at different translations added meaning and aided understanding … tended to avoid bigotry. It wasn’t ever about the best translation. It was about understanding and doing.

10. Why can't you just leave us "ignorant brethren" alone with our belief in the infallibility of the Scriptures and let us retain the title "Bible-believers", while you could use the title "Bible-correctors and interpreters"?

Mainly, I think, because you make such an issue of the truth and base the premise of your truth upon what seems to be an untruth. Also … if you cannot leave other people alone, you can expect others to not leave you alone.

So … there you go.

Of course … I am definitely not infallible.

Well … unless I am having a discussion with Sally, Sarah or Katie … in which case everyone knows I am always right. The clue is almost in my name :)

I’ve left the following message in the guestbook dated 27 September 2010:

Thank you for replying to my earlier comment of September 21st.
I believe that you are misguided over the issue of the infallibility of the KVJ1611 version - but also about other things as well.
I've written in a little more length in my blog at: http://andrea-wright.blogspot.com/2010/09/popes-cardinals-catholicism-evil-and.html
I do though, respect your right to your beliefs and also respect that you are prepared to allow people to leave messages on your guest book even where the message is in disagreement with you.
Andrea

Wednesday 22 September 2010

Andreas Outings and Being Different

Last week was the first time in what seems ever so long that I had a trip out as Andrea. It was to a monthly TV Dinner at Kathie and Billie’s.

The food was excellent … as was the company.

Nikki had news of a recent trip to Pink Punters … an evening of champagne, good company and dancing. I was envious.

It was great to catch up with Tina, Julia, Tania and Katie as well as Billie and Kathie and everyone else.

I’ve heard really nice things about Femesque and am need of a change in hair and also makeup hints and tips are always welcome. So I hope to pay a visit sometime soon.

This coming Sunday, being the last in the month, is a Surrey Swans day. So that’ll be nice. And there’s a chance of a visit to Candy Girls with Tina in October.

I’m frequently challenged at my own attitudes to things and to people.

As a t-girl myself I have developed … or maybe acquired … a set of preconceptions.

Yet the transgendered “scene” challenges these fairly frequently.

Most t-girls that I’ve met are keen to express femininity in the way they dress and makeup.

Of course there is a particular kind of view of femininity here. And it’s not the only one. I’ll call this particular view of femininity “t-girl femininity”.

There are people in the transgendered community though that have a different view of things. People with beards … less makeup … stubbly chins … an unconventional dress sense.

There are t-girls who will only venture out into public because they feel they will not be spotted. And others that can’t venture out for fear of being spotted.

And there are ways in which a transsexual perspective on things can be quite different from a transvestite perspective.

When I go out I accept the fact that some people will spot me as a transvestite. But, something I learned from Fiona Floyd quite a while ago … that’s what I am. And so it need be no big deal. And yet …  it depends on who notices and how they react.

It is, I think, about accepting differences. People being able to accept transvestites like me as just being different. Just as I must accept other people in the transgendered community as being different. And all kinds of other people as being different.

Different isn’t bad. It’s not always easy. But in itself it isn’t bad.

Friday 10 September 2010

Korans and Bibles

In the early morning there has been no sign of Zo.

And then there is the Dove World Outreach Center in Florida.

Will they or won’t they spend a day burning copies of the Koran?

It reminds me of a conversation I once had with Jeff Peake … a friend way back when I was a student. At the time I was a born again Christian and Jeff a once-upon-a-time Catholic.

He was leafing through a Bible that I had and asked hoe I’d feel if someone tore it up.

“I’d feel it was  bit of a waste” I said.

He was a bit surprised that that I didn’t see it as being some kind of deeply sacrilegious act.

To me, even then when I believed that the Bible was the divinely inspired word of God, the book in Jeff’’s hand was just paper. The words mattered. But the book was just paper.

On the TV news I saw the posters that declared “Islam is of the Devil.”

Of course, the people that write that kind of stuff really mean “Every religion and philosophy that disagrees with my outlook on life is of the Devil.”

