The Road to Enlightenment

By Troy Searle

Robert Wallace has led a comfortable, but ordinary life and then everything changed. His company asked him to relocate from his Home Counties base to Austria.

As a divorced father of two young children this meant a new approach to work, fatherhood and culture shock as he explores life in a new country.

Little did he know that this was also the first step on his spiritual journey to enlightenment.

The Tarot cards signpost his journey with the story following Roberts ups and downs as he tries to come to terms with a different lifestyle, long-distance parenting and the gradual revelation of another kind of life.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Balboa Press
• Release date: Dec 21, 2016
• ISBN: 9781504371261

Troy Searle

Troy Seale was born in Essex, England. He relocated to the European continent during his adult years. Studies include Mediumship and Metaphysics. He attended the spiritual and physic learning facilities at Stansted in the UK, ‘The Arthur Findlay College,’ and furthered his education with studies at ‘Ershamstar’ in Folkstone, UK, and the ‘College of Intuitive Studies’ in Salzburg, Austria.

Book preview

TAROT & MAJOR ARCANA CARDS

E ach chapter of the book matched to one of the Major Arcana cards of Tarot. It shows the ‘step-by-step’ sequence that life goes through as we learn lessons at each stage.

The meaning of each card appears at the beginning of the chapter. However, this is a general meaning and when a card appears in a layout it’s likely to present a different meaning.

Using Tarot and the Major Arcana cards to describe Robert’s journey to enlightenment is to mirror his awareness of how Divinity and Spirit impact upon our lives.

0

TO LET GO, TO LET GOD

The Fool

The Fool heralds a new cycle in life. It indicates that it’s time to cast away doubts and fears as a new path appears. It’s time to let go and leap into the unknown.

Autumn 2000

I t all started during late September in 2000, as an Austrian aeroplane touched down on the Salzburg airport runway. Robert had arrived in Austria to start a new life.

He had left behind a family that had been rocked and split by a broken marriage and a messy divorce approximately ten years previously. His two young children were still the light and a twinkle in his eyes and he saw them every weekend, but all three of them had realised the challenges that would meet them when Robert became a remote father, by location if not by love.

The children had had problems accepting the separation. Now the decision to take this job had become reality, he would not be living just around the corner anymore! Robert thought that relocating to Austria was just part of the normal pattern of modern life. Life went on and you had to do whatever you had to make a living.

Outwardly Robert’s daughter, Elizabeth (14), had appeared to cope very well with her father going to live in another country; she was more mature than his son, Ian (13). Robert’s youngest had found the whole sequence of events rather disturbing and tragic. None of them, Robert included, had realised how hard it would be; distance, different time-zones, different cultures would all play a role in dictating the events that followed.

Robert walked into the main airport terminal and picked up his suitcase and felt he was passing a milestone in his life. His contract was for three years, with a possible extension for another two, but it was more than that, Robert saw that a large part of his life and views about life were about to experience a major overhaul.

Gruß Gott said the young lady behind the counter of the airport’s car-hire desk.

Hello, Robert replied, as he had very little knowledge of the Austrian language, just the basics.

Robert had already worked for the company for nearly five years. Affiliated with the English section of a major electronic-manufacturing defence company, his work included quarterly visits to the head office in the Styria region of Austria. He had got to know his colleagues in Austria and friendships had been made. He had felt accepted by the head office staff with traditional Austrian hospitality.

There was little reason for Robert to feel uneasy. He had rented out his home in England, rather than choosing to sell it. It was his insurance, should the adventure turn out to be a mistake.

Robert’s current destination lay in the heart of the Austrian countryside, in a small town largely concentrated on farming. Despite his quarterly visits Robert had never been there long enough to really get to know what living there would be like. He was unprepared for the climate changes during the winter months; in England he was used to snow disappearing within hours of falling, not for it to be a fact of life for months on end.

The company had organised a rented apartment for him, but until his personal possessions arrived from the UK the following week, he would stay in a hotel of modest comfort for a few days. Excitement welled up and resulted in some mild panic at the thought of driving on the ‘wrong’ side of the road, though this was not entirely strange to him. From his earlier trips, how many times had he hit the car’s door panel with the palm of his hand, in search of the gear stick? But it was a bright sunny day and a Sunday, not until tomorrow would he start his first day in his new role at work.

