Now where better to get away from the heat stifling the continent of Europe than a spa, right, and Baden-Baden is so gut they named it twice.
And if that name sounds familiar then you probably recall it from the England WAGs, Victoria, Cheryl, Coleen, Abbey and Co.
All pampering themselves here 20 years ago.
And earning themselves the mantle of Baden-Baden Girls… OK, we just made that up but still.
The girls, of course, availed themselves of the Brenners Park hospitality.
A £1,000-a-night 1800s spa hotel on the outskirts of town, and the Italian restaurant Garibaldi.
While they naturally went in for some retail therapy with the wags (that’s funny people) declaring the Wags had renamed the town Shopping-Shopping.
Spending £57,000 an hour on one party excursion.
Ja dancer
Now we can’t say we know if the Equipage dance, music and cocktail bar were around back then.
The WAGs and their families made do instead with Garibaldi.
Where Elen Rives, Frank Lampard’s then partner climbing on a table and singing I Will Survive.
And Neville Neville, the dad of Gary and Phil, and that really is his name, got renched in beer and brandished a replica World Cup (they never did get their hands on the real one).
To be fair, when England football wives aren’t in the small town of just 30,000 then there is a more sedate feel.
Much like we’d say an Oberammergau, although without Der Passion, more say Der Passsion Fruit cocktails when the WAGs are there.
And prides itself on its motto of the good-good life.
The good-good life
Baden-Baden, of course, is nothing to do with a negative outcome…
I mean, who would call themselves that?
But rather bad means bath, although Bath-Bath sounds more of an order.
For those denonymophiles, and yes, we made that up to… there is a very good reason why Baden-Baden was named twice.
It is to differentiate it from other Badens in Germany, theirs starting off life as Baden in Baden, the Baden region, before getting abreviated.
You’ve been Tangoed
And why apart from nostalgia are we honing in on Baden-Baden?
Well because we and the Unesco-listed Great Spa Towns of Europe are celebrating.
Five years of collaboration this year.
With Baden-Baden running a full weekend, with its popular annual tango event.
In the collonades of the Trinkhalle, or pump room
Alongside a film screening of the silent film Der Skandal in Baden-Baden.
Guided tourse addressed Baden-Baden’s significant role in the development of music in Europe.
And the Kurgarten was transformed into a scene from the heyday of th Great Spa Towns of Europe.
Now, you don’t have to be a WAG or their appendage to stay at Brenners Park.
So maybe we’ll see you there because you know how much we, and she, love a spa.
And you might very well see my very own shopaholic will be there around the shoes.
