I will never forget them: A storm with wind strength 7 was coming from northeast.
Husband and I had visited my parents in Bremen for Christmas. Then husband grew very ill with influenza, thus we wanted to go back to Mainz.
My father, a wise man, said: "If you want to drive, drive now very quickly."
481 km distance between Bremen and Mainz - I drove our old blue Merc, with highly-feverish husband on the backseat.
I was very young then and had I got my driver's license in 1976 - megalomaniacal after two years I applied for a contest by Cosmopolitan: a rally through the Sahara - that was my notion of "adventurous". (How come I was not elected?)
Now fate served me the total opposite:
all the time at that drive home a huge black bank of snowclouds breathed down our neck: the snow came nearer and nearer, and I had to drive very fast.
We reached Mainz, exhausted but lucky - a few hours later "Land submerged!" - a blanket of snow covered huge parts of Northern Germany which was sunken under snow - and hundreds of cars were stuck in more than a meter high snow drifts.
What an adventure! I'll bet you wouldn't try that now. When I think back to some of the foolish stunts I pulled when I was young I am amazed. It's a wonder we survived.
ReplyDeleteYes, Emma - we've become a bit more cautious and also less spontaneous. But I do not regret those "stunts" - they make good memories.
DeleteYour father was a wise man indeed and used his experience gained through age to give you good advice.
ReplyDeleteThank you Rachel - yes, he was: very brave, modest and wise. I miss him.
DeleteI wouldn't drive in the snow because it is a very dangerous thing to do. The tyres either slide and crash into an electric pole, or the car stops and the driver freezes to death.
ReplyDeleteBut in Queensland in the last few weeks, a lot of people drove in the flooded streets and drowned in their cars. Be safe!!
We were in front of the snowstorm, Helen - but only a few inches, and sometimes it threw us a handful of snowflakes onto our car. I surprised myself, because I hate driving in winter - always have.
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ReplyDeleteWe thought we were invincible then, didn't we! Good job in getting through and home ahead of the storm! We had some storms like that, in the very same time period.
"Invincible" is exactly the word, Joanne! Of cause one thought of consequences - at random - but one thought: I can do that.
DeleteAnd you answered my unspoken question: you had snow storms like that at the same time (here they are very unusual - so seldom that newspapers mentioned the storm of 1978/79 now in remembrance).
I would not forget that either.
ReplyDeleteNo.
ReplyDeleteBut do you know, Tom, what I think looking back? Adventures like that made me feel alive. Taking risks - now a bit smaller - make me feel alive. Older by now I have to force myself sometimes to leave my comfort zone - but when I do (not always voluntarily) I feel good afterwards.
I remember the man caught in massive snowdrifts near Aberdeen in the 1970s. Completely covered, he was only just able to keep an air funnel clear. And to keep warm, well, he was a travelling salesman in ladies clothing. He put it all on.
ReplyDeleteWell, that is a typical hilarious Tasker- comment: I believe the completely covered (snow)man in Aberdeen - as to the undies I do have my doubts :-)
DeleteWhat an adventure! I rather expect that in spite of your tender history of driving at that stage, you still probably availed yourself of the generous driving speed (no) limit for Germany and flew along at around 250kph! In this country, when people say they "sped", it's unlikely to be more than 120, hahah, and there'd be no chance of outrunning a storm like that.
ReplyDeleteI was driving fast, but never in my life 250kph :-)
DeleteI loved to "fly" - but I felt that something changed when I turned 35 and became a mother: I sold my beautiful silver Lancia Beta 2000 (a very quick car) - and bought a Volvo 245 - it seemed so much safer...
As to speed limits: the Flying Dutchman always is very happy on a German Autobahn (I, though he is a very good driver, am not that happy as a front-seat passenger - I distrust the drivers on the middle lane ...) - in the Netherlands you are only allowed a comfortable "speed" of 100 kph.