St. Paul's Parish Church, Milngavie

AIM : to provide fellowship on holiday for members of the congregation, their friends and their relatives.

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June, 2010 - Report by Morag Thomson 

On June the 9th, a happy band of pilgrims boarded the bus at Milngavie Station on its way to Oberammergau by way of Fuschl in Austria. And a week later we were still chattering on our arrival home on a beautiful June evening, having left Munich in pouring rain! In spite of strikes, forcing a change of plans, all went well on the journeys to and from Oberammergau, and in between we had a week to remember.

While Scotland basked in sunshine, we too had our share, and in Fuschl am See we were able to swim in the lake or take trips on its calm waters. Our excellent hotel, the Schutzenhof, was right on the water's edge, with views to the pretty countryside surrounding it, but also convenient to local bus routes. A choice of outings included a day trip to Salzburg, a tour of the lakes and mountains and a Mozart dinner. That was an unforgettable evening, held in the exquisitely decorated Baroque Hall of a Benedictine monastery in the oldest part of the city. Not only were we treated to traditional Austrian food, but were entertained between courses to selections of Mozart's most famous operas.

On the tour of the lakes and mountains we passed through St Wolfgang, Bad Ischl and St Gilgen, expertly led by Raymond, our tour guide. And wherever we went , a visit to the local church was part of the programme. The highly ornate interiors were often a contrast to the simple and dignified design of the buildings themselves, which are a picturesque addition to the landscape of woods and meadows.

But the highlight of our holiday was the Passion play at Oberammergau, where it has been performed every tenth year by the people of the town. During the spread of bubonic plague in the 17th century, the villagers of Oberammergau made a vow to perform a dramatic retelling of the last week of the life of Jesus, if they were spared the worst ravages of the disease. Their faithfulness in carrying out that vow is a testament to their thankfulness that they were indeed spared. Over 2000 local people are involved in its staging in an enormous purpose-built auditorium, which seats over 4000. The organisation of the event, both on and off the stage, is impressive.

It was a truly memorable experience, bringing to life many of the events, familiar to us through the Scriptures. Christ's first triumphant entrance into Jerusalem, his agony in the Garden of Gethsemane, his betrayal and abandonment by the disciples, to his trial and eventual crucifixion and resurrection were all depicted with great reality. The drama was intensified by the music and the wonderful singing of the choir. The huge audience was rapt in its attention by the many deeply moving and disturbing scenes, which were convincingly portrayed and readily followed, despite the German text.

Between the various episodes of the play, "tableaux vivants" or living images, using real actors were mounted. These depicted events related in the Old Testament, such as Moses and the burning bush, Joseph in Egypt and the sacrifice of Isacc and were intended to focus the audience's attention on the foregoing history which led to Christ's passion.

It was a hugely enjoyable and uplifting trip for which we should thank Anne Ritchie, our organiser.

 

 

Saturday, 25th October - Saturday, 1st November, 2008 

Having left predicted gales and rain behind in Scotland, we eventually arrived in Prague in glorious autumn sunshine. Our only responsibility had been to report to Milngavie railway station where we then left it all to Anne. It was Saturday afternoon and Prague was very crowded, but we enjoyed our lunch and stroll by Charles Bridge and through the Old Town with our excellent guide.
Owing to lack of water in the river, (an unbelievable thought for this summer) we were taken by coach to Dresden to embark on our ship, the Frédéric Chopin, where we enjoyed culinary delights at every meal. Moored only a ten-minute walk from the centre of Dresden, we explored the beautiful city centre and marvelled at the treasures of the Green Vault. The more active also enjoyed the walk which linked three of the castles high up in the hills overlooking the Elbe.
One of our favourite places was Meissen, the porcelain town, which has a lovely market place with specialist shops where we certainly helped the local economy. A small group of us enjoyed an informal tasting of local wines in attractive surroundings, much to the delight of the shop owner.
As we headed for Wittenberg, we occasionally heard ominous sounds as the ship scraped the river bed! Wittenberg, of course, is the town where Martin Luther lived and worked. A superb guide brought Luther to life for us. Here was a man who wanted to reform his church. He made his famous protest against the sale of indulgences by pinning the 95 theses on the church door and was excommunicated by Pope Leo X when he would not retract. He was gifted part of an Augustinian monastery by the Elector, where he lived with his wife, Katharina von Bora, and family. His enlightened attitude towards his wife and women in general surprised us. He continued with his main work, the translation of the Bible from Latin to make it more accessible to the people. A close friend of Luther's was the painter, Cranach the Elder, whose house and studio we also saw.
From Wittenberg we sailed to Magdeburg. Every school child in Scotland knows about the Magdeburg hemispheres, but that was the best kept secret there.
From Magdeburg we took a right-hand turn into the Havel Canal through an amazing set of locks from where it was a gentle sail to Potsdam. Our visit to Potsdam was a huge bonus to compensate for the missed sail before Dresden. Our tour took us to the Dutch and Russian quarters and to the Glienicke Bridge, where spies were exchanged between the American and Russian sectors. Our main destination was Sans Souci, the summer palace of Frederick the Great, where we had an excellent guided tour. Some of the party wished to visit the Cecilienhof, where the Potsdam Treaty was signed. This we viewed from the outside since it is now a luxury hotel.
As we sailed, we passed miles of rolling wooded landscape with very little sign of habitation. These glimpses of the former East Germany with its memorable cities and towns added greatly to our enjoyment of the trip.
On the last night of the cruise, we enjoyed a lovely concert before our Gala Dinner of ten courses, all very light. The next morning we took our coach to Berlin from where it was a quick hop directly across to Glasgow.
Were there no hitches? Of course there were! Anne had to deal with a change of ship and docking place the day before departure. Lack of water in the river led to a few itinerary changes. A member of our group broke her arm at Prague Airport. Thank goodness there was a doctor on board! In spite of these problems, the holiday was voted a great success. Even the organiser enjoyed it! The friendliness of the staff on board was a huge bonus and the fellowship within our group was heart-warming. It was a wonderful holiday and we are all grateful to Anne for her planning and careful preparation. (Compiled by various group members)

