Written by manatwork on 04 Sep, 2011
I've been to Frankfurt am Main twice before but both times were in the summer. We left Kuala Lumpur at a near record 90 degrees Farenheit (32 C), and came to Frankfurt am Main at a 30s' F (almost 0 C) temperature. With a…Read More
I've been to Frankfurt am Main twice before but both times were in the summer. We left Kuala Lumpur at a near record 90 degrees Farenheit (32 C), and came to Frankfurt am Main at a 30s' F (almost 0 C) temperature. With a huge drop in temperature in less than 12 hours, I felt cold when we got off the plane in a chilly Thursday night in March.Jack and I left our luggage at the Frankfurt International Airport, and we took a train (cost €3.80) to Frankfurt Hauptbahnhof (Main Train Station), where our hostel is located. Situated in the Main River, Frankfurt is a major financial and transportation center in Europe. The Stock Exchange is one of the world's most important exchanges, and there are over 300 national and international banks represented here in Frankfurt. In fact, it is the only German City listed in the top Alpha world cities. You may not think of Frankfurt as a tourist destination given the fact that it is a major key player in the financial and commerce sectors, but Frankfurt does offer a lot more.Along the Schaumainkai in Frankfurt's district of Sachsenhausen, on the left bank of the Main River, there is an extraordinary concentration of museums and galleries, and some of them of international standards. This area is known as Museumsufer (Museums Riverbank). If you walk along the area, don't be surprised to see houses that are transformed into museums and galleries. It was getting really cold as we walked toward Römerberg in the rain and wind. This is the central square of Frankfurt's Alstadt (Old Town). All kinds of festivities are held here yearly. There are 6 picturesque reconstructed half-timbered houses known as the Ostzeile in Alstadt. In March 1944 bombardments flattened the whole historic district, including Römerberg. Some were rebuilt soon after the war, but the Ostzeile wasn't reconstructed following historical models until 1981-1983. We stopped by at a restaurant for beers and lunch, where I had sausages with sauerkraut, and Jack had pot roast with potatoes. Meal was very good. We went to the Historisches Museum, just south of Römerberg. The museum covers the history of Frankfurt, including its destruction after the war. It also traces the history of the city from prehistory to the modern times. The most popular attraction in the museum is a set of three scale models. The scale models were created between 1926 and 1955 by the brothers Hermann and Robert Treuner. The largest of the three models shows Frankfurt's Inner City in the Middle Ages and shows a city center full of half-timbered houses. The two other models show the inner city after it was obliterated by two large bombardments in March 1944 and after it was reconstructed in the mid 1980s. Other museums worth mentioning here are Stadel Art Museum, Museum of Modern Art, Museum of Ancient Sculpture, Museum of Applied Arts and Craft Museum.To end our day in Frankfurt, we went to Kaiserdom (Saint Bartholomeus), a Gothic building which was originally built in the 13th century. Twice reconstructed after a fire in 1867, and the war in 1944, it has been recognized as a symbol for the national unity to Germany, especially in the 19th century. St Paul's Church (Paulskirche) is another national historic monument in Germany because it was the seat of the first democratically elected Parliament in 1848. Partially destroyed in World War II, it has a modern interior appearance now, and used mainly for exhibitions and events.Most of Frankfurt was destroyed in the 1867 fire, and later in World War II. What you see today, is either new modern infrastructures or a reconstructions of the Old Frankfurt like Römerberg. Close
Written by sararevell on 07 Aug, 2011
The day after our walk along the Main to the cathedral, we embarked on a different walk but to the same end destination. We took the metro to the Alte Oper stop and ascended the escalator to the spacious plaza, dominated by the ‘Alte Oper’…Read More
The day after our walk along the Main to the cathedral, we embarked on a different walk but to the same end destination. We took the metro to the Alte Oper stop and ascended the escalator to the spacious plaza, dominated by the ‘Alte Oper’ (Old Opera) concert hall. Originally opened in 1880, Frankfurt’s opera house met its demise in the Second World War, when like many other buildings, it was completely burnt out. Fortunately at least, parts of the impressive facade remained more or less in tact so that the appearance of the present day building is a faithful reproduction of the old. We stopped for a while in the sunny plaza, enjoying an ice cream from the cleverly located Movenpick stall and watching cyclists and pedestrians go by. Wandering down Opernplatz we passed a number of cafes, which spill out onto the clean cobbles during fine weather. We walked along Grosse Bockenheimer Strasse and towards Zeil, passing the usual collection of European high street chains. An Apple store, H&M, Zara, it is like most other large European cities in terms of retail outlets