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.