After the Jet Lag: My Favorite Things, pt. 15

In remembering my Germany 2019 summer trip, I just wanted to share my VERY FAVORITE things.  My family, friends, and people I re-connected with while in Germany are among them, of course!  But I am talking about things that made my trip even more special - things I love for many reasons - for memory's sake and for just the plain happiness some things give me 

(many of them involve FOOD!!). 

One thing is BAKERIES - and the bread, pastries, and cake varieties they offer. 

And it isn't anything special - it just IS where you get your bread.  It's not a special trip - it is daily life.  You can go to the "bread aisle" in your local grocery store, but why do that when the bakery section is there too - or you can go to the bakery next door?! 

And find bread like this: 

And cake like this:  Streuselkuchen (on the right) - my FAVORITE!!

Which leads me to another favorite:  German breakfast.

Everything from savory to sweet - bread and boiled eggs.

Real butter and fruit preserves!

I love German food in general - for the most part - 

but a hearty breakfast, maybe after you've slept in just a little ... with family around the table =

THE BEST:

And speaking of sleeping ... German beds are also my favorite:

with their lighter summer duvets and heavy, Eiderdown feather beds in the winter...

It's the fluffiest kind of sleeping,

and in the summer, with the windows cracked just a little (or open a lot!), one can relax, breathe deeply and sleep soundly.

Window views lead me to think of gardens - and flowers.

I love the flower shops of Germany - and how inexpensively you can get fresh blooms.

I love German toys.  And while they have all the weird-looking dolls and tech-y toys American children have - and Legos (love them!) and such, my favorite is Playmobil:

I have Playmobil pieces from when I was a kid - and all 3 of my children have accumulated more.

What about traditional clothes - love them! 

 Trachten as they are called:

Dirndls for the girls

and Lederhosen for the boys.

SO CUTE!

And lastly - though not least nor comprehensive - 

I love dining al fresco in the summer time, and not just eating a meal but the 

Eiscafe' with its wonderful treats and coffee varieties:

with Spaghettieis being one of our top favorites!

Since this trip, I have learned to top off most every meal with an espresso.  (Believe it or not, the high and fast boil of its coffee beans and smaller serving size causes the espresso to have 25-50% less caffeine content than a longer cooked cup of coffee, so it may not keep you awake like a cup of Joe!)

Delizioso!

(I know that's Italian, but it sums it up well!)

And I will end this blog post with an espresso as well:

source

After the Jet Lag: Germany 2019, pt. 14

Wrapping up our Germany trip ---

The trip home was far less eventful as coming to Germany.  Customs and Immigration sure have changed since even when Andrew & I traveled internationally in 2013.

At the Frankfurt airport, at the first security check, you scan your passport and then get your picture taken at a huge digital photo-machine.  Then a customs agent stamps your passport, and you are on your way to have your carry-on baggage checked/scanned.  Thankfully, we weren't really delayed here.

Our flight back to NYC/JFK airport was smooth and on time.  My least favorite part of this whole trip was Customs/Immigration at JFK.  I am not sure I've ever experienced such masses of people as several international flights worth of passengers converged on one huge area.  The lines snaked in so many different directions, sort of guided by those elastic belts between posts that made some semblance of lanes to follow.  At first, we again scanned our passports and had our picture taken again.  This time, if you were a citizen of the US in good standing (I am assuming??!), you got a cleared ticket; if you weren't, you got an "X" over your photo and had to go to another line.

Standing in line to get to the customs agents felt somewhat like standing in a long line to get on an amusement park ride.  You just kind of snaked around in various directions, encountering the same people as you turned the corners.  FINALLY, we got to the front and were asked the standard questions about why we were traveling and did we bring back any weapons or forbidden foods, which OF COURSE, we did not.  I guess they have to ask ...

We got our suitcases fairly quickly after that ordeal and had to catch the Air-tram to another terminal (8) as we were flying home on another airline.  Upon arriving at that terminal, we had to go through security (AGAIN) for our carry-on baggage.  Also, somehow, we were put on an earlier flight to Dallas than anticipated, which was fine - it gave us less time in NYC but more time in Dallas.  Whatever.