with few surprises. It is also not cheap, with clothes prices at least comparable to what you would find in Central London. On a Saturday afternoon, the city centre was teeming with shoppers but the one relief is that many of the main shopping streets are quite wide and pedestrianised meaning that you only have to watch out for foot rather than wheel traffic. Zeil eventually hits another large square called Konstablerwache. Every Saturday a farmers market is set up and the place becomes a hub of daytime Frankfurt social life. While the produce for sale – tomatoes, herbs, apples peaches – looked tempting and healthy, the real focus seemed to be on the small cluster of open-air bars in the middle of the market. Cooked sausages and glasses of apfelwein looked like they were easily outselling fresh fruit and vegetables as customers vied not just for empty benches, but also for empty bar tables where it was standing room only. Hoards of locals, mostly well worn older men animated by over indulging in apfelwein, swarm the centre of the market to catch up with friends and colleagues. We stopped for a couple of glasses of apple wine and some less alcoholic apple juice and a couple of chewy dried frankfurter sausages from another stall. Despite the description, the sausages were actually pretty good although we did get food envy when a friend turned up with a more substantial snack of cooked sausage with mustard in a fat white bread roll. For anyone in Frankfurt on a Saturday and especially on a sunny day, I really can’t recommend this market enough as it was full of good food, drink and company. From here, we walked south to the Romer by way of the Kleinmarkthalle, an undercover German and international food market. It is worth a look if you’re nearby but lacked the atmosphere of the outdoor market at Konstablerwache. We flew by the Romer this time as we had a ferry to catch to Gerbermuehle from the quayside, barely a three minute walk south of the Romer square. Close
Frankfurt, Germany’s fifth largest city, may not have the most tourist attractions but it’s certainly easy to get around. The centre is flat with large areas that are pedestrian only. For visitors wishing to get around a little faster, there are a number of bike…Read More
Frankfurt, Germany’s fifth largest city, may not have the most tourist attractions but it’s certainly easy to get around. The centre is flat with large areas that are pedestrian only. For visitors wishing to get around a little faster, there are a number of bike hire outlets and there seems to be a good network of bike lanes. There is one that follows the Main River for quite a way although other roadside bike lanes appear to be well marked and wide enough that pedestrians and cars do not encroach on their space.We started our walk at one of Germany’s leading art galleries, the Stadel Museum on Schaumainkai. We found a path to the riverside and walked as far as the ‘Eiserner Steg’ (Iron Footbridge). All along this stretch of the south bank of the Main, stalls had been set up between three large floating screens, each broadcasting the Women’s Football World Cup, which was being played in Germany that year (with the final played in Frankfurt). While most of the rest of the world seemed sadly oblivious to its existence, Frankfurt was doing a good job of encouraging locals to watch and support the event. Pop up bars sold local apfelwein and a variety of sausage-based snacks and laid out seating in front of the screens and just beyond the food and drink stalls, play areas were set up for younger visitors with bouncy castles and the like. All in all it made for a very colourful walk. When we passed by there were no games showing so the area was very quiet but we were told that during a match it’s almost impossible to find a space unless you arrive 2-3 hours before kick off.The Eiserner Steg connects the area of Sachsenhausen to the centre of Frankfurt. It was completed in 1869 and was the first suspension bridge in Europe. It is only open to foot traffic and offers a good place to photograph the Main River, the Dom steeple and some Frankfurt cityscapes.Across the bridge are the old town and the Romer Square. The ‘Romer’ building is the town hall of Frankfurt and like many of the historic buildings lining the square, was destroyed during the Second World War and rebuilt afterwards in its original image. We walked towards St. Bartholomeus’s Cathedral and through the excavated ruins of a Roman settlement. The ‘Dom’ was originally constructed in the 14th century but rebuilt in 1867 after it was destroyed in a fire. There was further reconstruction in the 1950s after the interior was burnt out by wartime bombing. The newness of its interior shows, with its clay red brickwork and clear glass windows in place of stained. It is quite modest in size and the interior is surprisingly spartan. The only ornate and grand pieces of note were the organ, with its colossal array of angled pipework, and some small but striking gilt and wood altarpieces. The cathedral is free to visit.Close
Written by becks on 29 Apr, 2007
Wasserschloss Mespelbrunn is an impossibly romantic small castle surrounded by a water-filled moat. Driving directions from the Frankfurt to Würzburg Autobahn A3 are clear and from the large parking lot, further signs point the way. Ignore the sign saying it is an hours hike to…Read More