At the hotel everybody had been pleasant and courteous, settling him in his room. He put his few things away and went down to sample dinner in the hotel restaurant. After an excellent meal he went the bar and ordered a beer. He reflected that he had taken his first step into a new life and had survived.

One or two of the people in the hotel’s bar asked where he had come from. They were curious to know why an English person would want to come to such a small town as theirs and also what life had been like whilst living in London. They couldn’t understand why anybody would want to leave London, with all the entertainment on offer, for such a quiet place as theirs. Robert couldn’t really answer them. It just seemed to be the obvious thing to do when God and the celestial powers had put the opportunity in his path.

After conversation had been exhausted he was left alone with his thoughts to sit and observe the local folk. He enjoyed the local brand of the Pilsner beer that had been poured into a glass for him. His new life had begun and he would slowly acclimatise to it.

Later Robert lay on his bed viewing his next experience of Austria. It was one of the Cable TV channels, which, of course, was in German, the native language of Austria! He congratulated himself on having about twenty films that he wanted to watch on video, which would help him through the early stages of life there. Modern life without understanding what the TV could offer is hard to comprehend.

At some stage his language skills would develop and he would adjust, but his first experiences made him feel a little isolated. Of course, he would visit the UK, since his children meant a great deal to him and could pick up more films and other video material in English – but here in his hotel room on the first day in his new life, it was hardly surprising that he was reviewing his decision to move to Austria and become an expatriate.

Eventually he fell into a deep sleep dreaming of what he had left behind.

*****

The next day Robert awoke to a beautiful bright and clear morning with the sunlight streaming through his bedroom window. He got up, dressed and headed for breakfast.

There were a few other residents already eating and Robert took a moment or two to look around in semi-wonder. It was a typical European breakfast with everything laid out, buffet-style. Robert sat at an available empty table.

A young waitress quickly came across and politely asked Coffee or Tea, sir?

He asked for tea and, as she went away with his order, he turned his attention to the buffet. Robert wasn’t a big eater, especially first thing in the morning, and chose cereal, croissants and the Austrian equivalent of marmalade, a sort of orange jam. Other guests were choosing bread rolls and adding selections from the variety of cheeses or sliced meats on offer.

Breakfast over, Robert gathered his briefcase and coat and headed out for his first day at work.

He knew that he had come to a point in life where he needed a new challenge. Now the decision had been made and he was already on course towards whatever would be ahead. Leaving the hotel behind him, Robert walked what seemed only a few hundred yards before large industrial factory units began to appear. He walked up a small incline, over a bridge and down the left-hand side of the road where the company’s main factory unit was. It wasn’t the first time he’d made this journey, but it felt different knowing that this wasn’t a short visit, but his new home.

At the security gate he was greeted by a large man inside the reception block. He greeted Robert with the usual Gruß Gott. While Robert waited for his new boss’s secretary to come and collect him he observed that the security guard had a pleasant smile that Robert found easy to respond to.

When Robert arrived in his office, his manager, John, (the Managing Director) was discussing issues with the Production Manager, Paul, that needed to be addressed. Paul was one of the mainstays of their management team; he had a lot of responsibility associated with his position. Robert was invited in and introduced. Fortunately, most Austrians have a good knowledge of the English language so Robert was able to communicate with everyone, although he realised that he would have to learn the language quickly.

He sat down along with the other two men at the table. Samantha, the secretary, had a bubbly personality and was naturally excited about the new addition to their management team. Soon all the employees’ tongues would be wagging with gossip about ‘the new fellow’ travelling quickly within the small factory of less than a hundred people.

Please, can I get you anything, Samantha asked, as she tried to make him feel comfortable.

Thank you, just a cup of coffee would be nice, Robert replied.

The coffee wasn’t like the familiar ‘vending machine’ coffee, Robert was used to and he sat down to listen to the conversation, while Samantha went back to work, settling down in front of her computer for a few moments. Robert was content to sit there trying to follow their conversation and observe their morning rituals.

Samantha suddenly interrupted the two men’s conversation with a query and they all made an effort to involve Robert more and take notice of him; bringing him into the new conversation. Samantha and the production manager were using their limited English vocabulary whereas John had developed his language skills over years of communicating with many overseas customers.

