Exploring Frankfurt

Wow, what a long day. I’ve managed to stay awake the past 24 hours and will crash when we arrive in Rome tonight.

Our flight to Frankfurt, Germany was very smooth. Lufthansa took very good care of us- 2 warm meals, coffee, tea, hand sanitizers, pillows, blankets, movies and TV shows to chose from... For around 9 hours, it wasn’t so bad.

I learned in my class reading today that I am very happy I never lived during the Roman Empire or was acquainted with its many tyrants. Fascinating stories though! Conspiracies, betrayal, brutal ambition, lots of divorces (not to mention the many stabbings and suicides.) Soap opera/Shakespearean material to trumph all others I’ve heard of, a very long history that will continue to be fascinating to learn about.

After we arrived in Frankfurt, the baggage claim checker persuaded us to take a train into the city and enjoy our long layover. We were very hesitant, but she persisted, offering us easy directions, train numbers, and a comfortable time frame to come back.

It was the best decision we could have made. The train ride was charming, to say the least, despite accidentally sitting in 1^st class and having an awkward conversation with the ticket checker. We managed to find a Starbucks when we arrived to get some free WiFi (thank you Starbucks!) And then we had about 4 hours to wander around the city. It was the best thing ever to just see where we’d end up (while using a large clock tower as our landmark). 

Within a minute of being outside, I heard a man murmur “...Americans...” amidst the German gibberish, clearly directed towards us. I chuckled to think of how very “American” we looked, wearing our stuffed carry-on backpacks, clicking cameras, wide eyed, a bit dazed and smiling. But amidst the wonder of the city, my growing exhaustion, and constantly eying my belongings, I wanted to fit in more. I could only remember “danka” and “nine!” (sp?), and wished I could communicate better and understand how I might demonstrate respect in their culture. 

Despite this, I was able to order a bratwurst sandwich (which was fantastic) with the help of a couple Germans who saw me fumbling. It was strange to feel so completely helpless, but at the same time very safe (being in a group of four, we were able to easily look out for each other and quickly resolve any confusion).

I’ll close with some unique aspects of Germany we encountered:

Motion sensitive escalators, closet-like bathrooms with confusing soap containers, smoking zones, bike lanes built into the roads like an extra sidewalk, adorable cars, fat and happy pigeons, a mish-mash of old and new, amazing whiffs of food- from sausages to bakeries to Italian pizzerias, and a lot less blond people than I expected (yeah I stereotyped J).


The chocolate shop I went into was established in 1875. That’s around as old as UW, and it’s crazy to think about how in America, that’s really, really old.
Amidst much older buildings and German stores, they also had branches, like Apple, McDonalds, H+M, but still with a European flavor. McDonalds is much healthier and provides the classic European outdoor/umbrella seating.

Below is a picture of me with 2 of the 3 other girls, Melissa on my left, Chelsea on my right.



Below, a beautiful garden/park we explored.

Here is a picture of an opera house we stumbled upon. It looked very much like something I'd expect in Rome.

Anyway, wrapping up our Frankfurt experience, very blessed that we had the opportunity to learn more about Germany and escape the monotony of the airport. I still can’t believe I’m here! It doesn’t feel real yet.