Further pictures can be viewed HERE

Our second trip:-

28th December,2007-4th January, 2008    Here are RACHEL DOUGLAS' impressions :

1. Budapest, where I really felt at home. The river helped me to get orientated. I had a short walk pre-breakfast on the first day, then a tour of Pest, fpllowed by Buda, both excellent. By the afternoon I felt quite confident. I left the group, who all went to Godollo, and walked myself to the Gellert baths, a real experience. Then Suzanne and I walked over the bridge to Pest, where we attended the Downtown Parish Church. It was a beautiful service conducted in Hungarian. A very small congregation, mainly older females like ourselves. For the sermon, we had as good as Fergus -------lasted over an hour!

2. New Year concert in Vienna A wonderful concert but it was also an occasion. Transported there; the orchestra so beautifully dressed; it was just for us; shared the venue with Mozart; memorable.

3. Fireworks and general togetherness at New Year in Vienna, then a Scottish Hogmanay an hour later with Auld Lang Syne and Scottish dancing.

4. Melk Abbey Baroque------not for me!-----but seeing how it developed from the single Benedictine establishment removed my prejudices. Over the years the Benedictines were adding to the offerings of their church and to God, hence the elaborate décor of the church. Then came the Reformation! I can see myself as part of that, but there my religious education stopped. Then there was the Counter-Reformation, which we Presbyterians do not take account of. An amazing abbey. A day to be remembered with Durnstein, Weissenkirchen and a sail along the Danube.

5. A very special coffee stop on our last day in Vienna for Sachertorte in the Sacher Hotel. Good company and inexpensive. The loo was memorable.

6. An introduction to Klimt and the alternative lead-up to World War Two. Both to be followed up.

ANY DOWNSIDES?
1. Not enough time to feel at home in Esztergom and Bratislava.
2. Crowds spoiling special places like Vienna and Salzburg…..although others loved the buzz of these cities.

NOBLE CALEDONIA
Care of clients is down to a fine art. Three outstanding occasions : the first lunch in Budapest, the concert in Vienna and the lunch in Salzburg….all top quality. Cabins wonderful. Guides all good, some a delight. Excellent meals : food was light and attractive Staff at all levels were wonderful.

ADDED BONUS
The people in our party : lovely to get to know them more. Our leader : just let her take the strain. A lot of planning etc was undertaken in the lead-up to this wonderful holiday. Thanks.


WHAT HAVE I LEARNED?
History and Geography of that part of Europe. I should get to grips with it while the holiday is fresh in my mind.

PERTINENT LESSON :
Always make sure your health insurance is adequate. Sheila's broken wrist proved that and Noble Caledonia bore the brunt of the three hospital visits.

COME WITH US NEXT TIME!

Some impressions of our first trip:-

5th-12th November, 2006. BURGUNDY AND PROVENCE RIVER CRUISE.

(click on pictures to see a larger image)
Stunning blue sky and sunshine; Roman remains in Vienne and Arles;  stuffed quail on stewed lentils; accordion music and dancing on the sundeck; tartelette au chocolat at the pastry demonstration; walking the traboules in Lyon; sock hunt; descending into deep locks; wine tasting at Tain l'Hermitage; Palais des Papes in Avignon; multicoloured tiles on the Hotel-Dieu roof in Beaune; silk scarves; medieval streets in Viviers; Vincent van Gogh; Pont du Gard; Avignon's colourful indoor market; printed Provencal cottons.

Friendship and Fellowship.

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