John was a traditionalist, a person of mature stature, still practising the etiquette of earlier days. He had a commanding presence befitting a respected managing director. The only ‘fault’ in his make-up was that he was a smoker. The habit of preparing his roll-up style cigarettes was a means of relaxation that soothed his nerves. It reminded Robert of his own grandfather.

The morning discussion was part of their ritual and would always explore the firm’s latest business issues before commenting on the world news accompanied by coffee. It gave them an opportunity to let off steam before tackling the day’s challenges.

John explained to Robert what needed to be done in relation to becoming an Austrian resident; getting the paperwork and ‘housekeeping’ sorted out would help Robert settle in.

*****

During the morning Robert met the other colleagues that he’d be working with. He was shown to his office where two female secretaries and a male colleague shared a partitioned space.

Herbert was responsible for Austria, Germany and Switzerland, Jacqueline, a refined, older lady, was his personal assistant. The other much younger woman, Tammy, was to be Robert’s secretary, an important person who would help him during his early years in Austria. He would soon come to rely on her knowledge of all aspects of dealing with export customers, Robert’s area of responsibility.

Good morning, said Herbert and Tammy, whilst Jacqueline greeted Robert with the traditional Gruß Gott.

John made the introductions and then made his excuses saying I’ll come back and pick you up about 10 o’clock, we need to take you to the local council offices for your identification papers.

Robert was relieved to have someone to support him when facing the Austrian bureaucratic system, which seemed to engulf everything. From previous visits he knew their well-known efficiency and attention to detail and tendency to require name tags and labels for everything!

Tammy immediately started getting him organised. Come with me, she said, and we’ll get you sorted out in your new office. We’ll have to register you onto our network computer system.

Robert smiled and followed her into an adjoining room situated between the offices of John’s secretary Samantha, and the Internal Sales Manager, Herbert. Though the building was around a hundred years old, it was incredibly modern inside.

They went back out to the corridor and Tammy set about explaining how the systems worked and showed him how to register his personal details on the computer and get all the passwords he would need to enable him to do his job.

Tammy was most proficient; she switched the machine on and started thumping away at the keyboard.

Name? she said, How shall we register you? Would you like forename, surname or what?

A little taken aback at her bluntness he replied, Robert please, keeps it nice and simple for me, in order that my memory won’t fail me later.

Tap, tap, tap, tap; her fingers flew across the computer keyboard and pressed ‘enter’. Right, that’s got you access, said Tammy. We’ll get you access codes and different passwords for the email and other software later today. You can use those from any machine, once they’ve been installed.

As Tammy went to work showing Robert the various programmes he suddenly realised that the software had obviously been written in the German. How the hell was he going to find his way around these systems with his very basic knowledge of their language?

Tammy suggested that she would write down the links to the systems, which he could then use as a starting point, rather than trying to translate everything independently. Other than that she assured him that she’d gladly show him how he could gain access to the information he needed.

Robert owed a lot to her during those early days. His work ethic was to ensure that he kept up with his workload and that meant staying there late into the afternoon and, often into early evening. Most local business people started work early in the morning and they would finish early afternoon, enabling them to be home when their children finished school.

He was totally alone. He had been divorced for many years and his children were still living with his ex-wife and her second husband. Robert had no reason not to work all of those hours that he did, as he only had himself to look after. Trying to adapt quickly to the new system, it had become obvious to him that it would take many hours of study before he would become computer literate and improve his efficiency in using the software. Although his primary role was to talk with the English speaking client base, he couldn’t expect Tammy to do everything else for him.

Robert appreciated that his constant requests for help with the language had frustrated all of his colleagues during those early months. He suspected that his new colleagues wondered why the M.D. hadn’t employed an Austrian citizen instead. Robert later discovered that he’d been a singular part of John’s overall business plan.

*****

It was approaching nine o’clock and as the coffee machine began to gurgle, Robert was about to be introduced to the regular morning coffee break routine.

Herbert interrupted Tammy, Come on, let me show Robert where the computer games are. I’m sure he’s more interested to know this, than in trying to remember all his passwords! Tammy disappeared to collect her large mug from the small kitchen at the end of the corridor.

Herbert showed Robert how to find the games and, after choosing a game to occupy his break-time, Robert went to the kitchen to find a spare cup. He poured himself a coffee and settled down in front of his computer, like many of his colleagues.

Just before ten o’clock John put his head round Robert’s office door.

Is all OK? Settling in? he asked.