Today I was wondering … would Jesus have burned copies of the Koran if it had been around then?

I wondered other things as well.

I think there are a lot of things He wouldn’t have done even if He had the opportunity.

Would He have fought in a war? Burned religious books? Killed people that burned copies of religious books … even the Bible? Would He have had two coats while He knew of people that had none? Would He have fought against people who wanted to persecute Him? Kill Him?

Pastor Terry Jones … I don’t know you or your congregation. And I’m not a Christian any more. But you know the answers to these questions. You do. Really you do.

Read I Corinthians 13. Read the Bible.

You are wrong.

Honestly.

It’s a shameful day for the Church when the world at large shows more compassion and understanding than does the Church.

And to the people of Islam … isn’t Allah  strong enough to make sure that things work out in the end?

Does Allah really need you to threaten people with death because of the actions of a few extremists?

Does Allah really need anyone to kill anyone?

Cannot God take care of Himself … or Herself.

Wednesday 8 September 2010

Zo, Larry Norman and Jesus

In the early hours of the morning a message pops up on my screen.

>Hi

I say Hi and we talk a while.

She is Zo. Though when all you know about someone is the words that they type you may not actually know anything about them.

Early twenties. Unhappy.

She mentions suicide.

Kits.

Bags of Helium.

I know it’s not easy to know how seriously to take people during online chats. It hard enough face to face sometimes.

But she seems to mean what she is typing.

> takes just a couple of minutes not too painful if at all

> yet there is pain for other people

> my family understand I’ve tried a few times before and in the beginning I was trying to get help

> there would still be great pain

> then to be shut away in hospital again now I just don’t want to be here my family have said they would do anything to get me to stay but they wouldn’t make me stay in a world I couldn’t understand be a part of or be happy in i know I’m going to hurt them but I wouldn’t do it unless I really felt I needed to

> you don’t need to … there are alternatives and choices

> I’ve made my choices I’ve tried everything else over the 8 years I’ve been ill

> there are always other things

> time, therapy, counselling, confidence building courses, family bonding groups, medication, the lot

> at the heart of it all though is you … maybe you just need a way to rediscover yourself somehow

> I know who I am I’m the person who looks in the mirror and sees every bad persons hand that’s ever been on her, the person who has so much sadness in her eyes she’s ashamed of herself, the person who can’t walk past her front door, who is frightened to live, too scared of failure of pain who has medication just to keep her calm because anything scares her now

> I think the person you see in the mirror isn’t you … the real you inside is different than that

> the person inside is hateful, scared, kind yet still sad

>the person inside … deep inside … is beautiful

We talk a while longer.

Circles.

Zo disconnects.

Today whilst walking at lunchtime I thought of Zo.

I don’t know if she is real. I don’t know if what she said is fact or fiction. But I can live with the possibility of being duped.

Her words remind me of what I wrote of Paulo Coelho just yesterday.

He wrote:

"There is only one thing that makes a dream impossible to achieve: the fear of failure.

This isn’t the whole truth, of course. There are many other things that can make a dream impossible to achieve.

And yet … fear of failure is debilitating. If it even stops the attempt at the dream, then the dream is doomed.

There was a time when my instinct would have been to pray for Zo.

Prayer offers a sense of doing something positive. Of helping.

In my agnostic days prayer no longer is an instinct.

But I did pray … as best I could.

Zo had a lot of questions about life.

And the answers aren’t easy. I’m not so sure exactly what they are.

I thought of my pre-Indigo-Girls, pre-Agnostic, post-Atheist life. My favourite musician of the time was Larry Norman. Christian but unconventional. The words of a song of his that I liked a lot at the time buzzed through my mind.

It’s here:

And the lyrics:

Sipping whiskey from a paper cup,
You drown your sorrows till you can't stand up,
Take a look at what you've done to yourself,
Why don't you put the bottle back on the shelf,
Yellow fingers from your cigarettes,
Your hands are shaking while your body sweats,

Why don't you look into Jesus, He's got the answer.

