prudenttravels: Main Frankfurt

After my peaceful stay in the German countryside, I took the bus back from the Hahn airport to the Frankfurt train station. Riding through Frankfurt, my impression was that it's huge and impersonal like Chicago. Supposedly, my hotel, the Tokyo Inn was close by. It was! It was literally around the corner from where the bus dropped me off. I don't think the bus could have dropped me any closer. It's a big chain that's very convenient, well equipped, and comes with a free European & Japanese style breakfast buffet, including miso soup. I really thought of Kim. She was so interested in Japan and Japanese culture and had been there many times. [At this point, I hadn't heard that she'd died.]

By the way, the blue in these paintings is the original 'Prussian Blue.'

Although the room was small, it was quiet, and did have many amenities including a safe, and a soaking tub in the bathroom to go with the Japanese toilet which basically does everything but the dishes, and you can make the seat warm or cool.

I was tired, so I went to the train station to buy some munchies - there was even a Burger King in the food court, but I settled for some ham & cheese croissants, and a marzipan one, too. On my way in, I noticed a man sitting on a bench, and it looked like he had a cigarette hanging out of his nose!

As I drew closer, I saw that it was too thin to be a cigarette, so then I pondered why he had a lollipop stick in his nose. As I drew even closer, I was appalled at the condition he was in. His eyes were closed. And I still have no idea what the white stuff was that was dripping out of his nose, and he might have been dead. I did report him to one of the security guards.

After I bought my munchies, I went out of the station and took the street back towards the hotel since I didn't want to see that guy again. I was cutting through some bus stop areas when I went past two young Asian men sitting on a bench in one of the bus shelters snorting a white powder off of one of the guy's Rolex. Welcome to Frankfurt!

I enjoyed my quiet dinner and my single malt, took a long bath, and actually slept quite well.

The next day I spent shopping and exploring after ravaging the buffet and washing it down with three cappucinos. I went to a currency exchange to buy some Romanian money, checked out some galleries, had lunch, and went back to the hotel for a while.

Later in the afternoon, I went for a walk down by the river.

On my way I passed this bench near the river, and loved the chair someone had put out.

There was a lovely outdoor restaurant on the river bank, and I went inside to check it out. Unfortunately, it was a seafood restaurant, and I can't eat it. But, while I was there, I decided to use the restroom. The picture below is of the baby-changing station. Just adorable.

Walking across the river at sunset.

Headed back to the hotel, but didn't find any restaurants I liked. So I headed across the street from the other side of the train station, and found an Irish pub that looked great, but it was packed to the gills with people watching a soccer game. I kept going down this large street away from the train station when I passed this "Canadian Street Food" restaurant! What!! I've never even seen a Canadian cuisine restaurant [except maybe Tim Hortons?], and I live near SF. What could their cuisine be? Only thing I could think of was poutine? Jackpot!

Couldn't believe it; had to try it.