Yes, of course, Robert replied. Everybody is so helpful, though things do seem extremely strange to me, he commented.

Good, don’t worry about anything. You’ll soon get to grips with things as time passes by, said John. It’s time we got you registered with the local authorities, and went to meet the people regarding renting your new flat.

Robert thought that was an excellent idea, feeling that it would seem homelier to him when he could move out of the hotel accommodation and into his own place, rented or not. Identification papers were just something that every Austrian resident had to have. It wouldn’t be any different for Robert or any other European, or none EU-national.

John drove them and, after adjusting his seat belt, he lit a cigarette. As potential no smoking policies were being discussed throughout mainland Europe, he saw this as way to exercise his rights. Nobody could complain as this was his car and he was the M.D. With his side window slightly opened, the cloud of grey smoke dissipated within the car, only a small amount finding its way out through the window.

They passed out of the main entrance, guarded by a formidable gate system, internally operated by sense-detectors located underground. The gate slid open automatically; and John drove through the streets towards their destination. After many turns Robert was totally lost and very confused. However, twenty minutes later, they arrived at the house of the people Robert was to rent the flat from. To Robert, it looked like one of the nicest parts of town; all of those houses on the small quiet estate were privately owned.

It is common in Austria to rent property, as this makes it easy for people to move around the country without too many problems. Once a property is purchased it is exceedingly difficult to resell and so house prices and availability are fairly stable.

John accompanied Robert to the front door of the house and knocked. The door was opened by a mature couple, who were pleasant and welcoming. The man had been an old employee of the company that John had worked for and they had plenty to reminisce over. The conversation took place in a combination of English and German and Robert felt really welcome.

Robert now had to sign the contract and John took a look at the contract details on Robert’s behalf, advising that it was all in order to sign. The couple were only renting the accommodation because their daughter had decided to relocate elsewhere. The money or income wasn’t important to them. It would just be a shame if the flat wasn’t used by somebody.

Robert was given the keys and he explained that his goods would be arriving from the UK within the next couple of days. He felt he had taken the first real step towards settling in.

They thanked the elderly couple for their courtesy and promised to make contact with them during the next week or so, just to reassure them that no problems had arisen in Robert’s new home.

*****

The next job was to be registered with the local council as a visiting alien. Robert had to be registered at a main home address and that of his place of full employment.

They arrived outside an old, grey building, formerly used by the rail company authorities, it was now the office dealing with the towns local public affairs. When they arrived at the correct office, John and Robert noticed three people sitting behind their desks in the office space behind the long counter separating the public from the staff. After a few minutes one of the staff got up and came to the counter.

John explained that Robert required a certification of residence and all the related documentation needed by a foreigner working in Austria. The young man looked at Robert and then, with John translating, asked for his religion status, place of birth and a host of other information.

When Robert responded ‘Church of England’ as his religion the attendant needed some explanation. On mainland Europe people must be registered as either Catholic or Evangelist, their term for Protestant. The Austrian authorities did not recognise the Church of England as having a religious status of its own. Robert was listed as having no religion.

Robert would have to return with photographs, attached to the paperwork in the designated placed before his personal details would be passed on to a higher authority. This was Robert’s first taste of Austrian bureaucracy and all the red-tape that was needed to survive here. He was something of a curiosity in this part of Austria as he was the only English person they had applying for residence for some time.

The two men made their way back to factory. It was nearing mid-day and their lunch break, Robert appreciated how much time John had given him already and thanked him before returning to his own office.

Lunch was an option that staff could either take in the company’s canteen or at their own work station. Computer games were the order of the day for most of his colleagues so Robert sat down to follow suit.

The language had proved a small problem for him, even for basic commands, he was guessing for much of the time. He decided that he would bring the English laptop he had at home to work so he could run both computers side by side. This would act as a language comparison with respect to the button positioning and potentially save him time (and preserve Tammy’s sanity).

During the afternoon Robert began to explore the information about their English speaking customers and started to familiarise himself with the accounts.

Returning to the hotel later that day, Robert felt a sense of great achievement. It had been his first day and it had passed without too many problems or incidents. His new home was signed for and he was now officially resident in Austria.

Robert set off to walk around the town centre in an attempt to find his way around and get a feeling for the place. It was a small town and in about half an hour he had covered all the main streets.