Gonorrhoea on Valentines Day,
And you're still looking for the perfect lay,
You think rock and roll will set you free,
Honey, you'll be deaf before your thirty three,
Shooting junk till your half insane,
Broken needle in your purple vein,

Why don't you look into Jesus, he's got the answer.

You work all night and then you sleep all day,
You take your money, throw it all away,
You say you're going to be a superstar,
But you've never hung around enough to find out who you really are.


Think back to when you were a child,
Your soul was free, your heart ran wild,
Each day was different, and life was a thrill,
You knew tomorrow would be better still,
Things have changed you're much older now,
If you're unhappy and you don't know how,

Why don't you look into Jesus, He's got the answer

Of course, to think back to when you were a child isn’t a happy thing for some people to do. In the same way that talking about God as being a father doesn’t help everyone.

There was a time when I thought Jesus had the answer. Was the answer.

And still, maybe for some people, in some places, He still does and is. There are times, I think, when people just need a reason to keep going. To keep trying. To have a reason to be able to face their fears and not be overcome. And maybe there are worse reasons to keep going.

While I’m in a Larry kind of mood … the first song of his that I ever heard is here. I still find it moving.

 

A friend, Rob Wilson, played it for me having sussed out that Larry Norman might appeal to me more than did the Glorylanders. He was right.

And then there is this … written so long ago … and yet … it’s absolutely up to date. Protest kind of songs seem to be timeless. Listen to it all the way through if you can … it’s worth it … honest.

 

What do you think?

Tonight … early tomorrow … I’ll go online a while.

Perhaps Zo will be there.

Really I don’t have much to say.

But I’m happy to listen.

Tuesday 7 September 2010

Dreams, The Universe and Paulo Coelho

One of the books that I read whilst in Austria was Like the Flowing River: Thoughts and Reflections by Paulo Coelho. Over the years I’ve read several books by Paulo Coelho. And I have mixed views on the things that he says.

I think that my main hang-ups are associated with statements that may have an element of truth in certain circumstances, but are patently not universal truths.

In his book, The Alchemist there are these words:

"And, when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it."

"There is only one thing that makes a dream impossible to achieve: the fear of failure."

In my heart and mind I feel and think that these statements are not true.

Maybe some people find that it works for them.

But I need only to watch the news on TV on almost any evening to know … to be certain … that for many people the universe seems to be disinterested … and unfulfilled dreams have nothing at all to do with the fear of failure.

I know, The Alchemist is a story. It isn’t a work of non-fiction. But it seems to also be written as a parable … a philosophy … a theology.

But the words … well … ultimately they seem to be empty because they seem to be not true.

Monday 6 September 2010

Austrian Walking and Emergency Calls

We recently got back from a walking holiday in the Upper Inn valley area of Austria.

In addition to walking more kilometres in any two week period ever I managed to read three and a half books.

The walking was great … amazing scenery … and only a minor amount of foot pain. Mostly good weather. Nice people. Excellent food.

The Austrian Tyrol is a place of mountains, valleys and villages. Many shades of green.

It is also a place of crucifixes … almost on every street corner.

We stayed in a village named Ladis near Fiss and Serfaus.

Over the two weeks I managed to take over 1200 photos. Here’s a small selection:

A view of the villages:

 P1020467_1280x960

Walking above the birds:

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A blade of grass:

 

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A view of the upper Inn valley:

P1020612_1280x960

The church at Ladis at dusk:

P1020865_720x960

Hanging around:

P1020908_720x960

More hanging around:

P1020932_720x960

A cloud and a tree:

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A butterfly:

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The walk down t0 lake Reschen, Italy:

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In Serfaus there is a small subway. This picture was taken inside one of the carriages:

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Having searched Wikepedia … I now know that NOTRUF means “Emergency Call”.

At the time, it amused me as a kind of philosophical statement … you have to sound it phonetically and pronounce the F as TH.

I know. It’s sad. But it amused me enough to prompt me to take the photograph.

The books that I read … well one of them at least … did give me some food for thought. More of that in a future post, perhaps.