Now I also made the mistake of deciding to do just that on a Saturday during the Christmas Market.
Bonn's city center was crammed full. People everywhere. Strollers everywhere. Everywhere slowly walking people and those standing in the way. And since I am someone who tends to walk pretty fast, these happen to be my special personal nightmare.
The fun started when I went to the bank. I had three money transfers to do (among other things, for this), so I took a bit longer at the machine than I usually would have done. The guy waiting for me to get done seemed to be in a bit more of a hurry than I was but I was still quite able to block out his grunting and mumbling.
On the way to the Lush shop the jostling started. And inside it was even worse. The store already is so tiny that it would be difficult to navigate through, even if there weren't shop assistants and other customers standing around all over the place. I didn't even get to the shelf with the bubble-stuff because that was besieged. But my mother will now be getting the following for Christmas: Big Blue, Avobath, Rose Queen Ballistic and Springwash Duschgel. And my backpack smells really nice. When I had finally squeezed through to the check-out and the lady there didn't take my basket but greeted me with 'Would you like a bag?', I must have looked so confused that she started speaking English to me. Whatever. I played along.
In the tea shop I then had difficulties to find something that I thought was worth being given as a gift. However, I did then fall into a buying frenzy. Thankfully, it wasn't so full in there and nobody wanted to advise me. The cousin-fraction of the familiy will now be getting Rooitea Ingwer, Bambus Pomelo and Spätsommerliebe. I couldn't resist the Bambus Pomelo for myself either (it does smell great though!) and I now also have ginger tea!!!
Of course I had to get lemons yet for that and now I'm going to the the Mr. Ming treatment. And if I then have a killer imune system that can't even be bothered by flu viruses that mutated out of anger, I'm going to have to write to Jacksonville!
I also managed to gather a new calendar for myself and a Maus-postcard.
Of course, on the way home the bus just left when I got to the station so I had to take a different one that only took me to the other side of the Rhine and I walked home for the last kilometer. The bus was - what else - cramped full will staring old farts, kids and their rude mothers. While getting out I and a nice and likeable young man (they do seem to exist) helped a lady in a wheelchair out of the bus. That gave me that nice feeling inside of me again. Until I realized she hadn't said thank you.
The next time I leave the house will definitely not be before Monday.
In this sense, Cheers und and happy bumming around!
