Europe Trip - Back to Germany

Thursday, September 13^th

We awoke and caught our plane to Frankfurt. 

At the Frankfurt Airport Train Station

We had been in Frankfurt only a dozen days earlier, but it seemed like three months. 

After WWII, the Turks came in to help with the manpower shortage.

So there are Kabab places everywhere - delicious. 

We took a train to the countryside to stay with some more of Alex’s friends from the Hanau ward, the Baumann’s. Brother Baumann picked us up from the train station, and drove us to their house. They have a nice family – 9 kids, which is rare in Germany. But half of their children are grown, so they had plenty of space for us. They fed us well and made us feel very welcome.

Friday, September 14^th

The Baumann’s loaned us three bicycles so we could ride out to the local castle about five miles away. The ride was pleasant and scenic. 

Along the trail to the castle. 

Resting by the corn field. 

The castle in the distance.

 Alex had the bike with the comfortable seat. Lisa and I had bikes with hard plastic, narrow seats that had all the comfort of sitting on a shovel handle. So we rested a lot and walked our bikes up hills, and we eventually arrived at the castle. We were too late to enter the castle for the falconry demonstration, but we watched the birds fly around from outside the castle.

Falcon flying above castle. 

Then we went in and toured the place. It was everything you want in a castle: a tall keep to climb up for the view, a kitchen complete with fire in the fireplace, torture apparatus, period furniture, a deep well, and a wedding party outside making a lot of noise.

View from the top.

The rack.

Office furniture. 

Alex studying clock works.

The keep.

The castle from outside.

Fire in the kitchen.

This is really cool. It's a library chair, which if you flip the top over becomes a set of stairs to climb up to get a book. 

The deep, deep well.

Autumn Crocus - Source of saffron 

On the road again.

  

Cottage in a little village we rode through

We returned to town and ate sauerkraut, potato dumplings, and other German dishes. I really do not like sauerkraut, but authentic German sauerkraut is actually fairly edible.

Saturday, September 15^th

The Baumann boy, Paul who had recently returned from his mission in Scotland, gave us a ride to the airport where Lisa and I flew home and Alex took a train to Hamburg to begin his semester abroad.

It was a great trip.