When I caught myself gawking at the green grass on the side of the freeway, I knew Germany and I were going to be good friends.
Wow, what a crazy day! After sleeping for two hours on the plane from SFO to FRA, I grabbed my luggage from baggage claim and saw Johanna again at last! (For those of you wondering who Johanna is, she's a good friend I met while studying at a language institute two summers ago in Barcelona. Johanna visited me in Healdsburg for two weeks last fall.) Soon afterwards, I was pleased to meet Johanna's mother Christiane. Christiane was kind enough to pick me up at the airport and take me on a tour of Frankfurt. After a confusing walk, we found the rental car and started on our way towards Johanna's cousin Daniela's house, who recently moved to Frankfurt with her boyfriend Kristof.
After I showered and changed clothes, Daniela offered me a cup of coffee. Nothing ever tasted so good. I'd always heard about how superior European coffee was to American coffee, but not until then did I experience that truth! (Sorry, Starbucks.) I paired this treat with green tea and a pistachio candy. Toll! (Amazing!)
Then Johanna's friend Tony met up with us at the apartment. She lives about 20 minutes outside of Frankfurt and interns at the English Theatre in Frankfurt. And her English is so perfect!
Johanna and Tony gave me a brief overview of the city as we made our way to the top of Main Tower. Some call the city "Mainhattan," as a play on Manhattan featuring the name of the river that runs through Frankfurt, the Main. Frankfurt is technically called Frankfurt am Main, not to be confused with the smaller German town of Frankfurt.
Even though I was running on little sleep, I felt that I was winning the battle against jet lag, except for the fact that I was uncharacteristically not hungry. About six hours after I had had breakfast of the plane, hunger finally hit me, and Johanna and I met up with Christiane and Daniela at Vapiano, a popular and delicious Italian cafeteria chain. I ordered the pesto pasta and was very satisfied.
After our meal, Daniela led the way to an indoor market. I had told her about how revolutionary European markets were to me in that their produce actually smelled like real food, unlike produce in American supermarkets. Along the way, I practiced my limited German like a little kid, pointing to objects that I knew the German word for. "Erdbeere, Erdbeere!" I would say excitedly. That means strawberry, and it's currently my favorite word. Just try it; it's so much fun!
Germany is the first country I've been to where I don't know the language proficiently. Before my trip I studied up of a few German words and phrases using an app called Duolingo (I highly recommend it), but other than those words and phrases I know nothing. And the grammar is so confusing! I get giddy every time I hear a single word in a conversation that I understand and then I guess what the conversation is about. When I ask Johanna afterwards what she was talking about, I surprisingly often get it right.
Daniela complimented me on my German, especially considering that I've only been learning it on Duolingo for a month or two. I wish I spoke German as well as she speaks English! Daniela attended college in Denver and meets up with an American friend she met in college once every year in London. Hopefully Johanna and I continue to meet as Daniela and her friend do.
Next, we went to the old town, which features some of Frankfurt's most iconic buildings. Nearby we toured the Frankfurt Cathedral, where all of the German emperors were crowned.
From there we browsed Bitter & Zart, one of the nicest chocolate shops in Frankfurt. I contemplated buying some chocolates for my dad, but I decided it would be difficult to keep them safe for the coming six weeks. Plus, I'll have plenty more opportunities along the way.
Then we walked to the Goethe Haus, where the famous 18th century poet was born. I read about each room in the English guide and learned quite a bit.
By some miracle I made it through all of that without feeling (or admitting I was) tired. But as soon as I said goodbye to Daniela and Kristof and got in the car with Johanna and Christiane, I fell fast asleep for an hour and a half.
When I woke up, we were almost to Kassel. I brushed my hair and Johanna and I went straight to her school's end-of-the-year barbecue at the school's boathouse on the river. I met many of Johanna's classmates and friends and got plenty of practice saying, "Ich bin Juliet." I'm not good at names even in English, so naturally I only remember Anne, Kata, and Matthäa's names. Everyone I met was so nice!
