Reunion and more - Germany & Czech Republic

[OZDUCK]

We had about 2 1/2 hours in the SQ Lounge. It was fine but not especially compelling. From about 07:00 to 08:30 it was packed but after that it was much quieter. The shower rooms were excellent with the all singing all dancing Toto Toilet Suites. But why you need heated seats in Singapore escapes me. There have been so many photos of this lounge that I didn't bother taking any.

Flight 2 Sin -Fran around 12 hours. These seats were better but I still rate them as being pretty average. Much wider of course but still with limited legroom. My wife had hers made in a bed but didn't last long in it as her back started to hurt. She said it seemed very hard with odd lumps in it. I didn't ever bother.

Prawn Starter. I am not a big fan of prawns but found this to be ok. There was certainly no strong prawn flavour.



Chicken Rice. There has been much discussion about this dish and unfortunately I fall on the side of those who didn't like it. The sauces were nice, the rice was good and the vegies fine. But the chicken was very dry and tough. i would not recommend it as a choice.



The ice cream desert. A scoop of normal vanilla ice cream with a small minty chocolate wafer. It tasted fine but was not exactly the most exciting desert I have had.



My wife had Kok kee wonton mee. She really enjoyed it.

The second meal service started with the Satay. Absolutely no complaints about this. Tender meat and spicey sauce - excellent.



The salmon starter. Again very nice.



My Rendang. More ikan bilis than I am used to in other rendangs. But the meat was tender and there was enough spice to make it an enjoyable meal.



Strawberry cake - for some reason they served it half eaten. Perfectly pleasant.



The FA proactively offered me some cheese. Nice and tasty.



My wife had the Lobster and rated it as very good.



The cabin crew on both flights were very good. Attentive without being cloying. My wife found one of her spoons was still coated with someone else's meal from a previous flight. The FA was as annoyed as her that such a thing had happened.

No Amenity Kits were offered on either leg and after having seen photos of what was in them I didn't bother asking for any. The staff we encountered on the two flights and in Perth and Singapore were all excellent. But they are being let down by some, what I consider anyway, to be poor choices in the hard product and by some of their meals being a bit ordinary.

 

[OZDUCK]

As it is 23:40 here just a quick finish to tonight's effort.

Our hotel Room at Inside Frankfurt Ostend. A Melia Hotel. I had booked a "Superior Room" but when I went to check in online there was an offer to upgrade to a "Loft Room" for an extra 28 Euros a night and I accepted it. The rate is 155 Euro's per night. No breakfast but a 'free' minibar with 2 beers,2 cokes, wine, mineral water & fruit juice topped up daily. The hotel is a little out of town but there is a tram stop outside the front door which gets you to the centre in 10 minutes. Plus there is an U Bahn 200 metres away. it is 2 stops to the centre.

The room. A sitting room with a sofa bed and a single chair. It and the bedroom separated by a sliding pocket door. There is a king sized bed.





The bathroom with a separate walk in shower and bath. The toilet is behind the door.



The view of the European Central Bank building from our window.

 

[OZDUCK]

My apologies for not posting for some days. We have moved on Dusseldorf and the hotel, Marriot, has had the worst wifi I have enccountered for years. It has been dropping out on a regular basis and driving me mad. It does seem to have improved today. However housekeeping is still a room or so from cleaning our room at 16:30 so we are stuck in the foyer.

 

[OZDUCK]

We have finally been able to get back into our room - after a bit of pretty slipshod cleaning. The wifi does seem to be behaving itself so I will try to catch up a bit.

Firstly some more photos from our first evening. The local residents certainly enjoy using the banks of the Main. The evening light was very nice. These were taken around 20:30 - 22:30 and we did about a 3 Km walk around a couple of the bridges. All phots un-retouched.

There were a few abandoned cranes on the old quayside





The European Central bank Building







There were several groups apparently learning Latin dancing - they were there over a couple of evenings.






