In Frankfurt we made our way from the Hauptbahnhof on the tram (first the wrong tram and then one that took us back in the right direction!) over to the beautiful old Romerberg square. Our hotel was not far from here. We reflected on how much we had loved this city when we arrived and had considered that it was simply awe at our first taste of travel together. But seeing it again reminded us that it is really something special and we are glad to finish our trip here where it started. The hotel was fine but a bit disappointing in its lack of character. It cost more than anywhere else we stayed because we wanted to finish the trip on a high note. It is certainly better than a hostel but very sterile, plain and a bit dark. We went to get some food from a grocer and a drink or two. We were really situated in a great area of the city this time. We found the shopping high street that we had not seen back in July, and some more nice little squares with bars and restaurants. We had a drink in a local bar and then headed back with our shopping. Our groceries were from somewhere a lot like Aldi with the added benefit of cheap beer, spirits and wine. We bought two beers and a bottle of wine. They were so bad we had to throw them out! Like drinking fizzy paint thinner, ugh! Still, seeing some different shops and the way different things are sold was pretty cool. We have really come to see how we get ripped off for certain things in Australia!
Over the next few days we continued to make the most of the time we had left as much as we possibly could.
On Tuesday we rugged up and took a walk in the rain using another little guidebook to teach ourselves some of the history of the city and look for landmarks around the streets.
We read about beautiful old buildings like the Alte Opera House, and sculptures and other art pieces in the park (which also happened to be full of rabbits!).
We went to several contemporary art galleries including a gallery of plastic art which also had an exhibition of projection and sound, and another of destroyed mobile housing dredged up from the canals in Venice where it had floated as part of another art piece. Lunch was once again in the wonderful street markets where carts set up in the middle of the day selling paninis and crepes and sausages and cheeses and wine by the glass. Everyone stands around tall round tables and enjoys the fresh air.
We shopped, we kissed, we took another look at the Roman Ruins, being the last we are likely to see in a long time. We went to the beautiful Dom and the Romerberg in the evening to drink local beer and delicious appelwein. I must find a place to get the stuff back home! We also saw the beginnings of a construction in the plastics art museum, right out the front. By lamplight several men were making tunnels out of reams and reams and reams of plastic tape. It looked a lot like a spider’s web and was fascinating. We thought it best not to take photos, though later we would get a chance.
On Wednesday we took a walk past the Jewish Memorial Wall. I just happened to stop in front of the name of Anne Frank which took me by surprise. We also saw the site of Frankfurt’s Jewish Temple, destroyed by the Nazis in 1938.
Our walk finally led us to the zoo where we spent the day ignoring the drizzle and trying to forget that we were headed home the next day. I finally got to see a squirrel which I had hoped to see in Europe all through the trip, and started looking way back in England! It was bright red, jumped like crazy, and had a very bushy tail. I couldn’t photograph it properly. Frankfurt Zoo is claimed by many to be the best in Europe. Though it is certainly not the biggest – this title is held by the Berlin Zoo – it is the most animal friendly, with enough space for each creature to be comfortable, and more done to replicate the natural environment of each animal. Berlin Zoo and other zoos are known to keep the animals in Victorian era cages, uncomfortable and too small to house the species in them. Frankfurt Zoo also has moats rather than much fencing, so you can see the animals well and get quite close.
We normally go to Taronga Zoo once a year, usually on our old anniversary and it really is better than any other zoo we have been to. Frankfurt did have one exhibit it could hold over it though, and that was the excellent nocturnal animal section.
In addition to this, the marine life area was fantastic and had the most responsive seals we’ve ever seen! They chased my hand movements as I waved my scarf around near the glass, like dogs playing a game. We only caught video of this but we did get some lovely photographs of the octopus.
In the evening we went to the Romerberg again! Another beautiful view of the Dom by night, a great dinner in the Romer square (David had schnitzel, I braved the liver dumplings!), more beer and appelwein, a stroll over the bridge where I cried at the beauty of Frankfurt the day we first arrived, and we headed in to the nightlife district – a maze of brilliant pubs, bars and clubs.
We picked a Turkish bar with great music and shisha/hookah/hubbly bubbly. We got an apple smoker and some cocktails. Then some Canadians got talking to us and shouted us some bourbon. Straight! We headed back to the hotel feeling satisfied that we had got a good taste of Frankfurt nightlife. If we ever went there again I would not hesitate to check out another bar around there. What a cool area!
Finally it was Thursday. Probably our hardest day. Was our honeymoon really over? Our flight to Singapore and then to Sydney was to leave just before midnight. We checked out of our hotel having packed our bags as perfectly as possible, and left them at the desk. After another cold walk down by the Main river we went to the fascinating Jewish Museum, and then shopping in an amazing modern centre.
Back in the area of the Romerberg we had a last tour inside the Dom, basking in the beauty of a marvelous old European cathedral one last time after we had seen so many.
We also got to see the completed plastic tunnels display. You could actually get up inside and crawl around!
Finally it was time for our last meal in Germany, and in Europe. We chose the restaurant that we had gone to for our first meal – lunch on that bright sunny first day, right next to the Dom. David finally got to have a stein of beer, something he had been intending to do all through Germany.
We picked up our bags and made our way to the airport by train. I got a bit teary, not only from the sadness of leaving and excitement of coming home, but also that same feeling of being overwhelmed and full of amazement, awe and gratitude for all that we had seen and done and experienced together. It was simply glorious.
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