Frankfurt and Home

Heading down to Frankfurt

On Monday we headed down to Frankfurt.  It was one of the longer trips (5 plus hours) on the Autobahn.   I can't say enough about how displeasurable it is to drive on the Autobahn.  You need to imagine a highway that constantly changes back and forth from 2 to 3 lanes.   Trucks are traveling about 50 - 55 miles an hour in the right 2 lanes or one lane depending on what is available.  Some like myself are traveling between 65 - 70 miles an hour.   Then there are some cars going 110 plus miles per hour.   The rules of the road are that you stay in the right most lane except to pass.   When you pass you better be passing.   So picture my little Fiat cruising along at 70 and suddenly a truck is in front of me going 55 and then slowing to 50 because it is a hill.   I have dropped to about 60 waiting for a break to get into the left lane.  I finally pull into the left lane and even down shifting on the hill it takes beating the throttle to get up to 65 heading toward 75.   Meanwhile what was a speck of a vehicle in my rear view mirror is going 110 and flashing it lights for me to get out of the way.  Of course I am committed to getting by the truck. Do they slow down as they approach me?  NO.  They zoom right up on my bumper.   I can hardly see their headlights now and we are now both going 75.  I need to veer right in front of the truck to get out of the way.   Did this scenario happen once while driving from Dresden?   No it was repeated dozens of times.   The road conditions change constantly from no speed limit to about 50 MPH.   Speed demons slow down right at the sign and then roar off when the limit is gone.   Plus construction, caravans of trucks, hills up and down.   For 5 plus hours I was never allowed a moment of relaxation as I was constantly watching the rearview mirror, the trucks up ahead, road signs that didn't make sense and the GPS for directions.

Well didn't get a chance to update blog during our visit in Frankfurt, so it is now Thursday and we are home. Here is the final installment from our trip.  Mom liked this gown, but we decided not to buy it, but just took a picture instead.  😊

   

We have a small version of the nativity at home.  But this store had some that were about 3' high.

This type of timber and plaster structures were common in Frankfurt in the old town. 

However these are all recreations since the center of Frankfurt was obliterated from the bombing during WWII.

Thinking of our son-in-law as we see the Coca-Cola truck pulling out.  Sky scrapers dominate in Frankfurt along side a few buildings that survived the bombing.

Well all good things must come to an end.  Our final meal.  I had Veal Cordon Bleu and Cheryl had Schnitzel.  

Thanks to all of you for following our post.   Hope you enjoyed it.
Auf Viedersehen

Dresden

Well it was a relatively short ride from Prague over to Dresden Germany (approximately 2 hours).  I used the last of my Kronas getting gas before leaving the Czech Republic so I would not have to fuss with money conversion later.

We followed the GPS into Dresden (GPS does not work great in the cities).   I missed the first turn one block from the Dresden Hilton.  So Google Maps sent me down the next turn.

This brought me right into the main square of Dresden (more like a plaza).   With no roads, people, tourist groups and bikes moving all around.   I expected at any moment the alarm to sound and Polizie coming to take me away.   Here is a picture of the square that I took later.  Imagine our Fiat entering from the right and driving through the square to the gap between the building in the middle.  Surprisingly I was the one freaking out as pedestrians wandered all around me.  Cheryl was calm and collected and said don't worry we are almost there.

We found the parking garage under the Hotel.   The Dresden Hilton is literally in the middle of the Dresden Old Town.   When we look out our window to our room, we are overlooking one of the other thoroughfares just off the square.   So how did we score a night in the Hilton.   I used the last of my points accumulated from my business travel while I was working.  Alas will not be staying a Hilton Hotels for the rest of my life.

A hotel room was a nice break of convenience compared to the homey and provincial places we had been staying. We really enjoyed staying at those places.   But a hotel room is familiar, has a bed that isn't made up of 2 beds, a single bed cover and a work desk.

Since we were only staying one night we headed out mid-after noon for a stroll through the old town.

 

Both in Prague, Dresden and Frankfurt there were various street performers.  Some very tacky performances like inflatable Panda Bears about 10 feet high, much like you see at minor league sports events.   Here are two artistic visual and performing arts.

Prague

Saturday we spent the earlier part of the day in the apartment, catching up on laundry, reading and relaxing.  Cheryl also did some work taking care of business.   I really appreciate how she keeps things going for us and others even when she is on vacation.

I walked up the street in the morning to get some pastry.   The bakery downstairs was closed,  I guess for the whole weekend.   I had to walk a little farther than planned.  I noticed a lot of businesses were closed.   There was a farmers' market on Friday, but none on Saturday.  Very different.

In the afternoon, we headed over to the Old Town Square.  I decided to drive.   I should have listened to my wife... it was a harrowing experience.  I made a couple of traffic faux pas.   The other drivers and pedestrians let me know.  Quite the challenge watching the GPS, traffic, traffic signs and understanding the rules when the road narrows and a tram is coming up behind you.   One way streets, dead ends and the GPS leads you to a parking garage that does not exist.









