The final countdown

The removal guys are here, they are upstairs packing our clothes, beds, toys, wardrobes, .....
We moved to friends last night already to avoid having to wash bed sheets today. Somehow, the washing machine has been going all day anyway!! How did that happen?
Last week we had beautiful summer weather, on Friday it was 21 C even! On Saturday it rained all day. A good friend interpreted the weather change thus: the Höri (the name of the peninsula where we live(d) ) is crying because we are leaving ... aaaawwww! Very sweet.
Yesterday ... it snowed at 1C ...
With the lovely weather last week the trees, daffodils, crocae and everything else simply exploded and reminded us of what we are leaving ... for a concrete jungle with few green areas!
Still, we are very excited, in good mood and looking forward to the concrete jungle with lots of exciting colours, encounters, music, people, adventures, surprises, disappointments and much more.

Tickets booked for Thursday March 27.
Thanks all for a lovely weekend with great friends and good food! In between Ian managed to almost finish the deck and we got the shed cleared out.

A quick note

Visas arrived today so won't hang around for long ... we have ticktes to book!

Another very productive week

What a week!
Monday: signed a lease for the house and the apartment! Yiepeeee! That went incredibly quick. Also got all the unpacking and laundry done from the skiing trip. Do we bring the gear? Skiing in the Himalayas? Would be cool ... do they have ski lifts?

Tuesday: spent hours on the phone trying to locate/get answers from our contact at the removal company (on holiday), the carpenters, who promised quotes for a window in the bedroom wall (on holiday), the cleaning company (confused), and a window cleaner who is not also an extortionist. The day ended with the first of three rabies shots for all of us ... not so fun. Wondering if I will be foaming around the mouth the following day ...

Wednesday: spent all day on a train ... more or less. 3,5 hrs to Munich, and then 3,5 hrs back. The Indian Embassy in Germany has commissioned Cox and Kings (I keep wanting to call them Cox and Orange ...) to handle visa applications. For us in Baden Württemberg the place to go is Munich. "Cox and Kings GmbH - India Visa Application Services Centre endeavours to ensure complete ease and convenience to applicants." - ok, a little suspicious, but hey, we really don't have a choice.
I got a trackingnumber with which I can track the progress of our visas online. Well, if the information is correct I bow my head and must admit that it looks like they keep their promise - the visas are already in the mail and on their way to Gaienhofen. Considering it took my cousin 6 months to get a visa, we are slightly surprised, and very happy. If all goes to plan we will be on a plane heading for Dehli in 19 days.

Thursday: meeting with the tax consultant to prepare the income tax declaration for 2013 (record early for the Stokoe Westbergs :-) ). Ian fitted a door in the cellar... as you do ...

Friday: spent the afternoon with Maia and a few of her friends from school at a fun factory, then pizza in the evening with our lodger and very nice boyfriend from New Zeeland - the first of many goodbye-dos. Ian fitted 8 thresholds and improved the mastik around the floor in the bathroom.

Saturday: prepared the foundation for the extension of the deck (in 12 degrees sunny spring weather), FINALLY got the "little" 1-ton pile of pebbles shifted and had the last organ lesson with my first and so far only organ student.

The more we accomplish the more difficult it will be to reverse the process. I think we might have already passed the point of no return so, India - we are on our way.

A much needed break

This blog was started to be mainly about India, and here I am posting pictures of Austria, but we need to remember the cool times now that we soon are going to get very hot ...! Let's just say it will be about travels :-)