Frankfurt

We landed in Frankfurt just before lunch and followed the advise of a number of efficient fast-speaking communicators to figure out the subway.  It was a sweltering walk to the hotel, but along the way, we passed a memorial to the Jews deported from Frankfurt. We found Anne Frank's name in the middle of the long long rows of names. 

After stopping at our hotel, we did a little bit of exploring Frankfurt in the evening. There's a beautiful walkway that follows the river with soccer courts and outdoor free fitness locations.  We stopped at a fun restaurant for a refreshing strawberry-rhubard juice with a sprig of mint (delicious!) and dinner.  Jer ordered a full meal of course, but I thought I'd have a lighter option: "rucola brot salat" meaning "arugula bread salad". I assumed it would be an arugula salad with a bit of bread on the side, but it was in fact a salad made of bread with four or five leaves of arugula. So much for a healthy alternative. The "salad" was delicious however, and we explored a beautiful square downtown called Römerberg after dinner. 


On our second day in Frankfurt, we started at the grocery store where we discovered that cheese and croissants are both affordable and fabulous. We explored the Oper - a beautiful old opera house, and followed a park to find a lovely Chinese garden. Then, we returned downtown to visit the Frankfurt Cathedral and Römerberg square in the daylight. 

We walked back to our hotel on the opposite side of the river, and happened upon the Dreikönigskirche, a Lutheran church dedicated to the Three Kings. The church has lovely whimsical stained glass windows that take a modern approach to traditional themes. While we were exploring the church, an incredible organist came in and started to practice for what we think was an upcoming Bach concert. The music filled the space powerfully.