The Brawny Sherpa, accompanying me on a press trip to Hamburg, was supposed to be on his best behavior. Ever the polite escort, he would be the tourist—and occasionally carry my bags—while I learned about Hamburg’s environmental record as the European Green Capital 2011. All proceeded smoothly until he decided to dress well for dinner one night. Unacquainted with that thing called an iron, the Brawny Sherpa decided to steam his dinner jacket smooth. What could go wrong?
Photo Credit: M. Ciavardini
All I can say is that I am impressed by the emergency response time both of the fire department of Hamburg and of the fine staff at the Adina Apartment Hotel Hamburg Michel. When the Brawny Sherpa opened the bathroom door once his jacket looked presentable, the steam triggered the fire alarm, which incited a quick phone call from the front desk to confirm that we were neither smoking nor in flames. A staff member was already running up a number of floors to confirm. The fire department, which comes out whenever a hotel alarm goes off, would be there shortly.
We were all very grateful that the bathroom had just emitted a little too much steam. The fire fighters teased that, next time, the Brawny Sherpa should take a nice cold bath. The Brawny Sherpa and I got a story about our Hamburg trip we would never forget. It would be a good few months before I had another entry to add to the phrase, “Remember the time Mike set off the alarm in . . .” Most of all, I was grateful for the good humor of the staff at the Hotel Adina.
© 2012 by Lori Tripoli