Freedom of Movement 11 - St Johann in Tirol.

Lisa Siferlinger.

“Sure, a border in Ireland. Yeah, that’ll work. Has anyone in England got even the slightest idea? Let’s go back to the days of smuggling and gangs.”

Lisa is Irish. She arrived in St Johann in Tirol ten years ago as a tour rep for an Irish holiday company. She clearly didn’t hate snow then, as she stayed and became bar manager at the Hotel “Park”, and married a local guy. I say local, but he’s German, so technically an immigrant too.
Fortunately Lisa loves St Johann, the bar she runs, the hotel she works in and the clientelle who come back every year. They’re often Irish, and the resident (Scottish) Australian guitarist who’s on hand to serenade the guests every night plays a lot of Irish tunes. There’s no way you could avoid seeing this as a community of locals, transplants, eternally returning new friends who become old friends. 

Is all this unique and special to the Park, or even to St Johann? I don’t know, but it is very welcoming. I’m told I’ll be back. I don’t doubt it.