Whether he ate at the hotel or one of the local restaurants, everything was in the Austrian style of cooking. A varied menu covered dishes like dumplings, roasted meat and traditional schnitzel, often accompanied with a small salad buffet. Robert opted for the schnitzel; pan-fried pork, coated in bread-crumbs, a favourite with the local children, although hardly a test for the chef’s culinary skills!

He had a drink in the bar before making his way back to his room and bed. The first full working day had been fully completed; his feeling of achievement was immense, though to the locals, Robert was just another foreign visitor.

*****

The next day he woke again to beautiful clear skies. It was a Tuesday morning and the week was now in full swing. Robert was feeling a lot more at ease with himself and ready to face whatever the day would bring.

When Robert arrived Samantha already had the coffee machine working and it could be heard gurgling in preparation for the meeting with John and Paul, as had taken place the previous day. The smell of freshly ground coffee filtered through to Robert’s office; the aroma gave him a warm friendly sensation and before long he was called to join their conversation.

The early morning coffee-break conversations gave John valuable information and insights about coping with his new life in Austria. The more Robert spoke to people and joined conversations, though in English, the more he would feel at ease.

Transport would be a major concern for him; locked within confines of the town would limit his ability to get to know his new home. The region was quite a distance from any major town, let alone a city and certainly nothing like the metropolis of London that he was familiar with.

The area couldn’t be said to be one of the most popular places in Austria, as a small industrial town, it would have benefited from government funding with many Government buildings in dire need of care and attention. The town dated back hundreds of years and was showing its age, but this could be said about a lot of towns in and around continental Europe.

It was agreed that one of the company cars would become available for Robert to use, for the evenings and at weekends. All he had to do was note the mileage he was using, which would be set against his salary later on.

Robert went back to his office to settle down to his new role and responsibilities in the export department. The adventure had definitely begun.

1

THE FUTURE SEEDS

The Magician

Linking with power of the Magician connects you to the force of life. It heralds something new, learning, knowledge, experience or travel. It provides a creative focused energy that opens the door to many possibilities.

October / November 2000

O n Robert’s third day he attended a mid-morning meeting where he was to meet many of his co-workers. Everybody was sitting round a large boardroom table and Robert took a seat about half way down one side, next to John, his Managing Director.

His colleagues’ tongues were already swinging into action and the level volume increased. Robert couldn’t guess whether they were commenting on the new person on the block or how the company’s figures, which were about to be presented, would affecting them.

John called everyone to attention. He began discussing the company values and the company’s expectations of the staff. Robert could only assume that John introducing him first, would divert attention from the company focus. Finally, as he concluded the main part of his presentation, he turned to Robert and smiling broadly said May I introduce you all to our new Product Manager, with responsibility for export sales?

Of course, this was said in German. He turned to Robert and asked him to say a few words in English about himself and his background. Everyone at the meeting must have known that he would be coming to work amongst them, but now Robert was hoping to break down any barriers.

He introduced himself, Hello, I’m Robert Wallace. Until last week I’ve worked for the company in the UK with my home and office being based in London. Robert continued giving a little background of his previous experience. He concluded by thanking everyone, adding that if anyone wished to try out their English language skills he would be most appreciative, as his German was very limited as yet.

When he sat down, everyone seemed to accept him without question. Questions would be asked later, but not everyone was fluent in English so there was the language barrier to overcome.

People were anxious to get away and return to the safety of their desks and the familiarity of their daily routine.

Robert felt the ‘Fool’ at that time as he started his new adventure, the first steps were complete. The next episode in his life was about to start with new learning, knowledge and creativity. The ‘Magician’ was about to settle into his new environment and take hold.

*****

Robert’s goods from the UK were due to arrive that late afternoon; he waited impatiently for the doorbell to ring. Fortunately, the apartment had easy access being on the ground floor, so there would be no problem with getting large items up the stairs or negotiating awkward corners.

As he waited he reflected on his new home, situated on the outskirts of the town but within easy walking distance of the main town centre. Here he could really relax. The countryside was filled with forests of pine trees marching beside the crystal clear healing waters of the lake that people came from afar to appreciate. It was a beautiful picture-postcard place, easy to imagine as a picturesque Christmas card,

The doorbell rang, interrupting his reflections. Robert was looking forward to sleeping in his own comfy bed and to have his favourite music to listen to during the evenings. He couldn’t wait to get started.

