A couple of weeks ago, we experienced the hottest temperatures of the summer in Frankfurt. I think most of Europe went through a bit of a heat wave. It sucked.
I stopped trying to remember previous summers for comparison, even though it was a common conversation topic when I was out and about. People still make the assumption that, being from Texas, I am used to the heat, and my responses are always very similar. It sucked then, and it sucks now.
True, we are not talking about anything like the great heat wave of 1980, when Dallas had about 42 straight days of temperatures above 38 degrees Celsius, including a few days of 42-45 degrees.
Still, this summer has been particularly humid, which really pushes you to the limit when trying to maintain your sense of humor. My laptop, which tends to struggle (somewhat desperately albeit bravely) during the warmer months of the year, finally hinted that it was on it's last legs. So, I made a rather spontaneous purchase and spent one very warm Friday evening waiting for it be delivered. The online information indicated that the delivery time would be between 10am-6pm; the guy arrived at almost 10h30 that night, sweating profusely. I, too, was sweating a good deal, myself, so the process of signing for the package was awkward, wet, and gross.
But, I really like my laptop, and like with any new toy, it helped keep my spirits up during the following week, when the temperatures were really soaring. I hardly left the house, preferring to suffer the heat on my own. After all, it was hot everywhere, inside or outside. And I did not really feel like going to talk to other people just to reiterate that fact.
A friend of mine was coming into town, and we had made dinner plans two Fridays ago at a little Spanish restaurant in the neighborhood. Fortunately, the temperature had dropped ever so slightly from the two previous days (which were above 40 degrees C), but it was still ridiculously hot. In situations like this, since everyone is suffering, fashion sort of takes a lower priority. No matter how dudded up you think you are, you are still dudded up and sweaty. With the humidity being so high, it was difficult to get comfortable. Sitting at a small restaurant table, even being outside, was a trick.
That being said, we had a really nice evening enjoying the great tapas. The restaurant is a a favorite of ours, but we just do not get there all that often, for one reason or other. Max, Susie and I all chatted about how glad we were to be able to have a chance to eat there once again. The service was really pleasant, and the waitress made sure to bring us bottles of water, almost without asking. (This is a bit unusual in Europe, especially when comparing to the experience in an American restaurant, where the guy comes by and refills your water glass every five seconds.)
After we had consumed a couple of rounds of tapas, the owner came out to greet us and offer us a Schnaps, making for a super experience once again.
As the evening came to a close, we decided to try and meet up for dinner again the following week before Susie was to leave Frankfurt after completing her business. I suggested a little German restaurant which just opened around the corner from my flat, but left things open, as we had time to think about where we would want to go.
Last Saturday, I took a few hours to get some personal writing done, allowing me to reflect on a lot of different things. I do try and keep a little journal, but it has been a while since I have really been able (to want) to find the time to sit down and allow my thoughts to flood the pages of a notebook.
One of the nice things about the hot summer period is that a lot of people are either away on holiday or simply staying at home because it is too hot. I took advantage of this and sat in the pub, almost on my own, save for Maria and a couple of other guests. I enjoyed the time and reminisced about the countless hours I have spent around the world, sitting in a pub, writing in my journal. If I had to calculate college credit hours, I'd probably be approaching a PHD. Definitely time well spent.
The weather forecast had hinted at Gewitter; a large storm was supposed to blow into Frankfurt and cool things off. I was really looking forward to this. More than once, I have seen a windstorm suddenly blow a patio umbrella out of it's stand and send it tumbling across the terrace. This alone makes for some humorous (at least for me) excitement. People always get very dramatic, as they exclaim, "Wow, that could have killed somebody."
Sure, freak accidents do happen, but usually not with such an extreme result. Of course, the same people that makes those kinds of comments are also the ones that immediately start going "AAAGGHHHH, It's raining, I am getting wet" when a sudden thunderstorm starts bucketing down, drenching everyone. These are the same people who, just a few days prior, had been staggering around in the 40plus degree heat like zombies, saying, "AAAGGHHHH, I am dying."
But, I digress.
I am the kind of guy that does enjoy seeing people slip on banana peels, or in this case, seeing someone get clocked by a large piece of patio furniture hurtling across a plaza. Likewise, I love getting soaked in a rainstorm, so long as I am not on my way to a business meeting, a wedding, or some formal occasion.
Alas, by Saturday evening, we still had no rainstorm and the temperatures were still a bit warm. Late that night, we had a little bit of rain, but nothing like what the forecast had called for. Thus, the humidity continued.
This humidity continued into this past week, and it did absolutely nothing to help my mood, which was darkened by a lot of political crap at work. People changed their minds some 400 times during the course of three days, and I was really struggling to stay true to my mantra, "take it as it comes."
Meanwhile, the humidity wreaked havoc with my espresso machine; the coffee started getting really bitter, the milk wasn't foaming properly, and I was getting really irritated.
By Thursday evening, I was desperate for the weekend, and ventured over to the pub for a couple of pints. Since I had been a bit of a homebody the previous week, I was eager for a little company, and was glad to run into Mono, who hates the heat more than I do. We had a brief, humorous discussion about the Love Boat (tv series), which was rather out of character for both of us, as we normally stick to more mundane conversation topics like what would happen if a patio umbrella flew up and knocked somebody over, and who would we want that somebody to be...
At any rate, I had just completed my lipsync of the Love Boat theme song (complete with choreography) when Erik walked in. Erik had been away on holiday in Thailand for most of July, so he was particularly upset to return home to really warm, humid weather. As we were speaking, I thought about a friend of mine who had just spent the last couple of evenings in hospital after an operation. I knew she was glad to be back home in the humid comforts of her flat as opposed to being in a stuffy hospital.
Thursday nights are quiz nights at the pub. Normally I go home about the time the quiz gets started, but I ended up sticking around and forming a team with a few friends. We ended up winning the quiz, but more importantly, I simply enjoyed the evening, and it certainly distracted me from all the challenges of the work week.
I woke up Friday morning definitely ready for the weekend, and got through the work day without too much hassle. Susie, Max, and I had decided on the little German place after all, and after a quick drink in the pub, headed over to find a table. This place serves what they refer to as German tapas, and in short, offer small traditional German dishes in tapas portions, but with a Mediterranean twist. For example, you can get a little tiny schnitzel, or a bit of sausage resting on a little potato salad; perfect tapas portions. The three of us went through two rounds of tapas, and were really satisfied.
The place has only been open about six weeks, and I had already been there a couple of times. I was glad both Max and Susie enjoyed the meal, also. There are a fair amount of cafes and restaurants in the neighborhood, many of them excellent, but it's always nice to find a new place.
Afterwards, we headed back to the pub for another couple of drinks, where we met the traditional Friday folks. I ran into a few friends I hadn't seen in a while, so the evening was great. And, the temperature finally broke, and things cooled off considerably.
I went home at a reasonable hour, thoroughly content with the company and food of the evening. Not surprisingly, I slept very soundly, and woke up this morning to delightfully cool temperatures. I got my espresso machine sorted out, so the coffees are tasting great, and as soon as I finish this post, I will book my flights to Dallas for Christmas.
It's a great way to continue the weekend.
see you out there
bryan
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