We finally got checked in to our new airline - even though we had to do some switching of stuff from my suitcase to Anna's again as my gigantic suitcase weighed a few pounds over the limit.  Thankfully, we evened out when I moved some bigger stuff over - books and such.

Soon we were on our way to Dallas ... separated in seats, but still fairly close.  The flight was about 3 hours - and I was getting antsy towards the end as I was in a middle seat.  Oh the joys of flying cheap.  But we finally got there and then had plenty of time to spare.

We got to our general gate area and immediately went on the hunt for FOOD.  We hadn't really eaten a meal since the little breakfast snack on the international flight.  We found a BBQ place, and since we were in Texas, it felt right.

Our final flight to NW Arkansas was slightly delayed ... in that the plane that was supposed to carry us didn't show up on time.  Finally, I guess it came in from Chicago, and they quickly deplaned the folks getting off and let us board.  The flight was the ONLY flight on this whole trip that wasn't completely full.  I had an empty seat beside me so Anna was able to come sit by me.  It was a quick - less than hour - flight home.  And Dan and Miriam were waiting for us.  We still arrived fairly on schedule, just shortly before midnight.

We drove home - and went straight TO BED.  I had promised my boss I'd try to come to work the next day as I'd missed 8 days of work, and I actually made it!  And from that point on, it has been back to grindstone.  BUT with many happy memories to sustain us of this trip!

I can't wait to go back!!  And in fact, I just might be going back sooner than I expected:  my mom will be traveling to Germany in October and wants me to go.  I think I must!  Now to break it to my boss.......

After the Jet Lag: Germany 2019, pt. 13

The final Monday (June 24) that we spent in Germany was a special way to end our trip.

We did some shopping in the morning and afternoon to get the last of the souvenirs we wanted to bring back (posted in part 12).  Then we took a little rest - and then got ready to go to Ginnheim.

Ginnheim is a district of Frankfurt, located in the mid-Northern part of the city with the Nidda River bordering the south of the district.

It is where my grandparents lived after the war, after they'd settled in Frankfurt in the early 1950's.  It is where my mother (and her brother) grew up - and where I spent every summer of my childhood.

It is where my grandparents and uncle are buried.

In 2013, I was able to take my son to Ginnheim to see where I'd spent some of the happiest days of my childhood....and now I was able to show this area to my oldest daughter.   My youngest daughter will get to go some day as well ... hopefully soon!

This is the apartment where my grandparents lived #12 ^  

The building has been completely renovated, and there were no balconies when my grandparents lived there.  The buildings were all red brick.  

The picture above is of the apartments, now renovated with a plaster covering the bricks.
The picture below is another angle but just about this same view (if you orientate yourself by the street sign) of me & my Opa in 1980:

After going to the cemetery and stopping by the old apartment (which is just a few blocks away), we went to Alt-Ginnheim (the old part of town) to eat at the Restaurant zum Adler.  Der Adler has been around forever ... in fact, I'm not really sure how long, but their "story" is that even Napoleon dined there, although it was never told what he ordered ... There is a lovely garden you can eat in, regular dining rooms, and a cellar with little niches that you can also be seated in.  We chose the garden for this day.

My aunt had already been with us previously as we walked through Ginnheim, and then her son (to my right) joined us there along with my half-brother (to my left) and his girlfriend/fiancee'.  

We had a lot to catch up on - especially my brother and I since our father passed away in September of 2016, and I had some further information to share.  (Our father passed away while he was living abroad.)  And we were able to catch up on life as well as share some memories.  

We enjoyed some yummy food - the restaurant specializes in Balkan dishes, and that is what some of our party ordered, but I had spinach ravioli covered in a creamy cheese sauce that was absolutely amazing!!  We did end the meal with - of course - EIS - and an espresso.  

My brother offered to drive us home so we didn't have to get a taxi, and that allowed us a few more minutes together.  We said our good-byes with promises to keep in touch, and headed up to finish packing our suitcases and try to get some sleep.  

