Hungry for Love (German Edition): Das Wetter (the Weather)

Two all-encompassing words to describe German weather? Predictably unpredictable. But I can think of more: rainy, cloudy, gray, cold, wet, and then sunny, if you're lucky.

A beautiful yet partially bedeckt dawning sky over Hesse

Not so fortunately, I found myself trapped in Germany for the "darkest" winter in 40, 50, perhaps even 70 years, though one person said 100 years. It is not necessary to check data as to how long it has been since Germany suffered through sunless skies day after day, week after week, month after month, because there is no changing the facts. It was cold, gray and miserable for a long time.

Over the dark winter of 2012-13, it was chilly, but not so cold you couldn't play outside. There were even one or two days where it was nice enough outside to open your doors to the world, even in February and March. Sleeping with the window open during the winter didn't turn me into an ice cube, either. If one has the proper sleeping gear, such as flannel pants, socks, a warm long-sleeved shirt, a triplet of blankets, and a down-filled duvet, they can survive the harsh and wet cold outside. I choose also to include two feather-filled pillows and two smaller pillows, plus a large stuffed animal to hide in my bed (cave) with me.

Spring was barely present this year, and summer has taken a long time to get here. March was pretty rough -- it came in like a lion, and that fierce cat stayed through the end of May. It was cold, cloudy and/or rainy every day.

Though temperatures got up to what most would consider hot only just this week -- Endlich Sommer! they said on the German news -- yesterday and today it rained again. And the long sleeves are back. Walking to the bakery around the corner this morning in jeans, boots and a rain coat, I carried a sturdy umbrella (Regenschirm) overhead. No matter the gear, by the time I got home, much of my clothing was soaked. Oh, believe me, I was smart enough to pack a plastic bag in which to transport the Kurbiskernebrötchen I love so much.

Mark Twain was credited with saying, "Everybody talks about the weather, but nobody does anything about it." When it rains day after day, what do you do? Germans say Scheisse Wetter, then they pull out their umbrellas and raincoats. Hey, it has to be worse in the U.K., coined "die Regeninsel" by people here on the European mainland.

Germans have a good word for overcast skies: bedeckt. Covered. Cloudy. It is often bedeckt here, so when the sun comes out, it is time for celebration. Get on your bicycle and go. Sit outside on your terrace. Have a Grillparty. Point to the small patch of blue sky and make note of it, because it may not be there for very long. (But you can always have hope.)