We finally found a parking spot and then walked to the Old Town Square. In a 2 block area we saw every type of Fashion Icon store (Louis Voitton, Cartier, Gucci, Dior, Jimmy Choo, Rolex, Burrberry, etc.)











The size and architecture of the buildings was amazing.   We saw dozens of buildings that in their own right represented extraordinary architecture and adornment. The third picture is of the Astronomical Clock, but most of these weren't even the main attractions in the middle of the square.

Down an alley way we found this hole in the wall eatery that served local cuisine.  By the way, there is a KFC just up the street where we are staying.   Like anywhere else, you can find a McDonalds, Chinese, Thai, Mexican, Spanish,  Irish and German places to eat.

We walked around some more and had a local treat.  Not sure what you call it (some sort of dough cooked on a roller over a grill and served with Gelato).  It was pretty big so we shared it.

We couldn't leave without going for a horse drawn carriage ride through the old town.   

 On Sunday we say good bye to the Czech Republic and head over to Dresden Germany.

Czech Republic

We spent the first full day in Prague hanging out in the apartment catching up on laundry, reading, relaxing and figuring out this new country.   Traveling to Germany was not so much going to a foreign country since the culture was so much a part of the first 3 years of our marriage.  A lot had changed but we still new some basic German and could puzzle out what we didn't know or understand.

When we came to the Czech Republic it was truly foreign in language, customs and currency (they are not yet on the Euro).  When I first turned on the street for the apartment I found myself driving down some steps.  I thought I might have gone the wrong way, but I hadn't. We had some challenges figuring out how to pay for parking, how to get in our apartment, how to use the washer/dryer and most distressing how to pay for the tram.  We rode the tram to a dinner cruise and the whole way there we were trying to figure out how to pay.  Most people seemed to pay with an app on their phone.  Others had purchased a ticket from an automated box on street with a bar coded ticket.  I tried the box on the tram but hadn't set up my Apple Pay to work.   So the long and short of it we rode the tram for free and didn't end up in jail.

Our host came by to bring us extra pillows and instruct us in how to use the washer.  She was a very nice young woman.   We spend close to an hour visiting with her.  She is a world traveler, teaches English and has several apartments on Airbnb.  She had a lot of questions for us (Mom) as she is expecting her first.

For the evening we went on a 3 hour dinner cruise on the Grand Bohemia.   Since it was mostly at night we don't have a lot of pictures.  

Konigssee

Well, it has been a couple of days since our last post.  Tuesday was a travel day mostly on the Autobahn.  We got off the highway in Ausburg trying to find a place to have a picnic lunch, ended up eating in the car in a parking lot.  Not great when you have been stuffed in a Fiat for 3 hours.  With 2 more hours left to drive, we headed out and got turned around a bit in Munich.   Even with all of that ,we were only 15 minutes behind schedule to the place we are staying in Berchestgarden.

We have a private room in a chalet style home.  Cheryl will provide you a tour of the bathroom...a wonderful experience that everyone should enjoy...:)

We had an incredible breakfast delivered to our room Wednesday morning.  I apologize for the pictures of our meals but, it is impossible to have a bad meal in Germany.  And they always look so appetizing.

We then headed over to the Konigssee, where we took a boat ride that was about 2 hours' ride time but with time we spent at St Bartholoma for lunch and then at the far end, a hike over to Obersee;    by the time all was said and done, we spent about 5 hours of our day there.

The tour boat included a guide that explained everything very clearly in German :-)

Basically, the Konigssee is surrounded by mountains that come right up to the edge as cliffs.  I will share a few pictures but, none of them will do justice to the grandeur of God's creation.   We were just in awe. 

Some pictures have chalets or sheds in them that you need to see carefully to understand the scale.

Part way up the Konigssee is St Bartholoma's chapel.   It is in an area of beautiful open fields.        Not very big.

When we got to the other end we took a walk to the Obersee.  Another incredible picturesque lake in the bowl of the mountains.

I am not sure how they got there but even at this end of the lake with only access by boat, there was a farm with cows and very little pasture that was available.   We did see a barge with large round hay bales at the mid-point.    Also, the cows roam free so the path leading to the Obersee had squishy land mines....cow patties...

The area was so beautiful and romantic we couldn't help take a couple of selfies.  Will only subject you to 2.  :-)

Finally, we took a picture like one I took 42 years ago of Cheryl.   Will have to dig up the original when we get home.

We then headed out for dinner at a gasthaus that was at the top of a very steep hill.   You can't see it because of the cloud cover but, the Eagle's Nest is on the mountain in the background.  We had been there twice on previous visits.

The clip doesn't capture the steepness of the hill that we made at night.   You need to remember the road you are looking at is for 2 way traffic.

On Thursday, we spent the day traveling to Prague, city of over a million, in the Czech Republic.  Now settled into our apartment after a delicious supper, then trip to nearby grocery for basic breakfast foods and needed items for the next two and a half days.  Tomorrow, we figure out the washer to run much-needed laundry.  Thankful for a comfortable place to rest our weary older selves...:)  We pray for you all and miss you...