On Friday, May 28th, my friends Christian Stiewe and Samira Farouqi got married, with my ’49 convertible and me an important part of the festivities. Christian and Samira live in Cologne, about 60 miles from my home. The area is heavily populated, and there are traffic jams every morning and afternoon in and around the city. To avoid getting stuck, I decided to travel to Cologne Thursday evening and spend the night at another friend’s home in the same neighborhood.
I was busy at work that day and got home late, but it wasn’t too bad because when I finally started, the traffic jams had disappeared. But soon after entering the highway, raindrops were falling. When I started the wipers, one of the blades flew away! With a bad feeling, I continued my journey (no chance to stop and look for the missing part). The rain stopped soon, and when I arrived at my friend’s home, I found a pair of new wiper blades in the trunk. Phew, you can imagine my relief.
The night brought rain again, but the sky cleared up very slowly in the morning. After breakfast I drove to Christian’s home to pick up some glasses for the champagne to be served after the wedding ceremony. Next, I had to drive to the town center to get flowers for the car and pick up Samira from the hair dresser. The traffic was very heavy, and road work didn’t make it easier. Finally I managed to pick up the flowers, the bride and reach the civil registry office just in time.
After the ceremony the sky had cleared further and the Cadillac’s top was dry. I put it down and placed the car next to the entrance, where the champagne was served while everyone tried to photograph the couple and the Cadillac. What an experience driving an old Cadillac cross-town with the top down, flowers on the hood and a happy couple in the back seat! Pedestrians shouted congratulations and held their thumbs up when they saw us passing by.
After the wedding pictures had been taken, I drove the couple to the hotel where the wedding guests were waiting. The hotel was surrounded by a large pedestrian zone. No motor vehicles allowed. But the management lowered a barrier just for us. I drove slowly in a semi circle, stopped in front of the entrance and let the couple get out of the car. What a show! When I drove my ‘49 to the underground garage, I took three boys with me. For them riding the short distance in that old Cadillac was much more exciting than the wedding.
The next day started with a perfect blue sky. After breakfast with Christian, Samira and some other guests, we stowed the presents in the trunk and I drove the couple home. They enjoyed the ride again, and so did I on my way home. What started so bad with rain and a lost wiper blade became a very nice experience that will stay in fond memory for a long time.
