Europe 1 - Frankfurt without frankfurters

I don't exactly remember how I ended up going to Europe in the first place, though the story would seem to involve some combination of:

• Laura being mysteriously ill in Germany
  
• Me saying, "If me flying out there will make you feel better, just let me know."
• Her saying, "I don't have any plans or travelling companions for the last two weeks of my trip."

I flew out on July 22nd, or maybe it was July 23rd by that point; the flight was scheduled to leave around 9pm and was delayed and delayed and delayed. I finally arrived in Frankfurt sometime around 11am on the 23rd. Laura met me at the airport. (By this point she was no longer ill.)

The clean and affordable "Stay & Learn Hostel" is located a block from Frankfurt's central train station. You know what else is located a block from Frankfurt's central train station? A MILLION SEX SHOPS. That might be why the hostel was so affordable.

That first night we went for a walk by the unspeakably lovely Main River. We didn't bring our cameras, which was a shame because there ending being lots to photograph. The slow-moving river, the people going about their lives on cruise ships, the weird cylindrical office building, the statue of the guy with the cloth cap, the hollow ash trees ... I suppose it's destined to be one of those evenings that's remembered as magical because it went undocumented. I think the evening was overcast, but I can't be sure because my mind makes lighting the least important detail to remember in most circumstances.

There was much talk of eating frankfurters while in Frankfurt, but we didn't find any vendors during the subsequent half-hearted search. We ended up at the rooftop restaurant of a large department store. I think it was chilly, but I took lots of pictures all the same. If you have your camera out, might as well make the most of it, right?

Fig. 1: The wind was blowing girls' tops off all day.


Fig. 2: Frankfurt: where old meets new and secular meets spiritual!


Fig. 3: Frankfurt: city of the future! And patio chairs!


Fig. 4: We spent much of the trip plotting the perfect murder


Fig. 5: Frankfurt is windy, and crawling with David Blaine impersonators


Fig. 6: Oh Germany, with your wacky spellings!


Fig. 7: Frankfurters

The following photos were not taken on the department store rooftop, but I think they would be more interesting if they were -- "Holy crap! That rooftop must have been huge!" -- so let's keep the lie alive, ok?

Fig. 8: Hangin' with a couple of local celebrities. They bought us drinks and asked us to join them for "scheisse party". The hose came in handy.


Fig. 9: Laura saves a suicide jumper


Fig. 10: We could see this cathedral from everywhere in the city. We finally found it, but I forgot to take a picture of the sign, so I have no idea what it is or why it has a lit-up clock on its tower.


Fig. 11: These are ruins, dating either from ancient Rome or World War 2. Again, forgot to take a picture of the sign. Maybe there was no sign? It was right next to the clock cathedral. Maybe they're in the No-Sign district, or maybe I'm not a very good tourist.

Laura took photos also. Pester her at laurakeil.com/blog.html.

Tomorrow (or shortly thereafter): Eating wet salads at 181 km/hr, the slide of death, and the guy from The Lives of Others screws us for 250 Euros.