Wasserschloss Mespelbrunn is an impossibly romantic small castle surrounded by a water-filled moat. Driving directions from the Frankfurt to Würzburg Autobahn A3 are clear and from the large parking lot, further signs point the way. Ignore the sign saying it is an hours hike to the castle – it hints at a route that presumably goes through the forest or include lunch at one of the very appealing looking hotels with open-air restaurants, as it is at most a ten-minute stroll on a relatively flat, paved road from the parking lot to the castle itself.The castle is small but beautiful and authentic. At the center is a mighty round tower flanked by two buildings with triangular gables. It all reflects beautifully in a large mirror pond. Admission to the castle grounds is free but admission is charged to see the inside on the compulsory guided tour.In 1412, the Archbishop of Mainz gave the land to his forest keeper, Knight Haman Echter, who erected a small castle. However, most of the present building is 16th-century Renaissance. Since the mid-17th century, the castle has been the primary residence of the family "Von Ingelheim genannt Echter von und zu Mespelbrunn" – try fit that on the space provided on a standard immigration form! While waiting for the tour to start, you can roam the courtyard and trophy hall. In the courtyard, note the relief from 1569 around the door leading to the main entrance. It shows the marriage of a couple with the shields of their ancestors twice removed to proof that both groom and bride were of noble rank. This requirement to preserve nobility was the same as used by the Nazis during the 1930s to proof purity of race.The tour includes several rooms and the chapel in the north wing of the castle – the family still resides in the south wing. The castle has a lived-in feeling and probably gives a better overview of life in a castle in previous centuries than many other larger and more famous castles do. Nothing looks artificial and some things such as rifles and hunting trophies are simply nailed to the wall.The most famous person associated with the castle is Julius Echter von Mespelbrunn (1545-1617) who became bishop of Würzburg in 1573. He spearheaded the Counter Reformation in the area and erected several churches and other buildings in the Echter-style - Late Gothic with high, steep black-slate roofs even though the Renaissance was already more fashionable at this time.Opening hours are daily from Easter to October from 9am to 5pm. Admission is €3.50, free to the castle grounds.Schloss Mespelbrunn, Schlossverwaltung, 63875 Mespelbrunn, %% 06092-269, www.schloss-mespelbrunn.deClose
Amorbach was not on the day’s agenda, but starting earlier than planned and finding some of the planned sites lacking, we happened on the small town of Amorbach by lunch. We knew we might have crossed the invisible border between Hesse and Bavaira but arriving…Read More
Amorbach was not on the day’s agenda, but starting earlier than planned and finding some of the planned sites lacking, we happened on the small town of Amorbach by lunch. We knew we might have crossed the invisible border between Hesse and Bavaira but arriving in Amorbach left us in now doubt – the white and blue Bavarian flag was everywhere to be seen as well as typical Roman Catholic sculptures and decorations on town houses, walls, and street corners.A long leisurely lunch as Brauerei Burkath gave us the opportunity to study some information on the town so we started our town walk with purpose after the repast. The name Amorbach has absolutely nothing to do with Love River as a quick translation may suggest although there are more than enough gastronomical establishments in the town that plays on that false translation. The town dates back 1250 years and the original name Ammerbach refers to the three small rivers that flow through the town.The old town combines medieval half-timbered houses with larger, more elegant Baroque buildings. The second oldest surviving half-timbered house in Germany, the Templerhaus dating back to at least 1291, is found in this town. It is square and small and not much to see, which probably explain the opening hours of Wednesday 4:30 to 5:30pm and Saturday from 11am to noon. Entry prices are still listed in German Mark. We visited on a Sunday but I did not get the impression that we were missing much.So we headed slightly uphill, passed the Late Gothic town hall and entered the Roman Catholic town parish church. This baroque church was constructed in less than two years, starting in 1751, and has a most magnificent rococo interior. Even more impressive is the much larger evangelical church, Abteikirche, at the opposite side of the old town. It was originally part of a Benedictine monastery and rebuilt in its current Baroque look in the mid-eighteenth century. Like most other monasteries and religious orders in Germany it was disbanded in 1803 following Napoleon’s victories in large areas of Germany and fell to the Leiningin family to compensate them for losses of land in the Rhine lands.The main sight here is the magnificent Rococo church interior, which surpasses