Tuesday, July 11, 2006

"Kaiser" weather

"Kaiserwetter" (emperor weather) is an expression for clear, sunny days. I suppose it dates back to the 19th century, when Germany had an emperor, but it seems to hold true for a modern "Kaiser" as well. For whatever reason, probably several, the former football player and now manager who was responsible for getting the World Cup to Germany this year, Franz Beckenbauer, has the nickname "Kaiser Franz".

One of the things that cannot be planned or organized for a four-week-long event is the weather - we are prone to have summers that are distinguishable from the winter merely by the milder temperature of the rain. But the past month was almost entirely sunny - too warm, even, for the players, but very conducive to the outdoor public viewing that made the World Cup so much fun for the spectators outside the stadiums. I'm sure the guests who came from more southern countries felt more comfortable because of the warm days, and the positive mood which swept over Germany certainly owed a lot to the sunshine.

Now how did "Kaiser Franz" manage to accomplish that?!

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