Tourist Time

Today, me and my friend Sarah from Australia, decided we wanted to be tourists for the day. This might sound funny, cause yes, we are foreign people here….but when you live in a city, you never tend to do the tourist things there. ( For, example, I live 15 minutes from Niagara Falls, but I only ever go there when people visit and they want to see it.)

SO, we began by having lunch at this German restaurant called “ Früh”. Its located right in the centre of Tourist mania, close to the Dom cathedral. Just so you get a bit of the sense of this restaurant, the walls were all old stone brick, your cutlery sits in the middle of the table, sticking out of a big beer mug, and at just barley 12 o'clock noon, the waiter comes by and just assumes “two beers?”……..Answer…”Ja, danke!” ☺

Because I was trying to go with the whole, “lets experience a typical German meal” ….I didn’t get meat BUT I have never eaten so many potatoes in my life! And I don’t like them any better either! I could probably go the rest of my life keine Kartoffeln (no potatoes!)

Next, we went to the chocolate museum (which we didn’t actually end up touring cause it was so packed!) but we walked around the gift shop and looked at everything they made.

We continued walking to the other side of the Rhein River (cause I’ve never been there) and there was a children’s fair or carnival going on, with a Fairiswheel and other rides. Its so funny, cause even at a children’s carnival, you still find beer gardens or little bar-trailers everywhere. That along with deep-fried cauliflower, mushrooms, crepes etc.

My favourite part of the day was on our way home. We were walking through the Alte-Stadt (old city) and out of the corner of my eye I saw what looked like a brass band of about 10 middle aged men warming up on a street corner. I asked Sarah if she minded going to check it out…… we walked over and sure enough, within 5 minutes these men were walking around the street playing together! It was so great!

There were 5 trumpets, 2 tubas, a couple trombones, 2 drummers, all wearing bright orange jackets and ridiculous ruffled shirts underneath. They proceeded to play
a) lying downon their backs on the street,
b) chasing ladies around who came up and took pictures of them,
c) sitting down at peoples tables while playing etc.……
d) at one point they poured beer on the drum so when the drummer hit it, it became this huge spraying fountain!!
They were SO entertaining! I loved these men so much, I could have stayed there forever! Dad I totally pictured you being one of these guys, you would have loved it!

Anyway, so within a couple minutes, there was a big crowd around us dancing, singing, clapping and drinking on the street corner. The servers just came out of the restaurant and started serving people wherever they were standing.

In two days the 11th of the 11th, Carnival begins. I’ve heard so much about this celebration! Everyone, old and young!..... dresses up in crazy costumes and parties in the city centre, I can’t wait! I don’t know what I’m going to wear yet, but I will have to find something! I will write about it in three days!! Hope all is well at home!!