even that of the parish church on the other side of town. The ironwork that splits choir from the lay nave is considered one of the best examples of its kind in Germany. The organ is also highly acclaimed and organ concerts are frequently held. In addition, short organ recitals are played daily and several times on Sundays. Admission is € 1.50 and an English information sheet is available to explain some of the finer detail. Taking a guided tour in German is only a € 1 extra and advisable as that is the only way to see the other two treasures of the former monastery: the magnificent Baroque Grüner Saal and equally impressive 30,000 volume Library. These two rooms are in the large former monastery building that now seems to house mainly doctors, lawyers, and offices of other professionals. We missed the last tour of the day and had to make do with the collection of photos that hang in the hallways near the church entrance.We entered the complex from the rear – as the becks family seems to have a knack of doing – so we were pleasantly surprised at the beautiful panorama when we excited the buildings towards the castle square (Schlossplatz). Here the main facade of the church is a pure baroque artwork with several statues and everything in perfect proportion and symmetry. The full length of the 130-meter long four-floor castle monastery buildings can also be appreciated from here. Across the square is the Schloss Café – we were not yet in the mood for coffee and cake, which was a pity as there is a magnificent view of the town’s park from the patio of the café, so we settled for some take away biscuits which were quite a cut above the average.Close
Written by kpvincent on 14 Aug, 2002
The Museumsufer is Frankfurt’s convenient linear offering of museums. There are ten museums lining the riverfront street of Schaumainkai as it turns into Sachsenhäuser Ufer. "Museumsufer" literally means "museum embankment". If you don’t mind spending just a half an hour at each museum, or you…Read More
The Museumsufer is Frankfurt’s convenient linear offering of museums. There are ten museums lining the riverfront street of Schaumainkai as it turns into Sachsenhäuser Ufer. "Museumsufer" literally means "museum embankment".
If you don’t mind spending just a half an hour at each museum, or you have discovered a way to distort time to your advantage (please let me know if you have), you could start at one end of the Museumsufer, walk a few steps and visit the next one, and finish at the other end in a day. However, this would probably not be the best way to appreciate anything. More likely, you will want to select a few to visit. You can still use the arrangement of the Museumsufer to your advantage, starting at one end and finishing at the other.
If you start at the west end of the street, this is the order you would find them in:
There are of course other museums in the city. Across the river from the Museumsufer are several, notably:
If you are planning to visit only one or two of them, you can just pay the admission fee at the entrance. Otherwise, there are a few options for the true museum junkies amongst you. You can buy the Frankfurt Card, which is good for either 1 day or 2 days, and costs 7.50 euro and 11 euro respectively. This includes unlimited public transport within the city and as far as the airport, 50% discount on admission to 17 museums, and other discounts on city tours and river tours. These can be purchased at the tourist information centers, or you can buy it online, at http://www.frankfurt-tourismus.de/ (click on the first link under Sightseeing on the top of the page, and then click on the Frankfurt Card link to the left). The museums included are:
Written by zabelle on 26 Jan, 2004
History Museum This museum was a bit of a disappointment. Most of the exhibits are in German with only one plaque in each room having any English at all. There was no guidebook to buy or even a brochure. We were left to try to understand…Read More
History Museum This museum was a bit of a disappointment. Most of the exhibits are in German with only one plaque in each room having any English at all. There was no guidebook to buy or even a brochure. We were left to try to understand as best we could what they were trying to tell us.
The models are of particular interest especially the one of the city after the Allied bombing. The destruction was quite complete.
There was a video playing at the model but again no English sub titles at all. There is another large model of the city in the Middle Ages that dominates the first room that you visit.
There are some archeological sites right on the premises.
You get to walk down into the basement and examine the old pieces of wall. The chapel, Saalhofkapelle, which is also in the building, is the oldest building in Frankfurt.
There is a nice collection of old coins and medallions that document the different principalities of Germany. Coburg, Gotha, Hesse, and more are represented. It was interesting to see the images of the rulers on the coins but there were no English subtitles at all in this section.
One other interesting item, if you want to use the bathroom here you have to show your ticket at the coat check area and get a key so it’s not the place for a pit stop.
