The train was nearly overcrowded - such a mass of people tried to enter the train, the fastest method, of course, to go to Brussels and Paris. With a maximum speed of about 300 km per hour it was even a competitive alternative to a journey by plane between Cologne and the two mentioned destinations, if you considered the way to the airport (which was normally situated outside the city centre).

The red-coloured train made itself ready for the journey: Fresh food and drinks were transported into the high speed train. New staff moved inside with a smile on their faces ready to be the friendliest persons the passengers ever had seen.
The pretty women with their blue uniforms resembled stewardesses, certainly a well-planned effect.

Bruno thought about his last flight in winter from Colonge to Berlin with "Deutsche British Airways", a subsidiary of the the British Airways holding. He remembered the steward who welcomed the already sitting passengers: "Welcome on board. The doors are closed now. We are ready to fly to Palma de Mallorca. We wish you a pleasant flight." The passenger next to Bruno, a businessman in one of his best suits, had got a really red face.

"Oh no! I'll miss my meeting in Berlin," he shouted. But the businessman's smile returned, when the steward immediately corrected: "Mallorca, a place which would be actually very nice given the cold temperatures in Germany. But to Berlin, that's where we are going. Hope you enjoy it as well." In a newspaper article a few days ago, the young man had read that an ancient comedian who had become a steward, had tried some jokes. As a result, many passengers had written to the carrier being very happy about the "special flight program" on board. That's why this steward had given lessons to the other flight staff of this airline. Really a nice idea to be continued.

Back in the present tense, the young man asked himself: "Now, where is my boarding pass?" searching in his thick jacket for it. He was sure that he had taken it in his jacket just before he left home. "Ah, no problem at all. Here it is."

Bruno, the young man with the thinning hair, took a seat. Watching outside, he saw a lot of people arriving at Cologne Central Station to visit the Cologne carnival from all over Germany: Music bands in their really overdressed uniforms, lots of people wearing costumes, witches, pretty ladies, ugly men, supermen (there must be more than one), devils (is there a conference of them?), men in black (with their glasses like black holes) and many, many princes and princesses (their so-called blue blood would be the base for a feast day of all the costumed draculas, wandering around).