2005 letter about a visit to Frankfurt, Germany: Next stop was even more complicated – but we didn’t get lost. In fact, we even figured out a better way to get to our campground in Frankfort by using our good new German map book! This campground is very clean and very convenient. The walk to the tram that takes you into the center of the city really does take less than 10 minutes. Maneuvering through the automated ticket machine though, did prove to be a difficult learning experience. We managed to figure it all out with the help of a young lady we met at the train station. We saw not one person who works for the public transportation system in the stations to help us. Everything except the driving of the trains and busses is automated. We were a little surprised to discover that English is not common among ordinary Frankfurters. And there are very few signs directing you to anything you might want to walk to.
Frankfort has very few old things to look at. Like Aachen, it was pretty well destroyed during WWII. The food shops – and there are many of them - are filled with gorgeous displays. There is a bakery every second block it seems. Lots of shops sell ham and wurst, some of it made locally. We spent an interesting day and half – walking endlessly, visiting an indoor food market with all kinds of independent shops specializing in different foods, buying too much food, visiting the art museum, and enjoying the pastries, the gelato and today, a "smoothie". Ron had to have a frankfurter in Frankfurt (but here they call them weiners) for lunch today. Very spicy. I ordered a Schnitzle Brodje – a sandwich of thinly sliced fried chicken. I figured that they wouldn’t give me much for my 2euros 50. Was I wrong. I could only eat half of it!
Tomorrow we will use the trams and trains to go to Mainz and visit the Guttenburg Museum. The next morning we’ll be off on a longish trip. We’re going to Leipzig and Berlin, which are about 300 miles from where we are now. I can hardly believe that we are going to have to drive so far. In fact, I made Ron promise that we could do the trip in two days. I’m not used to such a long trip in the RV!