The next night we got this photo of moonrise a bit further upriver.

 

[OZDUCK]

The first full day we had in Frankfurt was pretty quiet as we caught up with friends we hadn't seen since Quebec City in 2016. We mainly just wandered around near the Frankfurt Römer and caught up with each other.



Almost all of the buildings in the Frankfurt Old Town area are modern reconstructions. Only one domestic building and one Church survived the WW2 bombings. Our friend saw these air raid himself. Luckily for him he was watching the fires and explosions from Kronberg about 15 Km from the centre of Frankfurt.



The building with the flags out the front is the Rathaus



A year or so we saw a documentary on Youtube about the recent reconstruction of this and some other buildings. They demolished some 1960's buildings. There was an outcry over the budget blow-outs and whether they were actually just building a small Disney make believe park. The decoration on this building actually survived the bombing and was re-applied.



Some roman ruins - in 2011 they were still in the open air



The raison d'etre of Frankfurt - money, moolah etc.

 

[OZDUCK]

The next day we went to Marburg about 100Km north of Frankfurt. This day we experienced the extreme overcrowding in German trains that has sometimes been experienced since the introduction of the 9 Euro monthly ticket. We have caught another 6 or 7 local trains since and none have been anywhere near as crowded.

The toilet was right in front of us and people were continually clambering through to use it. Luckily with our masks on we couldn't smell it.





Marburg is a small university town of only around 76,000 people and was first registered in 1222. It was a 'hospital town' in WW2 and there was only a little bombing along the railway lines so the old town is pretty intact. It is on "The Fairytale Trail" and has many half-timbered houses

Some of the street views







The central market place from our lunch table.

 

[pn1]

Good luck with your travels! My partner and I recently returned from a nine-week adventure that included Germany and the Czech Republic.
I wonder if you've been impacted by crowded regional trains in Germany due to the bargain "nine Euro for a month" ticket? We made good use of the ticket but the overcrowding on some of the trains was horrendous especially when travelling with luggage. Bikes always seem to get first preference! The ticket is valid on local transport too and we made good use of that. Those services weren't any more crowded than normal but some of the trips were hot in vehicles that were not air conditioned and had large windows that did not open. Lovely in temperatures above 30C!

The train trip from Berlin to Prague is excellent especially beyond Dresden where the line parallels the River Elbe for much of the time. Try to be sitting on the left hand side of the train heading south - towards Prague.

If you're a senior 65 or over, public transport in Prague is free. We made good use of the public transport system and particularly enjoyed visting cafes and bars away from the crowded tourist haunts. Much of Prague would hardly ever see an international tourist.
We travelled business class this trip and allowed time to chill in the lounge at Prague airport; what an experience! Dreadful. But that's a story for another time.

 

[OZDUCK]

Thanks for your comments. If you look at the first 2 photos in post 26 - the one above yours - you will see pretty clear evidence of overcrowding. That is the worst we have encountered. The on-time performance of the regional trains has beeen pretty poor. They are usually running between 6 to 36 minutes late. And yes the A/C has definitely been struggling to cope - if there is any.

We have only one more short trip with luggage on the 9 Euro ticket so hopefully it will be ok. After that it it will be IC or Czech long distance trains.

We are looking firward to the trip along the Elbe. And yes we are over 65 so will be using the free option in Prague.

 

[ellen10]

Enjoying your trip report, following along.

 

[OZDUCK]

Some more of Marburg

The Schloss



St Elizabeth's Church - built between 1235 - 1340 by the Teutonic knights. The high Altar is actually only a large hanging photo print. Large scale renovations are being done and about 1/3 of the church nave is closed off. It is a surprisingly effective illusion.



The exterior



The Brothers Grimm of the Fairytales lived and studied in Marburg



Our lunchtime view in the central square



Flammkuchen for my wife - with Pfefferling and cherry tomatoes



Pfefferling and speck for me



A wedding reception in the street.



