To Quote Winnie the Pooh.

“It’s a blustery day”.

And that’s no understatement.  It’s still the month of March,  and I guess that whole, “In like a lamb,  out like a lion”  thing has some merit. 

We’ve had wind,  rain, sleet,  hail.   Well,  maybe not sleet, but definitely hail. 

I have no photo evidence.  It was too miserable.

 

Will this do?  Probably not.  But when the wind blows the rain up against that side of the building,  that usually means it’s crappy.

 

So obviously there won’t be anyone sitting outside in the “Schanigartens”,  unless they’re wearing a Sou'wester.

I don’t quite have a Sou’wester,  but I do have something similar.

 

Meh,  sort of like that.  Only sadder and older looking. 

The thing is though,  I don’t wear it that often any more,  since I saw a homeless guy wearing the exact same coat last year some time.  And his wasn’t in much worse shape.  The original intent was to wear it in inclement weather when out on the boat,  and if I just happened to go overboard,  then at least I would be visible and could then be plucked from the water. Hence the once bright yellow colour.  We never had to test that theory,  thankfully, although there were a couple times there when the “life lines”  came in really handy.

 

 

See the little “railing” off to one side there?  Those are “life lines”.  Seriously.  Some times they’re all that’s keeping a person from going into the drink. That, and the black partially submerged bit right along the deck called the “Toe rail”.  Both aptly named.   This is a boat that I’ve never been on by the way,  since it’s a picture pinched off the net.  The “view” is fairly familiar however.

 

Anyway,  I was kind of hoping I wouldn’t be confused with that one homeless guy if I wore that coat this morning,  but I didn’t see him anywhere.   So that was a good thing.   Not too sure where the beggars and their friends hole up when it nasty out,  but there was nary a one to be seen this morning.

The thing is though,  and I’m not sure if it had anything to do with what I was wearing,  but I was asked for directions twice on my way back home.   I didn’t see a big sign pinned to my backside,  so I can only guess it had something to do with the big goofy yellow coat.  One interrogation was from a lady looking for a flower shop of some kind (this was in German, or something close to it)  and another was at the corner of Neubaugaße and Mariahilferstraße from a tourist.  (English,  and also a derivation thereof.)

See,  I can do directions no problems.  English, French or German,  and I might even take a stab at my long forgotten Spanish,  but flower shops?  What the hell do I know about finding a particular flower shop?  Did I look like I had just stepped out from watering the plants?  I don’t understand.

Giving directions to the little oriental chick on the street corner was by contrast,  easy-peasy.  Please note the reference above to the English.  Or maybe we could call it “Engrish”.  

And no,  I didn’t approach her,  lest I be taken for an old creepy guy.  That’ll never do.   She wasn’t sure if she was heading in the right direction for the Naschmarkt,   and that was a no brainer.  I mean,  I stopped short of giving her an entire treatise on the history of the Naschmarkt,  how many vendors there are,  and what position they are in,  in relation to how long they’ve been there or anything,  but I did mention which end was which.  

Tried not to overdo it.   And you believe me that I could spout off all that?  Please.

 

And I’m sure when she caught up with her friends,  she no doubt told them how she was helped by “An older gentleman”.    *sigh*

 

 

My only hope is that she wasn’t subconsciously thinking of this guy.

 

 

 

Oh see,  he’s holding a flower!  There you go!  That explains the “flower shop” lady. Yes?

Alright,  that’s it!  The coat is definitely going back in the closet.

Just as soon as it dries off.

 

Have a fine weekend.

 

Thanks for lookin’.

 

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