Day 1 in Deautschland: 88 steps

It's Tuesday, July 22nd and I landed in Frankfurt with my bags! Huge win. So my loving husband gave me very distinct directions on how to get from the airport to the hotel....or so I thought. As I pull my very large suitcase, a medium suitcase, and a carry on equivalent to a body bag (totally not my words its how the lovely lady at Macys referred to it as I was buying it) through the airport in Frankfurt Jim tells me look for the S-Bahn and take the S-8/9 and so I begin my hunt for the train.

Turns out since Jim went direct from Philadelphia to Frankfurt he came in through a different terminal then where I came through. And of course the S-Bahn doesn't come to the terminal I'm at :) So I bust out my Germam pocket guide and find an info desk asking for how to get to the S Bahn. I eventually find my way and get to the machine to buy my ticket. Now it gives you two options- 1) pay with a credit card or 2) pay with exact change. Of course my American credit card didn't work and all my euro money was in bills with no change. And all along I thought the  MTA vending machines were a pain. For once, in an admitted low point I wished it was an MTA vending machine. I know, I'm not proud of that either.  Thankfully, I find a very helpful woman who helps me get my ticket and I'm running to catch the next train that leaves in 4 minutes!

 I know, I make transatlantic'3 hours of sleep, and 88 steps look good! 

So I'm finally en route to Weisbaden now what my loving husband failed to tell me is that there would  be TWO Wiesbaden stops on the train. A Wiesbaden Ost (East) and Wiesbaden HBF. In my infinite wisdom I get off at the first Wiesbaden station which happened to be Ost when I needed to get off atWiesbaden  HBF. After 88 stairs, (yes I counted) I realize I'm in the wrong place. Now let me tell you how I've come to this realization: Jim said he would meet me at McDonalds at the train station as an easy to find landmark in a busy terminal. I pull my luggage down 22 steps, across the tunnel, up 22 steps to a Harley Davidson dealer. No Mcdonalds. Just Germans and leather-- Like a bad Rammstein video.  I walk down to the T-mobile  payphone and find that it has been ripped out- no phone. Awesome sauce.  My cell phone doesn't work and of course Jim convinced me to not get an international phone until we got there. Super helpful at this point in time.  I have a moment of panic in that I have no idea how to get a hold of Jim or how to get to the apartment from where I am. The poor guy in the Harley shop spoke no English at all and so I decide to go back to the train platform and get on the next train. So I walk back down 22 stairs across the tunnel and back up 22 stairs up to the platform (for a grand total of 88 steps in case you lost count)

The next stop is Wiesbaden HBF and so I get off and make my way to the golden arch. I find Jim there waiting for me and I tell him all about my 88 step adventure we head back to the hotel here I am beyond excited to get clean and out of my Old Navy yoga gear.


We head to a restaurant called the Ratskeller. I had the Wiener schnitzel which is veal pounded really thin and then usually breaded. This one was breaded with pretzel batter and then covered with a mustardy sauce. It was seriously amazing.  Jim being his usual self goes ridiculous and gets the pork knuckle. It literally looked like a knuckle off a cow not a pig. (Vegetarians beware!) we finished off dinner with some apple strudel and ice cream and then walked around to explore our beautiful new city!

Pretzel covered schnitzel yum!