He opened the door and the man standing on the other side gabbled something in German at him; he couldn’t understand a word until the man beckoned him to follow and there was the truck. To his surprise it wasn’t just a furniture van, but a vast articulated lorry. Robert couldn’t count how many wheels the trailer had to support the weight!

The men had been trying to negotiate their vehicle through the winding back-roads and had seen that the approach to his apartment was on a single track road. If they drove up it, how on earth were they going to get out again? They had elected to ask Robert for alternative options.

He could only stare in total amazement. At this point, Robert’s landlord, appeared in view as he took his mid-afternoon walk. Finally, the removal men agreed to leave the lorry further down the lane as the approach was seemingly too difficult to tackle. Whilst Robert’s landlord watched they set about unloading all Robert’s possessions.

Robert tried to assist the men be lifting one or two of the smaller containers, but they indicated that he should leave them to get on with it, and for sure, any injuries that Robert may have suffered would not be compensated by the firm that they had worked for.

Robert decided that the best thing was to get the kettle on and make everybody tea or coffee, so they could all warm up a little. The weather was turning chilly now it was the early part of October. To carry boxes and furniture half-way up the lane was no mean feat; the men certainly earned their wages that day.

Robert soon realised that the lorry was transporting goods for two to three different people, so the lorry had much more than just his own possessions packed in. After they’d finished unloading Robert’s furniture and boxes they were heading south. When, at last, everything was unloaded and inside the apartment, Robert and his landlord thanked the men and wished them a safe journey.

*****

Robert sorted out his furniture and unpacked the cartons full of his personal bits and pieces and, over the next few days, gradually settled into his new home. The next stage was to introduce his children to his new home.

Robert was concerned that they didn’t feel that he had abandoned them or that he was gone from their lives for good. Elizabeth and Ian were still young and it was important for them to see for themselves where he was living, rather than seeing their father as a dot somewhere on a colourful map. Robert started planning how to get them over as soon as possible! He knew that what, in reality, is only one week can seem an eternity to a young child and wanted to ensure that they didn’t drift into a distant relationship.

With the half-term break due soon, it seemed an opportune time for them to visit and asked his mother to act as a chaperone. His father being no longer being alive, Robert wasn’t sure who would be looking after who and suspected that children would be guiding their Grandma through the airport ticketing system.

His mother had been sent away as a young child during the Second World War to safety in the countryside to escape the bombing of London. She remembered having to live with and get accustomed to complete strangers and often reminisced about all the children at the railway station, labelled with small name tags on their coats. They were then bundled onto the waiting train which then took them to an unknown destination, where they were collected by people who identified the child by their name tag. They didn’t see their parents for months on end and many children ran away back to London. Robert’s children would always giggle at her when she told these stories, it seemed unreal to them, from another world.

Now their own adventure was beginning and they arrived on board a flight from London. The two children came through the airport, both of them excited, and Robert was waiting. He could see them and viewing the through a glass petition, separating the public from the luggage collection area.

Robert looked at his two children; they were full of confidence striding along with Grandma trailing behind them. She was obviously very tired, without the boundless energy of youth.

They came through the last door and saw Robert waiting.

Hi there Elizabeth called across the gap and came running over.

Hi, he replied where did you leave the others?

She was so excited and after weeks with only telephone chats, soon it was all hugs and kisses and Grandma’s tiredness was forgotten in the family reunion.

Robert noticed Ian’s eyes light up as they made eye contact. It was obvious he had had enough of members of the female sex and was eager to do some male bonding. Grandma had made him responsible for the luggage; the trolley stacked with all the suitcases suddenly hurtled towards Robert. Thump; the cases tumbled off the trolley, as he applied the brakes sharply.

Well, hello Ian; that was an entrance, Robert said. Bet you can’t do it twice. he baited him.

They had a good laugh at it all, to the amusement of the onlookers. Robert and Ian set about stacking the luggage securely back on the trolley.

Come on, Grandma, said Elizabeth, as Robert’s mother dropped behind.

It is not easy keeping up with these two. They’ve had me on the move all morning. She said to Robert.

Robert suggested a tea break before they set out on the hour’s drive back to the apartment.

No, let’s just get on with it; it’ll be nice to get there and settle down a little. His mother replied.

OK Ian, I need your muscles once again, said Robert, as he gave him a wink as Ian took control of the luggage trolley again.

