ENGLISH: Summers used to be sunny....

Rule: The summer vacation of your childhood is remembered as permanent sunny
Exception: Catastrophic outings...

When I was a child and had the blessing of a three month long summer vacation, it was always sunny. I used to sit outdoors as long as I could stand it in order to get a tan. But, I always gave up too soon. The only option if I wanted to be forced-tanned, was to take a day-trip to our beach at the lake Sommen. It was quite a long up-hills bicycling to get there so you tended to stay as long as possible.

You lay on the green and as soon as you got too hot, you made a quick dive down into the lake.

And then, you started all over again. Every sunburn I ever suffered was down to this place. And, to be fair, all tan as well.

It was the most magic place and as I got older and became a teenager it was the place to show how brave you were, including a dip at 1st of May (approx 12 degrees in the water) and also midnight swims later in the summer.

But did it never rain? It must have rained but the only memory I have of rain during a vacation is when m y father took me, my sister and one of my brothers to Denmark where he had rented a cottage for a week. It was the first (and only) real vacation during my childhood. But, day 3 (as I recall it) rain came pouring down. As you know it never rains but it pours so my father had just about had it - well before the end of the week. We packed early and started on our way back home.

And, yes of course, the sun was then back on again...