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Renée Murad and I went to Frankfurt for 6 days to meet and stay with my long time penpal Dagmar. We had a brilliant week and it went by way too quickly. The weather was hot and mostly sunny, and we didn't really need our wet weather gear. Dagmar was really kind to host us and make use feel so welcome. It was great also to meet Mathis again, and to meet Dagmar's parents and brother Stephan, and friends Silvia and Artem.
After a short flight early on day 1 we met Dagmar and Stephan at the airport and explored the centre of Frankfurt before having a picnic and walk in the botanical gardens and then heading to Dagmar's place. On day 2 we met up with Dagmar's friends Mathis, Artem and Silvia and went canoeing on the river Lahn before exploring Runkel and then catching a train back to the start point. Then in the evening we had pizza and fun. On day 3 we explored the Kubach Crystal Cave before exploring Weilberg. Then we met Silvia at Braunfels castle who gave us a tour including the top of the gothic tower. The four of us then walked down through Braunfels to a chinese restaurant for a meal before leaving as sunset approached. Day 4 was a shopping day. We caught the train to Giessen before returning via Wetzlar. On day 5 we visited the Herbstlabyrinth cave which was spectacular with its stalagtites and cathedral like calcite rock formations. After an afternoon in the garden we went back to Giessen to join Mathis for a meal in the Mama of Africa restaurant. Then after drinks at the Dach Cafe which was on the top of a building and a good viwpoint, and Mr Jones by the station, we caught the last train home to Stockhausen. On the last day Renée and I had a morning walk to the next village and back. Then after a rest it was time to say goodbye to Dagmar. We caught some nice trains into Frankfurt and then the airport. The flight home was a nice spectacular end to the trip with some amazing cloudscapes en route.
Please see below for an index to this trip.
London to Frankfurt, City Centre, Botanical Garden (110 + 1 Butterfly) |
Canoe Paddling from Furfurt to Runkel, Train back, Pizza (92) |
Kubach Crystal Cave, Weilberg, Braunfels Castle, Braunfels, Chinese Restaurant (152) |
Giessen and Wetzlar Shopping (24) |
Herbstlabyrinth, Dagmar's Garden Butterfly, Mama of Africa, Dach Café, Mr. Jones (95 + 4 Butterflies) |
Walk To Biskirchen, Trains to Frankfurt, Flight Home (38 + 8 Butterflies) |
Flight To Frankfurt (21) Frankfurt (19) Botanical Garden (64 + 1 Butterfly) Dagmar's Place (6) |
Canoe Paddling from Furfurt to Runkel (53) Runkel (23) Train to Furfurt (6) Drive Back to Stockhausen (4) Pizza at Dagmar's (6) |
Kubach Crystal Cave (36) Weilburg (39) Braunfels Castle (44) Braunfels (10) Chinese Restaurant (7) Drive Back to Stockhausen (16) |
Giessen Shopping (13) Wetzlar Shopping (6) Train Back to Stockhausen (5) |
Drive and Walk to Cave (8) Herbstlabyrinth Cave (38) Walk Back to Car (18) Dagmar's Garden Butterfly (4 Butterflies) Mama Of Africa Meal (8) Dach Rooftop Cafe (15) Mr. Jones (8) |
Morning Walk To Biskirchen (6 + 8 Butterflies) Trains To Frankfurt (5) Flight Home (27) |
Total Photos: 511 + 13 Butterflies
We got to the airport quickly after a 5:15AM minicab pickup. After a quick entry to duty free we had a nice breakfast and went shopping before boarding on time. The plane was delayed 15 mins by a computer glitch but we were soon off into a hazy clear sky. The view of London and the Thames estuary was awesome! Soon we left the tip of Kent and flew over France and Brussells and into Germany. The English Channel looked as calm as a mill pond. Soon we were over Belgium and passed over Brussels. A nice tail wind saw us make up time and land early at 10:35AM. Frankfurt airport is huge. We didn't get to the gate until 10:55AM. But it was an efficient exit and we had our luggage and were out into arrivals by 11:20AM.
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What better way to start off a holiday than with a nice cooked breakfast! | Views of Central London soon after takeoff from Heathrow. | Wembley Stadium to our North. My home should be down there somewhere in the distance. |
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Passing Central London. I only just noticed the stitching error in the first panorama. The other two is much better with the London Eye and the Docklands visible. | Pushing my iPhone 6S+ camera to its limits with a closer view of the Docklands to the Thames Barrier and beyond. |
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Looking further along the Thames Estuary towards the North sea as the plane leaves England via Kent. | The Belgian Coastline looking Northeastwards. Nieuwpoort in the foreground, then Ostend then Zebrugge. The distant islands are into the Netherlands. | Ostend and Zebrugge. | Northern Belgium from Bruges into the Southern Netherlands. | Brussels from the Southwest. | The only clouds I saw all flight, somewhere near the Belgian German border. |
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Renée and I couldn't resist a quick aeroplane selfie. | A closer look at the clouds. | Flying over the Rhine river just West of Mainz and Wiesbaden (West of Frankfurt). | Mainz and Wiesbaden from the South as we approach Frankfurt. | Flying low over the River Main just before landing at Frankfurt Airport from the West. |
Dagmar and her brother Stephan were a little late due to traffic but we didn't have too long to wait and they arrived around 11:30AM. We went to their Renault Twingo and they drove us to the botanic gardens car park. It was hot, maybe 30C. I got suntan lotion out which everyone used. Then we went down into the subway at Westend station and too a U6 train 2 stops to Konstablerwache and the city centre where we had a wander. As well as some modern skyscrapers there were some really nice old buildings and squares too. It was baking hot but grids of plain trees provided shady areas to walk under. We looked in some shops (Renée helped Dagmar find some new shoes!) and inside the cathedral. Eventually we returned to the subway at 2PM to return to Westend on a U7 train which was a bit nicer than the U6.
