My son, Taylor, is doing a project on Germany right now.  So, after my day in Germany, I helped him write the following report.  The pictures are ones I took.

On Thursday, February 17, 2011, my dad got to do something he’s been waiting over 20 years to do.  He got to spend a day in Germany!  From 1985-1990, my dad studied German in high school and college, but he never got to go there.  However, my dad had to take a trip to Africa, and when he heard that he would have a 12-hour layover in Frankfurt, Germany, he was very excited.  His day began at 10AM Germany time when my dad’s plane landed after an 8-hour flight from Chicago.  My dad got only a few hours of sleep, but he was awake and ready to see Frankfurt when the plane landed.  After going through customs, my dad changed some money into Euros, bought an all day train ticket, and headed for the heart of the city.  Once there, he began exploring the different sights.  A friend of his (Sofija Burton) who grew up in Frankfurt told him what to look for, so my dad was prepared.

His goal was to see the major landmarks, take as many pictures as he could, and eat as much German food as he could.  The first place my dad went was a place called Romerberg.  This is the central, old part of the downtown.  It features various buildings and a church from the 14^th century.  Most of the buildings were badly damaged during World War II and had to be repaired or rebuilt.  This part of town gets its name from the ancient Roman settlement that now lies in ruins.  It has been preserved and lies directly behind a row of old buildings that now serve as cafes and shops.  My dad said that even though the weather was very cold the day he was there, the Romerberg area was packed with people walking, riding their bikes, shopping, and eating.

One of the main attractions of the city is the Eiserner Steg (Iron Bridge) that crosses over the Main River, which runs right through the city.  My dad said he went across the bridge three different times during the day in order to take pictures at different times of the day.  He said that his favorite time was his last time as night was falling and the city skyline was lighting up over the river.  The bridge is for pedestrians only, and many people use it each day to go from the old part of the city to the new part.

My dad’s day in Frankfurt ended with an authentic German meal at a 100 year old restaurant called, Steinernes Haus.  It also was a building that had to be rebuilt after World War II because the inside of it was destroyed by fire.  Frankfurt is known for its apple wine, so my dad ordered a glass of that.  He also order pork schnitzel with fried potatoes.  Even though my dad wasn’t that hungry because he had eaten a bratwurst earlier in the day, he ate almost everything on his plate because it was so delicious!  Eight hours and 200 pictures later, my dad headed back to the airport for his next flight.  His day in Germany is a day he will never forget.