My mother and I had a nice - though rather interesting - time in Germany last month - October 6-12 ... I wrote about the 3 lessons we learned (some the hard way, some just things that one can't change, some about things that just happen)...
So, I wanted to wrap up our trip with the memories of the last few days we spent together. It wasn't an eventful trip as such. We did get to spend some time with various family members - and since my aunt was unfortunately in the hospital, we did get to stay at her apartment and live life much like a German! :) Such as:
~Public transportation & life without a vehicle (and lots and lots of walking!)
^ my mother, waiting on another U-bahn (subway)
The U-bahn station near my aunt's apartment: Weisser Stein
Walking down the street near my aunt's apartment - with view of the Fernsehturm (TV tower) in Ginnheim, a nearby district of Frankfurt (where I was born!)
Another view of the U-bahn stop where we spent a lot of our time, waiting.
~ Coffee and cake
At a bakery with my great-aunt Rosemarie (one of my Oma's younger sisters)
~ Food
My favorite "Fast Food" place in Germany is Nordsee (for fish)
It was one of my Opa's favorite places to take me when I was a child.
Typical simple breakfast or supper items: cheese & meat (in this case, Teewurst, a spreadable, minced, seasoned, and smoked pork ... not to be confused with Liverwurst/Braunschweiger - and yes, Teewurst is RAW/uncooked but very safe to eat.).
And water - I prefer "with gas" (mit Gas ... that's carbonation, not petrol or any other form of fuel!!), also known as mineral water.
Just normal water is stilles Wasser (quiet/calm water), non-carbonated. That's kind of the restaurant terminology. Otherwise, at someone's home you can ask for Leitungswasser (tap water).
^My mother enjoying our German breakfast ... German Bread = the best!
Great start to the day!
We didn't eat out very much on this trip ... but we did eat a good Wiener Schnitzel on our last night in Germany at the Restaurant zum Adler in Ginnheim.
I ordered a side of grüne Sosse to go with my meat & potatoes. Green sauce is a Frankfurt specialty. It is made with 7 herbs and yogurt and eggs.
~ for me, Germany means FAMILY
This is me with my (half) brother.
Me and my mom <3
and cousins ... and a cousin-in-law who happens to be American as well!
~and lastly, Germany means origins and roots:
That's me in front of the hospital where I was born ... almost 49 (!!?) years ago.
^ the (renovated) apartment where my Oma & Opa lived ... and where I spent every summer of my childhood.
A familiar path I have walked many, many times since 1996 when my Opa passed away...
This is the entrance of the Friedhof Bockenheim ... the peaceful, beautiful, park-like cemetery where my grandparents and uncle are buried.
My mother's parents' and brother's grave
And one last airport selfie of my mom and me.
We flew from Frankfurt to Atlanta together, then went our separate ways.
We truly had a wonderful time together, despite all the unexpected issues that arose.