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Renée on a U6 subway train from Westend to Konstablerwache. | Walking along the North side of the square at Konstablerwache. The shade of the trees was handy in the hot sunshine. | The fountain at the junction of Zeil and Hasengasse / Stiftstrasse. | South of the fountain several blocks was Frankfurt Cathedral. | A curious looking cafe / restaurant just East of Römerberg. |
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Looking around Römerberg square. | 360 degree panorama of Römerberg. | From Römerberg modern skyscrapers can be seen, new and old. |
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A typical Frankfurt tram on the North side of Römerberg. | Paulskirche, or St. Paul's Church. | Looking South back to Römerberg from Berliner St. Paulsplatz in the foreground. | Renée at a fountain at Liebfrauenberg. | The Galleria mall on the North side of Zeil where we emerge West of our start point. |
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Hauptwache to the Southwest of the Galleria. | A large mall on the South side of Zeil as we head back towards the start point. |
Back at Westend we entered the botanical garden (click here for a map in English) and walked to a nearby lake where we found some metal loungers to sit on in the shade and have a picnic. Dagmar had brought salad and falafel which was tasty. The bread was nice too and a family of Egyptian geese were keen on helping us eat it, with the adults even eating pieces out of my hand. Then we went for a walk around the garden and looked inside the glass houses. It was hot hot hot in there and my pocket fan came in useful. After more wandering we came to a kids' play area where water from a drinking fountain was useful for cooling down a bit. Then at 4:30PM we returned to the car.
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The botanical garden East entrance. | Inside the entrance greenhouse. | Looking West to the Roase Garden just inside the entrance. | The arid tropics tropicarium greenhouses. | The Oktogonbrunnen fountain. |
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Walking over the Green Rest Area looking for a picnic spot. It's busy here. | The initial picnic stop by a giant head. | But then 3 loungers became available in a much nicer spot in the shade but brighter. So we moved. | The Egyptian geese soon became interested in our food. | Picnic time! |
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Egyptian geese at the picnic. | Picnic closeup. | Playing with our food are we? Those nasturtium flowers were edible and delicious. |
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Lilly flowers across the path. | As we walked on from our picnic we found the Egyptian geese in the nearby lake in the Southwest corner of the garden. | What has Stephan spotted? |
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360 degree panorama on the lake bridge as Renée walks past (which the software struggled to handle lol). | This is what Stephan spotted. Lots of hungry carp think it's feeding time every time we look over at them. | Artificial crepuscular rays as a water spray lights up the rays of sun shining through the trees. |
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Underneath the bows of a large tree. The shade welcome as it is about 30C now. | Tree sculpture. | Entering the palm house (Southern end of the garden). | The palm house. | Bananas growing. | Dagmar posing on some Stepping stones. |
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Waterfall. | Renée and Stephan and the stepping stones. | Tropical plants. | An archway leading to a small aquarium. | Another view across the palm house from above the aquarium. | Back outside in the Rose garden. Many of the roses had shrivelled in the heat but these white ones were looking good. |
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Inside the arid tropics tropicarium are lots of large and very spiky cacti. | This tree has an incredibly spikey trunk! |
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More views as we traverse various tropical zones. | From a distance these leaves looked like a flock of butterflies. | Another tropical view. | Tropical flower closeups. |
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Exploring another tropicarium zone with huge palm tree leaves. | Back outside there were these Bitter Orange trees. | A pond lilly. | Lovely purple flowers that look a bit like lavendar from a distance. |
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Walking around the Playing Field towards Haus Leonhardsbrunn at the North end of the garden. | A Male Brimstone butterfly. | A nice framed view of the Frankfurt skyscrapers. | A passing Palmen-Express train. | A tree with bright red bark. |
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Renée passing a massive bamboo stand as we head towards the exit. | This is the coolest subway entrance in Frankfurt. It looks like a train carriage bursting out of the ground at the junction of Bockenheimer Landstrasse and Senckenberganlage just Southwest of the botanical garden, and connects to Bockenheimer Warte station. | Looking West along Bockenheimer Landstrasse towards Bockenheimer Warte. |
We set off out of Frankfurt and towards Dagmar's place. The countryside looked much like the Southern English countryside with the same crops, plants and animals and rolling hills and woodland patches. On the way we stopped at a Globus supermarket where we got some groceries including cereal for breakfast. We also bought some fridge magnets for gifts.
We arrived at Stockhausen at 6:30PM. What a nice place Dagmar and her family have! Three buildings were arranged in a horseshoe shape with a large garden behind. We got the grand tour of the houses and the garden too. We decided to stay in Dagmar's bed rather than take the options in her parents' house. Dagmar was happy to sleep on a mattress on the floor in the lounge.
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Renée Taking a look at Dagmar's place. | An iPhone panoramic view at the entrance to Dagmar's place. | The famous vegetable plot. | Gooseberries. | The berry garden. | Other potted plants. |
We were now too tired to do much. We chatted into the evening. Dagmar also kindly let us use the WIFI. We went to bed soon after 10PM.
Click here to go forward to Frankfurt 2016 Day 2.