For our vacation (and husband’s work), we traveled to Switzerland. The first part of the stay was in Grindelwald and the second part in Basel. Basel (and Europe) is suffering in a heat wave with temperatures about 100 F or 33 C.

In Basel, even on an ordinary summer day, folks will put their clothes in a waterproof sack and jump into the the Rhine. There are steps where they can walk down to the river and jump in. The river flows fairly fast and they just paddle their arms and that is enough to keep their heads up above water.

However, there is an alternative way of getting into the river.

Two nights ago, I was sitting by the river near the Mittlere Brücke, which is for trams and pedestrians, and heard a yell. A boy had jumped from the bridge into the Rhein on the other side in between the spans of the bridge. He shot under the span and then three friends followed him. They laughed and shouted. Such fun.

I felt envious.