bretzelitos

Here we go again, we can’t wait to see other places than home – after this long confinement at home due to CoViD-19. But it was necessary to do so to slow down the pandemic and prevent spreading somehow.

Waking up at 0600 is never an easy task, but our booked train left Paris Est at 0906, hence we had no other chance but taking the 0645 TER from Rambouillet train station, just to have enough redundancy in case something happens. The regional train system is really good in our region of Ile-de-France around Paris, but you just don’t want to have a mess already on day 1.

We arrived on-time in Paris Montparnasse and took the Metro line 4 to Paris Est. Not so many people, however, Paris never sleeps.

We arrived as planned at our TGV train station an hour early. Hence we had enough time to take a little French breakfast in one of the open cafés on the terrace in the Morning sun, very enjoyable indeed.

Our TGV to Frankfurt left on time and carried us in high speed (up to 320 kmh or 200 mph) through Champagne and Lorraine towards Germany. As high speed lines are absent in Germany between Saarbrücken and Frankfurt, travelling through Germany took as long as our trip between Paris and the French-German border – but it’s just half the distance.

From Mannheim to Frankfurt, we took an alternative route via Darmstadt – the tracks via Gross-Gerau have not been chosen this time. This resulted in a small delay of some minutes which was not an issue at all, arriving shortly after 1300.

In Frankfurt Central station, we went to the Paulaner restaurant in Markthalle to have our lunch, finished with a lovely Bretzel and an alcohol-free Paulaner Weizen… just great!

When joining the platform on which our ICE should have been departing at 1354, it was announced that the train was 45 minutes late due to the latest weather issues in Northrhine-Westfalia.

Here – important for me – I would like to remain in silence for a moment as dedication for all the victims of the weather catastrophy that happened in the week before. Surely, we will light some candles in a sacred place (no matter if church, temple, mosque or pagan) as remembrance and in a moment of thoughts and mourning. Also a word about my courageous son, also known as ‘Little Bretzel’. Sven has been helping to evacuate people as being on voluntary duty for German Red Cross Water Rescue division in the area during two consecutive nights. His employer gave him two days off without any question. The world needs more people like this, I am really proud of you.

After a further non-eventful stop in Aschaffenburg, we got the little Regionalexpress train to Obernburg where my dad picked us up.

We had a lovely evening together on the balcony, enjoying the sunset with a glass of wine and a family cold cut dinner at home.