We are stuck in the European heatwave in a country where there are few air-conditioned buildings. The last four days have hovered around the 37-degree mark. Ouch! So we’ve been trying to be creative about how to escape the heat, especially since Andreas’ mom was down from Hamburg on a visit.
On Friday, we hit the outdoor pool. Along with the rest of Freiburg. That wasn’t a particularly creative solution.
Yesterday, we drove for over two hours to get into the Swiss Alps. Now this was a creative, if not slightly desperate, solution. On top of the Hasliberg, we did manage to enjoy temperatures below 30 degrees. We found a snow field, had a snowball fight, and made snow angels. On the way down, we hiked the Muggestutz, a trail specifically designed for kids. There were several little stations along the trail, each of which told more about the story of a dwarf named Muggestutz. Kai loved the pine cone mine and Muggestutz’s little house, which was completely furnished and was the perfect size for a nine-year-old boy.
Today, we are back in Freiburg, bunkered down in our apartment and taking turns sitting the bathtub. Christiane is back in the reasonable temperatures of Hamburg, but we have at least another two days of temperatures above 35 degrees to survive.
by Nancy