Holidays in South Tyrol: When a bus driver in love honks loudly – panorama

In the middle of … Klobenstein

Illustration: Marc Herold

The Renon is such a quiet, romantic place that you might think it was invented by South Tyrolean marketing. During the hike on the high plateau near Bozen you can hear cow bells ringing, bumble bees buzzing with e-bikers. At the Hotel Tann above Klobenstein you can only hear the creaking of stone pines, otherwise it’s quiet. Until the honking of the bus destroys the idyll. Every time the bus passes the hotel, the driver honks the horn. What shoud that? The bend isn’t particularly tight, and there aren’t any cows on the road. “It’s because of our maid,” says the hotel manager, “the bus driver is in love with her.” It’s been like this for three weeks, “and we’re very carefully monitoring whether his honking will be crowned with success in the end.” Everyone secretly hopes that the bus driver will soon be heard, so that there will be peace and quiet again on the Renon. Titus Arno

In the middle of… Cairo

SZ column "In the middle of ...": Illustration: Marc Herold

Illustration: Marc Herold

Late night shopping in downtown Cairo, just a few meters from Tahrir Square. Went into a boutique just before closing time. Suddenly a young woman with a face veil stands next to me, she wants to give advice. Fatma is Libyan and has only been in the city for a few months. She brings a blue dress into the changing room, the Koran is being recited over the loudspeakers. It looks pretty horrible on, I tell her as she asks for feedback from behind the curtain. For real? Actually, she wanted to get it herself. Then try it on, I suggest. Only if you’re on guard, she says, so the boss doesn’t notice the little role reversal. A few seconds later she opens the curtain: There she is standing in front of me and is beaming, the blue dress suits her fantastically. It’s the last piece and it was just waiting for her. Dunya Ramadan

In the middle of… Munich

SZ column "In the middle of ...": Illustration: Marc Herold

Illustration: Marc Herold

In this bar, Munich is still as kissy as it was in “Kir Royal”. Two people ask for a table, they have not reserved. “The house is full!” says the waiter, which is made more difficult by the fact that the newcomers are waiting for two more people. But what not to do for the customers? At least for the female. A small table next to the door is still free, two more chairs are quickly pushed up to the two that belong to it. “Voilà ladies!” says the talkative waiter. Break. “I hope you’re all four girls?” Don’t worry, yes, one replies – and that one feels a bit like sitting at the cat’s table. Comment of the waiter: “You are also four cats.” To underline his statement, he brings a greeting, not from the kitchen but from himself: a bowl of the finest cream. Caroline Gasteiger

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