When I returned back to my hotel last night at 9, I was greeted by the Friedrichshafen volunteer fire brigade and a police barricade. When I asked if I could go into the hotel, the police explained that the whole square block had been evacuated because of a gas leak. They told me it would be a couple of hours. I already felt a great blog post coming.
I was directed to the huge tents set up by the Red Cross. They were serving all the residents tea, coffee, cookies, and a choice of cheese or ham sandwiches. There was even a heater to make sure that everyone was warm on the chilly autumn evening. I took a seat in a group of older folks (ex-Nazis?) and struck up a conversation with the man seated next to me. He explained more fully why a gas leak would result in the evacuation of 200 people in the middle of the night...
During WWII, the allies flattened Friedrichshafen because it was a major center of armament production. Dornier Aircraft (the planes used to try and bomb the British into submission) was based in the town. When the city was rebuilt, there wasn't a systematic search for any bombs that may have been left unexploded. So last night, when an industrial drill was brought to reach the source of the gas leak, there was some fear that it might hit one of the bombs. This made for an interesting history lesson.
1 comment:
JESUS!!!! That must have made for a relaxing stay at that hotel. I should tell you the story about me and the volcano in Ecuador. Good times.
Post a Comment