Frankfurt Churches- In the old town right around the Romerberg there are two churches other than the Dom worth a visit. The first is a Roman Catholic Church the Liebfrauen. Though largely destroyed during the war it has been beautifully restored and now has some really interesting art in the form of the Stations of the Cross. They are by Hetty Krist and not quite like anything I have ever seen before.
There is also a Lourdes Grotto in the outside courtyard where the devoted light candles. The second church is the Old St Nicholas Church and is Lutheran. Though small it is very appealing and if you look at the exterior roof you will see all these little windows. This is where the wives and perhaps other female friends would watch the more raucous activities that would take place in the square. Today during the Christmas Fair a band entertains the shopper from the gallery here. One other church we visited was St Leonhard, they have a Holbein altar piece that is worth a visit if you are a fan or if you are looking for an English speaking Catholic Church then this is the answer to your prayers.
The Romer-
This is the former town hall and it is one of the beautifully reconstructed buildings on the square. We had hopped to get inside to see the Kaisersaal or Imperial Hall but for no reason we could understand it was closed the day we were there.
Goethe Haus- The former home of the famous poet is open to the public and if I had read any of his work I would have visited it, Joe and Bob were very impressed.
Written by kpvincent on 08 Aug, 2002
Frankfurt is known for its special alcoholic apple cider concoction, called ‘Ebbelwoi’ in the local dialect, or ‘Apfelwein’ in "proper German". ‘Handkäse mit Musik’, literally ‘cheese with music’, is an interesting mix: a small round white cheese, marinated in oil and vinegar, doused in onions,…Read More
Frankfurt is known for its special alcoholic apple cider concoction, called ‘Ebbelwoi’ in the local dialect, or ‘Apfelwein’ in "proper German". ‘Handkäse mit Musik’, literally ‘cheese with music’, is an interesting mix: a small round white cheese, marinated in oil and vinegar, doused in onions, and served with bread and butter. The, eh, ‘music’, comes later. A third specialty, ‘Frankfurter Grüne Sosse’, is a green sauce made from several green ingredients (chives, parsley, dill, and more) with a yogurt, mayonnaise or sour cream base. It is served on a variety of foods, from potatoes to meats.
These can all be found in the Ebbelwoi taverns that are in various places in the city, but most highly concentrated south of the river. There are some on Schweizerstrasse, separated only by one door, at 67 and 71. When I visited Frankfurt, Zum Gemalten Haus (67) was closed for renovations for a month or so, but may already be open again. Fortunately, the close-by Adolf Wagner (71), was open, and this is where I sampled the local fare. There is another Ebbelwoi taverns immediately behind the main youth hostel, on Grosse Rittergasse. I walked past this one on the way to see the strange water-spitting statue, Frau Rauscher Brunnen. There are of course many other taverns, including one nearby on Wallstrasse.
The taverns are not very expensive, and they are evening venues: most do not open until around 4 or 5, but stay open fairly late, continually serving Ebbelwoi to boisterous and thirsty patrons.
Written by jmineo on 31 Jan, 2001
I'd had my espresso in the airport terminal mostly to stay awake during my long layover in Frankfurt. That would normally suffice for my caffeine high, until I wondered outside the terminal and found a German bakery - Roland's. Actually it was my nose…Read More
I'd had my espresso in the airport terminal mostly to stay awake during my long layover in Frankfurt. That would normally suffice for my caffeine high, until I wondered outside the terminal and found a German bakery - Roland's. Actually it was my nose that found it. I hadn't smelled a broetchen aroma like that since my teen years growing up here. Germans love their breads and at the moment I was loving the Germans for loving their breads. The eye candy for the store was a long glass enclosure of assorted pastries. To any normal passerby a sweet pastry from Roland's would have been enough to succumb to their sweet tooth. But I knew better, having lived here 16 years. I knew what made the aroma wafting outside to the sidewalk that drew me in - it was that broetchen. Yes, the good ol' german broetchen, a white roll, crisp on the outside and soft and doughy on the inside. Made with some kind of secret ingredient no doubt, like special yeast or flour or something that gives the broetchen its certain "qualitat." American supermarkets and specialty bakeries have never been able to replicate the smells, tastes or consistencies of this elusive roll, at least not in my town. The helper loaded half a dozen rolls in a brown paper bag for me. This was going to be the best lunch i've had in a long time. Roland's didn't have any sit down tables, which is fairly typical of German bakeries. So my rolls were take away. I was taking some of the best rolls in the universe with me; I was taking memories. Close
Written by Irene on 10 Aug, 2003
We wished we had one more day!!! After a leisurely stroll down the main drag of Sindlinger, our Frankfurt airport suburb, we paused in a small square opposite the front of the Hotel Post and browsed the posters taped on what is a monster concrete cylinder.…Read More
We wished we had one more day!!!