At 10:15, Anne and her dad drove me and Johanna home to Johanna's wunderschön house in the countryside. It's so beautiful that last week while Johanna and her family were eating dinner they saw tourists posing for a photo at their front door!
At 11:00, I at last passed into a deep, deep sleep until I woke up this morning at 9:00. Ich schlafe sehr gut.
I'm excited for the day ahead of me! Stay tuned for a new post soon.
After I showered and changed clothes, Daniela offered me a cup of coffee. Nothing ever tasted so good. I'd always heard about how superior European coffee was to American coffee, but not until then did I experience that truth! (Sorry, Starbucks.) I paired this treat with green tea and a pistachio candy. Toll! (Amazing!)
Then Johanna's friend Tony met up with us at the apartment. She lives about 20 minutes outside of Frankfurt and interns at the English Theatre in Frankfurt. And her English is so perfect!
Johanna and Tony gave me a brief overview of the city as we made our way to the top of Main Tower. Some call the city "Mainhattan," as a play on Manhattan featuring the name of the river that runs through Frankfurt, the Main. Frankfurt is technically called Frankfurt am Main, not to be confused with the smaller German town of Frankfurt.
Even though I was running on little sleep, I felt that I was winning the battle against jet lag, except for the fact that I was uncharacteristically not hungry. About six hours after I had had breakfast of the plane, hunger finally hit me, and Johanna and I met up with Christiane and Daniela at Vapiano, a popular and delicious Italian cafeteria chain. I ordered the pesto pasta and was very satisfied.
After our meal, Daniela led the way to an indoor market. I had told her about how revolutionary European markets were to me in that their produce actually smelled like real food, unlike produce in American supermarkets. Along the way, I practiced my limited German like a little kid, pointing to objects that I knew the German word for. "Erdbeere, Erdbeere!" I would say excitedly. That means strawberry, and it's currently my favorite word. Just try it; it's so much fun!
Germany is the first country I've been to where I don't know the language proficiently. Before my trip I studied up of a few German words and phrases using an app called Duolingo (I highly recommend it), but other than those words and phrases I know nothing. And the grammar is so confusing! I get giddy every time I hear a single word in a conversation that I understand and then I guess what the conversation is about. When I ask Johanna afterwards what she was talking about, I surprisingly often get it right.
Daniela complimented me on my German, especially considering that I've only been learning it on Duolingo for a month or two. I wish I spoke German as well as she speaks English! Daniela attended college in Denver and meets up with an American friend she met in college once every year in London. Hopefully Johanna and I continue to meet as Daniela and her friend do.
Next, we went to the old town, which features some of Frankfurt's most iconic buildings. Nearby we toured the Frankfurt Cathedral, where all of the German emperors were crowned.
From there we browsed Bitter & Zart, one of the nicest chocolate shops in Frankfurt. I contemplated buying some chocolates for my dad, but I decided it would be difficult to keep them safe for the coming six weeks. Plus, I'll have plenty more opportunities along the way.
Then we walked to the Goethe Haus, where the famous 18th century poet was born. I read about each room in the English guide and learned quite a bit.
By some miracle I made it through all of that without feeling (or admitting I was) tired. But as soon as I said goodbye to Daniela and Kristof and got in the car with Johanna and Christiane, I fell fast asleep for an hour and a half.
When I woke up, we were almost to Kassel. I brushed my hair and Johanna and I went straight to her school's end-of-the-year barbecue at the school's boathouse on the river. I met many of Johanna's classmates and friends and got plenty of practice saying, "Ich bin Juliet." I'm not good at names even in English, so naturally I only remember Anne, Kata, and Matthäa's names. Everyone I met was so nice!
At 10:15, Anne and her dad drove me and Johanna home to Johanna's wunderschön house in the countryside. It's so beautiful that last week while Johanna and her family were eating dinner they saw tourists posing for a photo at their front door!
At 11:00, I at last passed into a deep, deep sleep until I woke up this morning at 9:00. Ich schlafe sehr gut.
I'm excited for the day ahead of me! Stay tuned for a new post soon.