As we were passing this reception our friend looked up at a building and said in a horrified tone "Hakenkreuz" (crooked cross) as he saw a Swastika on a building. It turned out to actually be an building built in the "Oriental Fashion" in the late 19th Century and it was the original Hindu Good Luck symbol rather than a remnant of the naz_'s. He has the right to be a bit sensitive as he is a quarter Jewish and was born around 1937. He spent his early school years shouting Heil Hitler at the Fuhrer's portrait on the classroom wall. His class also had to go to the cemetery and sing 'patriotic' songs at the funerals of local youths who had been killed in the war. He and his family were always under observation by the Gestapo or their informers and had to fly the biggest Swastika flag in the street. His father was sent to a work camp, not extermination camp, but luckily was relatively well treated as a qualified pharmacist and survived the war.

One of the half timbered buildings

 

[OZDUCK]

The next day we again caught up with our friends. This time we went to Kronberg where he was born and raised.

The S Bahn to/from Kronberg was pretty empty. This is it starting its return journey. It is only about a 25 minute trip from the HBF.



Kronberg Castle



The house where he was born and lived until a while after he was married. His father was the local Apothecary. It was split up into family apartments for the two sons and their parents.



Some of Kronberg Aldstadt








There was even a temporary beach.






Frankfurt CBD from the Kronberg Golf Course - on my wife's phone. You can see how the bomber raids on Frankfurt would easily be seen from here.



Using my Panasonic TZ90

 

[OZDUCK]

Continuing on with Kronberg

We were driven down some back lanes here the locals have small holdings - not the normal allotments. We were stuck here for about 10 minutes as they loaded a pile of branches - fires are of course banned at the minute.




A large Stabl blocks in the SchlossPark that was once the property of Victoria Empress Friedrich (Queen Victoria of England's eldest daughter who had the unfortunate role in life to be both widowed within a year of becoming Empress of Germany and being the mother of Kaiser Wilhelm 2. There is apparently some argument as to whether she hated him more than he hated her but it was a close run thing. She was actually well liked in the Kronberg area for her charitable work.)





A nearby walled rose garden in the park.





We then went down to a thermal spring were you could either drink the horrible water or walk in a cold Kneipp Pool. In this one you are supposed to 'walk like a stork'. Kneipp Therapy is popular in Germany and is said to have many benefits. Kneipp Walking: what is it, what are the benefits and how to implement it at home | Mastella Magazine





And a last shot of Kronberg old town

 

[OZDUCK]

The next day we went to Darmstadt. It is also only about 30 minutes from Frankfurt by S Bahn. You can also take the RE trains which are a little faster if your connections are right.

The first thing I noticed as we pulled into Darmstadt station was this structure below. I instantly recognised it as a WW2 bomb Shelter but was surprised that it still existed. Air Raid Shelter Darmstadt-Knell - Darmstadt - TracesOfWar.com

Obvious a quick snap through a moving train window - sorry.




We the cunningly turned left out of the station to catch a bus to our destination. The buss eventually got us there but took about three times as long as the correct one. But at least we did get to experience a bus driver backing an articulated bus through the red lights at a busy intersection when he missed a turnoff - there was a detour.

What we had come to revisit was Mathildenhöhe - "Between 1899 and 1914, the Mathildenhöhe Darmstadt was the site of the legendary Artists’ Colony, founded by the young Ernst Ludwig, Grand Duke of Hesse. Situated close to the city centre, it became a sensational experimental field for artistic innovations" In Germany Art Nouveau is known as Jugendstil

Home - Réseau Art Nouveau Network

An international network to protect and promote Art Nouveau heritage? Yes, it exists, and has done for 25 years! For a quarter of...

www.artnouveau-net.eu

The Wedding Tower





Some of the interior. In 2013 we were able to enter these rooms but they are now 'glassed off'.







The view from the top.

