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Interesting News? Some Good, Some Bad.
Posted: Sat 22 Apr 2006 4:45 pm
by Michael P
Ok, just returned from beautiful Austria and I have some interesting news, maybe.
Visited Brindlkirche which is a church, I guess in Brindl.
The good news is that next to the church there is a water pump with a plaque basically saying that if you bathe your eyes in the water those with eyesight problems will be healed
.
The bad news is the damn pump didn't work!
Posted: Sat 22 Apr 2006 4:51 pm
by Louise Pembroke
oh no! but then how many people have come away from Lourdes cured?
Posted: Sat 22 Apr 2006 4:58 pm
by Michael P
I guess we'll never know Louise. I might go back though next year, just in case.
Posted: Sat 22 Apr 2006 5:44 pm
by Andrew MacLean
I was a student in Austria. I love the thought of an old pump with fabled healing properties, and when you crank the handle ... nothing happens.
I never got to Brindlkirche, but next time I'm in Austria I'll ask my friends to include it in the tour.
Andrew
Posted: Sun 23 Apr 2006 3:45 pm
by Michael P
Good idea Andrew.
It is in Upper Austria not that far from Linz. Ryan Air have a daily flight from Stansted at 1.00pm. Very cheap but a bit out of your way though.
Posted: Mon 24 Apr 2006 11:19 am
by Andrew MacLean
I studied in Salzburg. I loved it, but I never heard the leged of the pump at Brindlkirche. My friends in Salzburg and just over the border in Bavaria keep suggesting a visit back to them and a tour of uber Bayern und Osterreich.
They were here recently and were absolutely bowled over by the parts of Scotland we visited.
Sadly I couldn't take them to any village pumps with such bold claims attached.
Posted: Mon 24 Apr 2006 1:12 pm
by Michael P
Yes, we went to Salzburg as well. My parents were Austrian so I guess that explains why I love it. Sadly my parents did not have such a happy experience there at the end.
If you go to Salzburg again you must visit the Red Bull Exhibition building bordering Salzburg airport. It is futuristic and certainly unique within Austria. It contains various aircraft, Grand prix cars etc, but the building itself is the star.
Also the intention is that visitors enjoy their experience and feel as though they are "in heaven". Any staff not sharing this intention are dispensed with ( no, not done away with but sacked). Sorry no miracle pump there though.
Posted: Mon 24 Apr 2006 4:44 pm
by Andrew MacLean
I was at the Salzburg Seminar in Schloss Leopoldskron.
You can tell why I am so fond of the city.
Andrew
Posted: Mon 24 Apr 2006 6:38 pm
by Michael P
I didn't get to see Schloss Leopoldskron but from the pictures it looks beautiful.
Posted: Mon 24 Apr 2006 9:14 pm
by Andrew MacLean
Yup. The film "sound of music" got some details wrong. The Palace of the Prince Archbishops of Salzburg had become the property of the impresario, Max Reinhart. At the beginning of WW2 the Von Trapp family was visiting 'uncle Max', and not the other way round.
After the war when Max Reinhart died his widow evicted her late husband's mistress and presented the Schloss to the United States Army Education Cprps. They later passed on the property to the Salzburg Seminar that runs it still as a higher education establishement bringing together professionals who are already expert in their field for a period of intensive study and consultation.
I was there at the beginning of the development of AIDS along with politicians, physicians, researchers etc. We learned from each other and put together the Salzburg principles that informed the development of policy across several jurisdictions.