Don’t forget it’s starting to rain! Haven’t got torque wrench,diagnostic laptop or several small tools,don’t forget am on holiday with wifey giving me grief!
All of the web pages that deal with the topic suggest that there's no simple way to deal with the problem. You'll need to get a mechanic to follow the procedure in my Youtube video.
You have my sympathy though. Due to an electrical problem (which seems impossible to fix) my own car has been sat outside a mechanic's workshop with all the windows down for the past month. It's got rather damp at times!
Just a thought:
If you've got breakdown cover (with the RAC, AA or similar, or with an associate organisation if you're abroad), you should give the relevant organisation a call to see if they can assist you.
I have an SLK and had similar problems once and yes the manual solution is really complicated. I assume you have kept on trying to get it work via the button? It won't help while you're on holiday but I eventually took mine to a back-street ex Mercedes mechanic and he fixed the problem (which is a common one in SLKs) in about 20 mins for £40. The switches need the plastic covering removed as over time they swell and stop it connecting. Mine has gone up and down like a trooper ever since!
I do feel your pain though, there is nothing more embarrassing than looking like a prize show-off with your roof stuck halfway in a Tesco car-park.