Frankfurt Skyline





This building is known as the Waldspirale Waldspirale - Wikipedia

 

[OZDUCK]

More from Darmstadt

In a strange co-location the Russian Orthodox Church of St. Maria Magdalena is situated amongst the Art Nouvea buildings. It was built by the last Czar of Russia, Nicholas 2, for his wife Alexandra who was born in Darmstadt.





It was 12:00 when we were there and a full 10 minute performance was conducted on the church bells. This man played them with both hands and one foot.



Some of the ornamental details around the area

 

[OZDUCK]

We then walked downhill to the HBF. Much of Darmstadt was destroyed in WW2 and was rebuilt in a style that could best be described as 'Instant Urban Decay'. There are a few nice spots but not many.

This is Luisenplatz and if city designers want to find out how to destroy the ambience of an area this would be an exemplar. There are bus stops, tram stops, tram lines and overhead wires crisscrossing the square.


The most interesting thing we saw was a display of cars by a bunch of enthusiasts.

 

[Cossie]

DA CK 758H on the VW. H is for historic afaik, we used to call VWs “dac dacs“, so it’s possibly a choice by the owner. All nice cars, I’d be happy to own any of them.

DA would be Darmstadt

 

[OZDUCK]

For our last night in Frankfurt we went to the Sachsenhausen district to try the local specialty Green Sauce - Frankfurter Grüne Soße - German Green Sauce - Facts about Frankfurter Grüne Soße

We ate the Affentorschanke (Monkey Tavern) restaurant. I have since been advised that it is well known for serving good traditional Green Sauce and Apfelwein.



Why there is a monkey in its name.



Firstly the menu





We shared a starter of the Handkass which was surprisingly nice. I ordered it because I had read about the 'music'.

​

My Schnitzel with the Green Sauce. The sauce tasted light and summery.




My wife's beef patties



All the food was nice and the apfelwein -- was apfelwein. I wouldn't go out of my way to drink it.

A final couple of photos around Sachsenhausen and on our walk back to the hotel.

 

[OZDUCK]

This is now my fourth attempt to add onto this TR. As I said at the start of the TR I find these difficult to do 'on the run'. I am usually too tired by the time we get back from a full day out to do more than just add a picture tor two to the Office View thread.

Anyway another go -

ICE train from Frankfurt to Dusseldorf. A hassle getting on board as the wagon information on the platform was 100% inaccurate - completely back to front. These are 2nd class seats and they were perfectly ok with pretty good legroom.



There was not much to see on this trip with mainly glimpses of Industrial areas. There were the occasional dry fields.



Dusseldorf HBF. The forecourt is a permanent home to drunks, vagrants, prostitutes and chain smokers. Not the best place I have ever seen in Germany. Seedy at 10:00 and unsavory at 22:00.



Our hotel was about a 100 metres away. It was a "Hampton by Hilton" and I would not recommend it. It is a very new hotel, reasonably priced and with a good breakfast. However the room cleaning was shambolic and the bathroom was designed by someone who didn't realise that water came out of a shower head. The nearness to the HBF was good for moving our bags but the ambience of the area was very poor.

But we did get a good view of the rail tracks.



Our hotel is on the right



As you may gather I was not enthralled by Dusseldorf as a whole. But it was a convenient location and it must be said that there are some very nice parts of the city.

The Rhine Promenade - partly built over a roadway.

 

[drron]

I know what you mean by being unable to keep up with a TR. Too tired late at night and the only time I found to try to do some posts every one on board was on the internet so painfully slow.

 

[jeza]

This is now my fourth attempt to add onto this TR. As I said at the start of the TR I find these difficult to do 'on the run'. I am usually too tired by the time we get back from a full day out to do more than just add a picture tor two to the Office View thread.

Anyway another go -




But we did get a good view of the rail tracks.

View attachment 290436

Our hotel is on the right

View attachment 290447

As you may gather I was not enthralled by Dusseldorf as a whole. But it was a convenient location and it must be said that there are some very nice parts of the city.

Railway tracks are the new car parks!