On the journey back to town they all wanted to tell their stories. So much had happened to them since they had last met in September, back at Robert’s London flat. He showed them the temporary sleeping arrangements and let them settle in.

*****

The next day Robert’s mother got up so early; they thought that she must have woken with the birds! Now she was older, it seemed that she didn’t need much sleep at all! Awareness of her advancing years was a little upsetting for Robert and the children, they would all need to adjust to this, but she was not going to waste one minute just sitting around.

Come on, up you all get she said.

Mum, it’s still dark outside, were not going anywhere just yet. Robert responded with weary eyes. She was eager to start her holiday as soon as possible.

So soon after breakfast, they headed out into the beautiful countryside. Initially, Robert’s planned to take them to the local mountains, but the children weren’t so keen, their city upbringing and youth meant they wanted other forms of entertainment. Walking through a forest full of pine trees, up to the top of a mountain and back down again wasn’t their idea of fun.

Robert reassured them that they’d visit a larger town another day. On the other hand, their Grandma was fascinated to see the mountains described by her late husband, who had visited during the occupation of the western forces during the early 1950s.

It was to be a week of creative ideas on what to do and where to go within the Tirol region of Austria. The memories would be stored for when they returned home, to keep them close to each other’s hearts, but for now it was time get started.

*****

Robert parked the car and they set out to climb the mountain. The 1100 metres climb would be arduous particularly for his mother, but nevertheless, it could be conquered. They would need patience and plenty of stops for rest.

The visual experience was a completely different to anything the children had seen in the UK. Pine tree forests filled the landscape; there was nothing but fir trees as far as the eye could see.

They decided to make their way along the small country track that led all the way to the top. Even though it would take some time, they had all day. Slowly winding through that maze of pine, they talked about all the changes they were experiencing.

By then Robert had spent many weeks alone in the Austrian countryside. Work was interesting and he was slowly beginning to establish a daily routine. His home life was completely different and he was beginning to learn certain facts about himself.

A lot of evenings had been spent alone thinking about the move to Austria and whether it was right decision. Only time would tell.

Loneliness concerned him and he was very aware of the potential pitfall of depression, but he kept his concerns from his family and spoke only about how he was getting to grips with the cultural change and learning the language.

As they climbed the views were hidden by the dense forest. The track they followed was used to service the restaurant that was at the summit of the mountain. It was also used to transport wood. The forest was a source of wood for various companies and individuals, whether for firewood, for carpenters making furniture for homes, or for building materials. Parts of the wood were cleared to allow local animals to graze. It was a natural habitat for many wild creatures and for nesting birds. In this part of Austria, it seemed that a natural balance had been found between man and nature.

Eventually they reached the summit and the views were fantastic; the children described them as ‘awesome’. From their viewpoint, the valleys could be seen far below with towns and villages nestled into the landscape away into the distance. I’ve never seen anything like this, exclaimed his mother, gazing at the scene and taking in the crystal-clear skies combined with the smell of the pine trees and stillness of the air. It created a total sense of freshness and newness.

It couldn’t be more different to the metropolis of London that they were all familiar with. The tower blocks and rows of houses that all formed the concrete jungle overrun by people scrambling onto an underground train, fighting for that one vacant seat. The contrast of masses of trees instead of thousands of people gave them a unique moment at the summit of that mountain; it was something that they’d remember for the rest of their lives.

The local people took it all for granted; it was a very nice aspect of their local habitat and something that they’d appreciate on their weekend walks. However, it’s easy to overlook what is right in front of you when you see it daily and to forget how special home is, when seen through other eyes.

*****

Once the novelty of the stunning landscape had worn off the children were ready for lunch. Being typically cautious of any foreign food, they both headed straight for a traditional schnitzel. When offered potato dumplings to accompany the breaded escalope, they looked anxiously at Robert who realised that they’d much rather have chips.

Like all meals served in this region salad was served to everyone as a starter instead of as a side dish with the main meal.

Unlike English food, Austrian cuisine is heavily salted. However, one of Robert’s Austrian friends, whose children had been on school visits to the UK, the main diet the children preferred was that of a fast-food burger. It seemed that the ubiquitous burger had captured the hearts of all children - and destroyed their culinary sense of adventure.