After a leisurely stroll down the main drag of Sindlinger, our Frankfurt airport suburb, we paused in a small square opposite the front of the Hotel Post and browsed the posters taped on what is a monster concrete cylinder. They are common in Germany or Europe. Whenever there is an event, colorful posters appear everywhere there is an empty wall. To reduce clutter and provide a place to hang the information, the powers that be built public display forums, but not always out of concrete.
Eyeing a sunny yellow poster curled around the grey concrete announcing a concert, I was immediately sad that we were leaving the next day, Monday, but remarked to Robert that the printer had put the wrong date on the poster. Today was Sunday, September 30th not the 29th, as the poster said. Because tomorrow we leave to go home and that is the 1st, my ticket says so. Oh noooo! Our tickets must be wrong or this poster is wrong. Call Delta and verify the reservations. I think we are suppose to do that any way and it will all be OK! But I told Tom to meet us at the Jackson Airport on Monday the 1st. Oh dear! Noowww what!! No internet, no e-mail. We made a mad dash for the telephone at the hotel and found the Delta number in Germany is very expensive, says the lady at the hotel desk. Ok!!! Think!!! Let's take the hotel shuttle to the airport, here it sits, and we can fix it and be back in the sunshine long before happy hour on the terrace of the Hotel Post Restaurant.
Just remember said the hotel lady, "We will not send a shuttle to bring just you back to the hotel." "Well, we will just take our chances," we quipped, as we stuffed ourselves in the shuttle with eight other people and were deposited outside the Frankfurt Airport departing terminal 10 minutes later. Now to the Delta desk, I thought. We are in the departure terminal, but the terminals are not all in the same building?? No! You need to catch the shuttle bus that runs between Terminal 1 and Terminal 2, number 1 being the arrival terminal and also the location of the main desk for Delta. Out to the front curb we go and board the bus with Terminal 1 on the destination board. For those passengers who have a small problem even if your are departing you need to go to the arrival terminal to find a fix-it desk. Delta here we come right in the middle of the ground floor of the arrival terminal. Picking a sympathetic face, "Sir, I think our tickets are wrong," I pleaded, "we are suppose to leave tomorrow and the ticket says on the first and that is Monday, tomorrow." " Madam your ticket is correct and you are booked on the first but it just happens to be on Tuesday and you are going to Huntsville, Alabama, correct?" our calm little attendant explained. " WHAT! Of course I am not going to Alabama, I am going to Mississippi," I exploded. "Okey dokey," he smiled, "we can fix that!"
Well here we are now all checked in and surely there has to be a way to e-mail Tom to pick us up at the airport on Tuesday the 1st. Ah!!! Samsung free internet on the promenade level above the Delta desk. Only there seems to be 200 kids waiting in line to go online and they seem to have a lot more computer savvy than I. It just takes a few minutes they say, but why has this computer got funny controls; I just want a mouse, not a rolling ball. Ah! Hotmail at last, but what, I cannot send mail because my box is full and my account has been suspended. Wonderful!!! Well maybe I can empty the box and I can send mail"? Hello Tom, we are arriving on Tuesday, October the 1st." How many junk mails do I have . . . 300???? Drained from computer frustration we slog our way back to outside curb for the waiting shuttle. Amazingly there are new customers for the Hotel Post waiting and we get a free ride home.
Alas in Sindlinger, the sun still shines and the local brewmeister and his pub do call us. A German version of a pizza place across the street from the Hotel Post beconed us and we gladly slid our rushed bodies into a small table in earshot of the rowdy group clustered around the bar. Everyone seemed in a jolly mood as the barkeep rushed up to us and said only 10 minutes. We sighed and said sure that was ok we could wait. He hurriedly brought our drinks and said, "Please pay we close for the afternoon in 10 minutes, drink!." We drank and drank and were pushed out the door with the noisy group from the bar.
Oh well, how about a stroll down the east lane of this Sunday quiet village. Closed department stores, closed everything except the terrace at the Hotel Post. I plunked myself down in a comfortable wrought iron chair in the shade of the elms trees, gathered my pen and journal and begin to scribble, because no one is going to believe all this, but we still have one more day to see Frankfurt.