Our plane was departing Frankfurt at 10:35 a.m. on Tuesday, June 25 - and my cousin was going to pick us up by 7:30 a.m.  Due to traffic, she was a little delayed, but we were on the road by 8 and at the airport, checking in by 8:40 a.m.  It didn't leave us time to have one final cup of coffee together, but we needed to get through security....so we said our good-byes and maybe that was best to do them quickly.  It's never easy after having time to get close and used to each other to leave - but Germany, I promise, I'll be back ... maybe even sooner rather than later! 

I will be wrapping up this travel journal in Part 14.  

After the Jet Lag: Germany 2019, pt. 12

SHOPPING DAY! 

Monday, June 24, was our last full day in Germany.  I had already planned for it to be a shopping day so we could buy some gifts for our family back in the States and just browse through the fun shops and stores.  Because it was so incredibly hot out, we gave my aunt the option of staying home ... but as feisty and healthy as she is, she insisted on going with us - and I am SO glad she did!!  We have so much fun with her.  

We first went to a department store that has been in Frankfurt forever:  C&A ... there we found a shirt for my husband, and Anna found a t-shirt as well.  We also got a few toys for little sister.  We strolled on down the Zeil, the pedestrian shopping district of Frankfurt, stopping by a drug store and a few other places.  

We stopped for some water/drinks at a coffee shop/bakery chain called Tschibo .  

Tschibo (kind of like Aldi, if you are familiar with it) carries not only coffee and baked goods, but they also have miscellaneous specials on all kinds of items like bedding, outdoor equipment, and clothing!  We got some t-shirts and clothes, and Anna got an art set.  

We ended our downtown shopping at Hugendubel, a bookshop that has been around since 1893.  My aunt bought Dan a lovely coffee table book about Frankfurt - in English.  Anna found some books and souvenirs for herself, her sister, and some friends.  I also got a Frankfurt t-shirt.  

For lunch we rode the subway to Nordwest-Zentrum, a shopping center in another part of town.  We ate at my favorite fish chain:  Nordsee.  We got little fish sandwiches and fries that really hit the spot!  We might have done more shopping - but other than a stationery shop near the fish restaurant, we had no more energy ... and we went back to the apartment to take a nap!  

Our evening together was very special and deserves a post all of its own, which will be part 13....

After the Jet Lag: Germany 2019, pt. 11

Sunday, June 23:  

In the last post (part 10), I shared that we had stayed up until 2:30 a.m. with friends and family, catching up on life, laughing, and enjoying all the yummy barbecue foods in my cousin Stefanie's beautiful garden.  Of course, we slept in pretty late the next (same??!) day and skipped breakfast all together.  We just made do with some coffee ... which was just fine because Stefanie's parents were coming at 12:45 to take us out to eat for lunch:  

Stefanie's father is my Oma's younger brother - and the only boy of her 10 siblings that is still alive (2 sisters are still living - one of whom we'd visited in Ravensburg previously, as I shared in part 7).

Speaking of my Oma, June 23 was her birthday - and she would have been 101 years old on this day. 

 (More about her in this post:  my Oma's story) 

Anyway, we went to Greek restaurant in the town where my cousin lives, and I enjoyed pork souvlaki.  I can't remember what Anna had that day, but it might have been another Schnitzel.....We also enjoyed ice cream for dessert - and of course, espresso!  

As I said in my earlier post, it is so important to me now to listen for more details about my grandparents and their stories ... my Oma's family was from East Prussia, and this great uncle was a small boy when they fled from the Russians in 1943 to 1944 to first Eastern Germany and later to Rödelheim, in the Frankfurt area.  

As always, the food was yummy, and the table talk was interesting and entertaining.  Afterwards, we stopped by our mutual friend's house for some more coffee and conversation (the friends who had been at the barbecue the night before) ... and then my cousin drove us back to my aunt's apartment in Frankfurt where we'd spend the last day of our Germany trip.  

