Pages

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Frankfurt, Germany

Walking the streets... All alone

Imagine walking through a city cleared out just for you as your plane lands. No other people – just peace and quiet as you walk the streets. All you see are beautiful, ancient buildings towering over you with fresh flowers in the windows, and all you hear are stone water fountains flowing as you pass them with the pitter-patter of your feet behind them. That much quietness in a big city seems nearly impossible at any given time of the day, especially in the largest financial Centre in Europe. But the morning we landed in Frankfurt, Germany, the people of the fifth largest populated city in the country were all in slumber. Of course I was just kidding when I said it was cleared out just for us, but as for the town being asleep as we went on our first exploration, that was no joke.
Bull of Frankfurt Yum Yum... German Festival Food


Our flight landed in Frankfurt right as the sun rose. Me, Tres, and my brother, ready to take on the country of Germany. However, my parents’, who’s flight was supposed to land before ours, were stuck in Atlanta. As soon as we landed, Tres received a text saying they were eight hours behind us. The initial plan was to meet them, hop in the car, and head south to the mountains of Garmisch, but we learned as soon as our plane touched down, that wasn’t going to happen.

Drinks on a fun patio just as people started to wake up in this city... haha


So the plan changed. And before we knew it we were walking off of a subway into the gigantic city of Frankfurt, dragging our luggage behind us. Sure, we could have set up camp at the airport until 5pm when my parents finally landed, but instead, we decided we had a fun city to explore. So bags and all, off we went, into the city. The quiet city, that is. The Friday night party must have lasted until 4am with the entire city of Frankfurt invited because on Saturday morning, there wasn’t a person on the streets.
First view of a German country-side from the drive

For the first several hours we walked, admiring the unique, longstanding architecture of the city. Finally, a few shops started to open up, and though the party was assumed to have lasted all night the eve before, it wasn’t long before the beer was flowing again. As we walked, we stumbled upon none other than a German festival – right in the center of Frankfurt. Carnival food and beer on the streets are two of my favorite pastimes, and when the smell of sausages, sauerkraut, pretzels, and German beer started seeping through streets that were completely uninhibited just hours before, I was in my happy place. We had clearly arrived… we were officially in Germany!
Eating pizza and drinking beer after a long day and drive... sleepy

The day was spent eating German festival food, drinking champagne and beers at every cool restaurant patio we saw, and walking the finally busy streets of Frankfurt, luggage still being hauled behind us. Exhaustion set in later than afternoon, and we took the subway back to the airport to wait on my parents. I took an hour nap in the most comfortable position a person could possibly be in laying on a lobby seat in an airport. Finally around 6pm, my parents were landed and we were in our “family truckster,” a Volvo station wagon, driving across the country of Germany. We arrived in Garmich, ate a quick dinner composed of pizza and more beer, and went to bed.

Spending the entire day in Frankfurt was a treat, and there’s plenty more Frankfurt stories where that one came from because we weren’t quite done with it just yet!

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

July 14 post below… sad! Two months later… I’m back!

One of many things we have been doing: Dinner on our balcony... has become more common with good weather


Today was a dreary, rainy day in Memphis. I like nothing better on an ugly day than to go to the gym for a workout (because there’s nothing better to do), take a hot shower, and relax on the couch with Tres. Well, today I decided to do something a little different. So, as I sit here in my comfy, cloud of a housecoat with my feet propped up, I am blogging. Different? Yes. Why? Because I haven’t done it in months. Not because I haven’t wanted to, or because I am lazy, or because I have nothing to write. No… simply because I lack time. Seriously.


Time is so precious to me. So, when I’m working all day with a workout to follow, then I go to school two nights a week, then I have homework that includes more writing than I’m sure anyone does on their blogs, then I cook, then for heaven’s sake, when it’s finally 9pm, I just may want to have a little fun down the street at a local restaurant or bar or sit on my couch and watch mindless television, so with all that… I choose not to blog. Did I mention I write and write and WRITE in graduate school? I am a journalism major, so it’s no surprise, but geez, when you write that much in school, you just may decide to not do it in your spare time.


So, that is my confession. My excuse. Whatever you want to call it.





Most recent pic of us... in North Carolina at a wedding

But the conclusion to this post is not a “farewell, I’m too busy to blog anymore post. It’s a “Hey, friends, I’m back to blog consistently.... can I get a whoop whoop” post!!! At least that’s the goal… to get this Southern Kind of Love back to being documented!




TN - Cinci game last weekend... our most recent excursion


Next month, Tres and I will be celebrating our One Year Anniversary, and today I got to thinking about how much fun we’ve had our first year of marriage. We have done a lot, experienced a lot, and traveled a whole lot, yet, I haven’t written much of anything. This made me sad, yet it inspired me!


So what’s long overdue? I’m just going to include the highlights:

• My new job and the change of no longer working with my husband in the same office
• Trip to Europe: Germany, Austria, Lichtenstein, Switzerland, Italy
• Trip to Vegas… this will be a good one
• Weekends in Memphis… oh the fun Tres and I have living downtown in this awesome city
• Redecorating: The new Enemy (the old one… wedding planning)
• Anniversary trip plans to New England: Portland, Boston, Martha’s Vineyard, Cape Cod




Our decor inspirarion... we both agree on this. That could change as often as my blogging habits though... haha

Looks like I’m going to have my work cut out for me! Luckily, Tres and I are in Memphis this weekend. Hopefully football, fun, redecorating, and dare I say, homework wont distract me. We shall see!!! Wish me luck, bloggettes!