August 4th Basel Switzerland to Frankfurt Germany ~

  Tuesday morning and we headed across the street to the train station to catch the train at 9:00 am out of Basel Switzerland to Frankfurt Germany~ 

 No breakfast included at the hotel - and paying 16 Euro each was too much we thought!  So we just enjoyed a cup of coffee at the station...there is so many shops there - just take your pick!

We picked up some banana's and a sandwich for on the train...it would be a 5 hour trip ~

 Nick asked the Swiss soldier how long they have to serve and he said 4 months and then on weekend duty for 4 years once a month~

We headed downstairs with the elevator and before long the train arrived. 

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Something to share with you all ~  My step-dad had to call for hospice at the care home for my mom...they gave her 2-5 days as per Saturday.  Maralin traveled down and is now in CA with him.  Mom is having irregular breathing now so they are giving her some extra oxygen to keep her more comfortable - but today - Tuesday, Maralin my sis said she is getting weaker.  We are praying for a peaceful ending as mom prepares to meet her Savior & Lord~  it is a hard thing being away right now...but in all the time we have been overseas...it could of happened sooner..and we knew that!

Still it is a hard thing & being far away right now...my mind is on my family back home & grand kids too!

Praying for strength for Jim our step-dad and brother & sister  & family too~  We all deal with it differently - we all know it will happen - that our parents leave us - but no matter how old we are - it is a hard thing to go through...each in our own personal way!  Just wanted to share this with you all~we covet your prayers and we pray for Mom's peace in the hours to come~ 

(Mom passed on August 7th 8:52 am CA time)

She is now with her Lord ~

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Nick loaded up the suitcases and we settled nicely in a "cabin"  this time...now that was a new one for us!  
A six seat  cabin...

nice! This particular train had a dining car also......so I wander through 10 cars to finally find it!  It was a dining car (with white table cloth) and it also had a snack bar for casual eating...but of course you pay for it price wise! ha! It was fun to walk through isles and isles of train cars..and see it though!  So yes Polly they still do have them for the longer trips...but it was our first experience~

A few stops later we had company - "Ana"...who was going to Berlin to join her boyfriend.  She was in the University to study language...and spoke English very well!  We enjoyed our time together and before you knew it we were in Frankfurt already!  Auf Wiedersehen Ana!  Best wishes!
"You will do very well with being a translator...you have learned the English language very well!"

Wow the train station in Frankfurt was tops!  A older station but really nice!

We walked to our hotel...but took a few wrong turns - so by the time we got to the hotel with suitcases...well you can say "we had our exercise for the day...ha!  

We got situated and relaxed for a while and then a bit later we went off along the Main River across the street from the hotel and we walked to town...it was a very nice walk & we enjoyed being along the river!  There was some boats again..docked along the side...and they were the very same boats we had seen in Vienna along the river Danube~

These touring boats stop at the cute places along these rivers...and the people just walk off the boats right into town!

There must of been a special event in town..because there was a fair going on...with lots of places to eat & drink and for kids to ride the rides!


Nick & I decided we should do the "German" beer garden stop!

Cheers!  Proost! We ordered a German dish - mushrooms in a garlic sauce with french fries and shared the snack ~  it was so good..and the garlic sauce had a lot of flavor!  The combination was new to us - but we enjoyed it with a cold beer!  We heard some "ompapa's" around us too! 

The German flag ~ Black Red & Yellow!

The "Main" River ~ Click on this Link!

The kids were having fun in these floating plastic balls...Oh I would of done that too! 

Here is a Dutch touring boat...all the way from Holland...

This food stand was busy as can be...this grill hanging in the middle was full of chicken, bratwurst, sausages, weiners...and it was going "gangbusters!" 

We actually watched the fair people take everything down the next day...and all these food stands etc are closed down...folded up and put on wheels and off they go to the next town & event! 

Here is where Nick & family had visited years ago....Steph & Charlotta do you remember this plaza????  Took a picture for you!

Because of the fair going on...there was all these food stands all over the plaza...with lots of good eating...those German's know how to eat well!!!!

Frankfurt Germany

We enjoyed just strolling down the streets and walking through down town for a while. 

 Cathedral

Love all these old building...so much history in the "old country" as they use to say...!

We walked along the river and saw a inner tube in the distance floating ~


and as we got closer...we saw many people sitting in there with a BBQ - and they were eating!  Well how do you like that???

You can "have a BBQ" on the Main River in Frankfurt...!!!! And they were having some beer with that too...there in the River... Wow...talk about a special meal ~ ha!