I didn't think we could eat any supper - but we managed to have some bread, meat, cheese, and fruit for a light evening meal with my aunt.  

After the Jet Lag: Germany 2019, pt. 10

Saturday, June 22, was really the first morning we could sleep in as long as we wanted to the whole week we'd been in Germany.  And sleep in we did!  The morning was everything I love about German living:  light-weight summer duvets on the bed, windows open for fresh air, garden views and sounds - and a real German breakfast:

We did sleep in pretty late so that breakfast became brunch.  

My cousin Stefanie grew up in Darmstadt, a city in the metropolitan Frankfurt region, known for art nouveau architecture, a museum of Hessen's history, and it has its own castle too.  We went down town for a stroll - and a light lunch/appetizer.

Anna and I already knew we probably needed a second suitcase, as the one we were sharing was getting not only full - but heavy (and our domestic airline had a lower baggage weight limit than our Delta international flights).  When we saw a TJ Maxx store, we stopped to look at luggage.  Except that in Germany and Europe, it's TK Maxx ... I read that this is because the original American company, a subsidiary of TJX Companies, wanted to avoid confusion with the British chain T. J. Hughes overseas.  In any case, we got another little suitcase ... on clearance - and a few other travel accessories.

We walked all the way to town city center where the old Rathaus (town hall) is.

And of course, there is plenty of cafe's and restaurants in the plaza it borders.

It was another super hot day, and we needed some refreshment - and to our surprise, we got a treat in our soft drinks:  ICE CUBES!!!! (If you've ever been to Germany, you know what a rare treat this is!)

We also ordered an appetizer of a loaf of fresh baked focaccia bread with 3 different dips:  one black olive based, one roasted tomato, and one pesto.  Of course, we had to top everything off with espresso. 

In the evening, we had a barbecue (Grillparty) in the garden with friends (who came to my house last August 2018 with Stefanie) and family - another 2nd cousin I had not seen in 30+ years with his wife, who is also American and a teacher at a military base nearby.  Anna was THRILLED to speak  not only English but also talk about her interests in education with a seasoned teacher.  Lisa is from Greenville, SC, and it was nice to hear her accent at the table!  We talked, laughed, and ate until 2:30 in the morning!  

After the Jet Lag: Germany 2019, pt. 9

Frankfurt:  it's basically my 2nd home.  

I was born there; I lived there until I was almost 4 years old.

I spent every summer there as a child with my grandparents.

I know its districts and its public transportation system - the numbers of the streetcars, underground trains, and buses are still the same as they have been for 40+ years.

The Römer (city hall) is where so many of my relatives had their civic marriage ceremonies.

The sites of its churches like the Frankfurt dome, St. Paul's, and Nikolai church are familiar as the Zeil, the pedestrian shopping zone off the Hauptwache (the old police station).

In the last few years, Frankfurt has been renovating its Altstadt (old town) with great care taken to preserve the original architecture and style.  This is where my aunt took us on Friday, June 21 after we dropped off my rental vehicle at the Frankfurt airport.

After walking around town and showing Anna all the historic buildings (in the still HOT weather that Germany was experiencing at this time), we went to lunch at a restaurant just off this square.

Anna and my aunt had what Anna declared was the BEST EVER Goulash (which is basically a beef stew) over Spaetzle (egg noodle dumplings) and a salad.  I opted for Frikadellen (pan-fried ground meat - in this case I think it was a combo of ground beef and veal).  Delicious!

After some shopping/browsing, we headed back to my aunt's apartment for some rest (and to cool off!).  After my cousin Stefanie got off work, she picked us up to take up back to her apartment where we'd spend the next 2 days / nights.

She has a spacious apartment with a GREAT garden (and a sweet, old cat named Lotte).

Stefanie made us a quick dinner of Pflammkuchen, a simple dough base with cream sauce, ham, cheese, and onions on it (or whatever ingredients you want to add).  And we sat up late, talking about everything and anything!

A whole week in Germany - and time has flown by ... 

More in part 10 and beyond.   Or look back:

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Part 5

Part 6

Part 7

Part 8