The local ‘fast-food’ was an Austrian sausage in a hard breaded-roll topped with either Ketchup or Senf (mustard), a delicacy the children were yet to try.

The journey back down the mountain was much easier; with their stomachs full a good walk was just what they needed. The local people made the climb on a regular basis, so, in comparison to Robert’s family, were extremely fit. There were no mountains to climb in London’s concrete jungle.

I wonder how many people have had heart-attacks climbing up here, said Elizabeth as they followed the path downwards.

Or sprained their ankles, observed Robert’s mother watching Ian gallop ahead. They’d noticed a helipad behind the restaurant, so maybe the air ambulance needed to land from time to time.

It took a couple or hours or more to get back to the car. Everyone was ready for a drink before moving on, so they looked for a local coffee shop and treated the children to the rich Viennese hot chocolate with cream before heading for home.

Although the children had, in the end, enjoyed their day mountain climbing, they’d now ‘been there, done that’, and were looking for something more geared to youngsters. Robert wondered if there was a swimming pool or a fun park nearby.

The half-term week from school passed like lightening. Robert found some amusement centres and swimming pools in the larger towns nearby. They also visited much of the surrounding area and countryside. In the evening; they’d mostly make do with one or two English video films that Robert had brought to Austria from England. Before long it was time for them to return home, with hugs and kisses, promising they would speak soon on the phone.

Robert felt lonely for a short while, but work quickly claimed his attention and his days were busy.

*****

December 2000

As German is the national language of Austria, being able to speak it fluently would accelerate his integration at work and as part of his local community. He enrolled in a language school in Salzburg and set about improving his German.

Most of the teachers, were young women from many different lands, all enthusiastic about not only teaching their students, but about learning themselves. Robert’s course was a two-week intensive training programme, which for a complete beginner was an extremely limited period of time - and many of his new working colleagues expected him to come back to work fluent in their language, having forgotten that even children take many years of schooling in a second language to be able to speak it with ease!

Sometimes Robert felt he’d failed. But you’ve had a two week course in Salzburg to learn German, people often commented in the years that followed.

As the school was in the heart of Salzburg, it gave Robert the opportunity to explore during breaks and after his studies were finished. It was a time of year when the Austrian festive season had swung into action, near the end of the first week of December. Saint Nicolas had arrived for many children and on the 6th there were always chocolates in abundance, both at home or at the local market stalls.

The celebration of Christmas in Austria, comes on the 24th December. Each household doesn’t put up and decorate their Christmas tree until that evening, as part of their festive ritual. The traditions practised in UK vary very slightly in comparison, with evening mass and the festivities of the church the same the whole world over.

In England there is a distinct separation between that of the church and family festivities. Christmas gifts in England are given mainly on the 25th, the day following the church festivities. In Austria their celebrations, decorations and church mass are all accumulated onto that one special day, during that one particular evening.

The market square in the middle of the city was absolutely jammed full of people. The energy and exuberance with people hustling and bustling was intoxicating. Maybe this was partly as a result of the Glühwein that flowed freely from the varied colourful displays of market stalls selling this this liquid peacemaker against the cold.

It was one of their coldest winters and snow had already begun to lie in other areas of Styria. The city was warmer with the buildings and people generating their own heat and this kept the carpet of white away for a little while longer. The warm red watered wine was a welcome treat, especially now on such cold evening with winter knocking heavily upon its doors

The other stalls were all cramped together in this small sector of the city, each competing for customers. The maze of stalls had been lit with countless white lights, each one sending out its beam and lighting a path to the stall. The whole square was filled with puffs of ‘smoke’ from as warm breath condensed as it met the cold air. A thousand million droplets of water particles which disappeared into the cold night sky.

The Christmas tree that stood proudly to one side beautifully decorated with many tiny white lights was majestic to see. A small stage was beside the tree where children were playing out a nativity scene. It was really a city of dreams during this winter period and Robert drank it all in with almost childish wonder.

However, hunger was groaning in the bellies of Robert and his ‘school’ friends so they searched for a restaurant. They had to wait before being summoned to a table, but they soon settled in a cosy corner and making their choices from the menu.

Of course, the famous Salzburg sausage featured. The question was how many of these small wrapped delicacies could one possibly eat? Would there be six, eight, ten? Most of his companions ordered eight and then attempted to test their capacity! They were very small in size and very contrary to that of the typical English or other regional Austrian sausages.