Day 1 and 2, Traveling with Jack, July 28-29, 2026

Travel to LEX after picking up Jack at his Uncle Dan and Aunt Emily’s house. All went well. Chagrined that I worried about Jack’s big luggage, when my little pink rolling suitcase would not fit in the overhead bin. I guess if that was the worst of the stress, it wasn’t too bad. United Airline planes are TINY but the men and women running the show were wonderfully helpful and friendly. 

The layover in Chicago was already long, but a 2.5 hour delay made it a lot longer. Jack seemed happy enough with his Switch and his phone with his girlfriend on the other end! 

We finally boarded on a 9-seat-across, bigger plane, but not much seat room and very skinny aisles. My hips and legs gave me fits a lot of the way there, but I believe I did nap some because I remember waking up about 3 times. Getting into Frankfurt without knowing where we were going was an adventure, and we got in lots of extra steps as we kept going the wrong way and had to turn around. 

When we finally got to EES (European Emigration Service, I think - always head towards Baggage Claim) it was a breeze for Jack, and the machine made me try several times to scan my passport and fingerprints. But finally took it! I have rarely been through such a fast and easy border patrol. 

Beau found us at the airport using WhatsApp and the location feature - something else new for me. So we are using WhatsApp for that. He was one happy Daddy to see his son!

LOTS of walking today. As it was too early to check in to the hotel, we took the train over to the financial district and looked at the bull and the bear and the ECB (European Central Bank) Building, and stopped for a Starbucks. The bathroom was upstairs and you had to have a code for it. VERY hot today, but the outside sitting area was very nice, with overhead awnings and the breeze helped. 

Once we checked into the hotel, our first order of business was to find Jack some shoes because he had only brought his Doc Martins and they were starting to chew up his feet. Then we got on a train to cross the Main River to Beau’s haunt to see where he spends a lot of time with friends. We ate at his friend’s restaurant and had a real German meal of Schnitzel and potatoes. Again, the outside seating under shade was very nice. 

After dinner we walked down toward the river, taking pictures and headed toward the little bar on the River Beau goes to. Met his friends Diana, who runs it, and Leopold, who mans it. Still pretty hot, but nice breeze on the river. Jack found the hammock set up on the deck, and enjoyed that while we all talked. The only thing I don’t enjoy about these places is the cigarette smoke that I have gotten used to being without. A very nice but tiring walk back to the motel over the river. We got some hopefully lovely night shots of the City line, the full moon and a spider on the bridge. Beau had us notice on some of the sidewalks were some little gold bricks that commemorated where a Jewish person was deported during the war. Very sad part of history. Whew, I should sleep good tonight.

Day 2, July 30, 2026 -

Last night Beau used the DB App to get train tickets for Cologne. I’m trying to decide if the stress of pre-purchasing train tickets when trains gets  delayed so much is worth it.

Yes. Barely. Because as the trains were always delayed it worked out. It was an overcast day all day, with some sprinkles, which were actually welcome in the 96 degree heat.  The Cologne Cathedral is indescribable. 

Huge, ornate, awesome. Full of tourists but still very quiet inside. We could have looked at the stained glass windows for a week and not noticed every detail. I think there may have been three sets of organ pipes. Beau said the Cathedral was the only thing that was not bombed in Cologne during WWII. 

I must still be pretty tired, because I nearly lost it when we had to pay to get in the Cathedral and we had to do it online. So, standing there outside, Beau was trying to do that but my Visa card got denied. Then my Master Card got denied. Angry and evil is not the way I want to feel outside of a church!! We finally figured out that Beau would pay for it and I’d pay him back. 

The train ride back to Frankfurt was long, 2 hours, but much prettier than the one to Cologne. I saw bunches of castles on tops of hills, and the ICE train followed the Rhine River almost all the way to Frankfurt. Where it was only 100 degrees. We had gotten food at a little grocery store at the train station in Cologne, so we picknicked on the train. 

Picture of grape vines we saw along part of the Rhine River.

In Frankfort we walked around some more, looking at the Dom Cathedral a little, walked by the big Euro Sign and the Old ECB Building, and rode some more regional trains. We ended up at the Kleinmarkthalle where there are lots of booths of food, meat, spices, fruit, etc., but many booths were already closed up for the day. 

We stopped by a sausage shop run by a 93-year-old lady who makes the sausage. I can’t tell you how amazed I was at her. She ran the business with her husband who made the sausages, and then took over making them herself when he passed. They were wonderful! I want to go back before we leave and get some more. Came back to motel for shower and rest and then back out for pub fare. The fountain in front of Alte Oper was gorgeous in the sun and I got a slow shutter speed shot. 

Then we went back to motel and planned for tomorrow’s Strassburg adventure.