German Bowl Part 4 - Travel Whoas!!

Last week we had our first solo trip outside of the area. We were all set with our fancy borrowed GPS and our rental car full of gas. After about an hour, we realized that we had skipped every entrance to the Autobahn and were taking a ton of windy back roads through every village between home and our destination, Frankfurt. We were driving on roads and through villages that looked like this.


We continued to wind through the villages thinking the GPS knew best and drove through some of the most beautiful and magical places we had ever seen. Down the Mosel River and through wine country where they plant the vineyards on steep hills so there is no wasted space.



It wasn't until the GPS asked us to, "Turn left and take the ferry" that we decided to just take our own way. We hopped on the Autobahn and were there in no time. Of all the things that James and I could fight about, we seem to have the most trouble when we are driving or lost. So it was good to finally get to the hotel in Frankfurt; our 2 hour trip turned into over 3.


Frankfurt is a somewhat paradoxical city in both architecture and history. It is know as the business capital in Germany and is full of flourishing high-end banks, corporate headquarters, and towering skyscrapers. There are men called 'Penguins' who all wear the same black suit and work in the banking district. There are also very old churches and buildings dating back from the very beginnings of Frankfurt. All of these things are mixed together and make a very fun walking tour. The best way to get a great view of the city was to take the elevator up 54 floors to the top of Main Tower at about 18 km/hr =11 mph, whoa!!


The top of the tower has a 360 degree view of Frankfurt as far as the eye could see. Old German historic buildings and cathedrals are nestled between towering skyscrapers and bustling streets. This all lined along and beyond the river which was full of huge cargo and tour boats. We were taken aback by the variety of architecture, you could almost picture the city's progression through time.



We continued our walking tour to the Freßgass, where everyone comes to eat lunch and shop. It was a lot of fun trying to order our lunch, James just pointed and I said I'll have the same. We ended up with some kind of delicious soup with noodles. There is a very diverse group of people that come to this spot. We heard people speaking Italian and French, and of course the Germans and Americans. We also stopped by the opera house.


Our tour ended in the old part of the town where there are historic German-style houses. Look closely at where the water is coming from on the fountain ;-)

On our drive home, I checked the GPS settings and, sure enough, it was set to take us on the shortest distance, NOT the fastest route. No wonder it thought hopping on a ferry was a good idea! Overall, Frankfurt was a great place to visit! We really enjoyed being in a big city, people watching, and seeing an awesome view from the top, Whoa!