arrival

I flew out of the new, beautiful international terminal, sweetened by a free pass to the Delta Sky Lounge.  I really got a lot done, even with hordes of kids entering in hour two. Apparently they’ll let anyone in an airport lounge these days. My plane trip was remarkable only in that I sat next to the
quietest man with the largest bladder. If you’re in an aisle seat, as I was, that is a seatmate made to order.

 I arrived in Frankfurt and caught the high-speed train to Mannheim. It thrills me every time. It’s so simple, so efficient and so reliable. (Those are three words you never hear associated with Amtrak.) My hotel was a 10-minute walk from the train station, and you do re-evaluate your packing choices when you are pulling your enormous suitcase down the main street of a city for 10 minutes.

My hotel, chosen for me by my colleagues, was perfect in every way:  compact but bijou. I settled in, unpacked everything, and then had to lie down … just for a few minutes … Eventually it was time for a shower and a walk in the lovely evening.

I wandered around, no destination in mind, and found myself in an open-air restaurant within earshot of church bells. Another one of my favorite things about Germany are church bells. They peal regularly, a wonderful sound. I walked through the Marktplatz and took some photographs, and watched the tram go by.  The Euro 2012 football** tournament is on, so everyone is out and about, waiting for the match to begin. What a lovely start to this trip.

________________

 ** As we say in America, soccer; as they say in Germany, fussball (pronounced “foosball”)