If you cover a plate of fish and vegetables with enough sugar, eventually, it tastes just like sugar, which was a welcome respite for poverty-stricken families accustomed to eating rotten meat pies.
But the presence of the mosquitoes makes the tundra this time of the year one of the most inhospitable places on the planet and the herd must keep moving in search of respite.
It is a narrow victory, one which the SPD will savor and provide some respite for Olaf Scholz given the fact that there were increasing calls for him to step aside ahead of federal elections next year.
In the short term, being away from the demands of modern day life may provide the respite needed to re-prioritise life, and reduce time pressure by focusing on what actually needs to be done.
And so, what the store is, was a place for, is a little bit of a respite, where you can feel confident that we're all going to get through this together.