Freed to Catch Something
by a wandering wonderer
Moments in Frankfurt
I needed to get away, alone, always, and I wondered where in Europe I could go by train. I didn't feel like flying, especially for a short period of time. So I opened the map and looked at the photos of European cities that might interest me. There was Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Lisbon, Hamburg and then... Frankfurt. The photos made me want to go, with the mix of modern and ancient architecture. So I decided, I would go to Frankfurt. I chose a hotel in the center of town that would allow me to use public transport as little as possible, and then my train tickets...
May 6, 2024 - Discovering the hotel district in the rain
I arrive in Frankfurt in the rain. The air is hot and the station is bustling. Nevertheless, I decide to walk to the One Motel Frankfurt Römer, just 20 minutes away from the station. At the same time, I discover the city while walking around. When I arrive at the hotel, my room is already ready - lucky me! I enter my room and discover the view of the business district and the Commerzbank tower, one of the tallest in Europe.
After a little rest, I decide to visit the area around the hotel. I'm not far from the old town. But it's raining... which gives a certain charm to the half-timbered houses on Römerberg square.
It's raining cats and dogs. Only the Dreikönigskirche and these Canada geese seem to be enjoying the weather... either do I. I still have to take shelter under the bridge...
May 7, 2024 - Visit to the Natural History Museum and the city
Today's rainy weather prompted me to lock myself away in the Natural History Museum, the Senckenberg Naturmuseum. There's a section on oceanography and deep-sea creatures that I really enjoyed. So did the geology section. I didn't take many photos, just this one of the various rocks and crystals. I stayed about 2 and a half hours inside, and really enjoyed it. There's also a great section on the different mammals, birds, reptiles and insects.
I leave the Museum and head for the Ludwig-Erhard-Anlage and Friedrich-Ebert-Anlage parks (Anlage meaning green space). I observe the many towers, including the Messe Turm, which looks like a pencil.
The weather is very grey and provides a good tone for the close-up photos of the high-rise buildings. A little further down, some geese take a break for a romantic tête-à-tête in the daisies.
I head back towards the city center, discovering nice little spots like a small park with flowering trees and old houses set against a backdrop of more contemporary architecture.
May 8, 2024 - Stroll through the Palmengarten
I'm about to go to the most relaxing place of all, a botanical garden, the Palmengarten. It's well worth the trip. I take the subway towards Bockenheimer Warte to get to the south entrance of the garden. I spent over two hours there, strolling along the rhododendron avenues, through the greenhouses of cacti and tropical plants and reading quietly on a bench... The colors are finally coming out after two days of dreariness.
In greenhouses…
In the butterfly greenhouses... the photos look a little gray. That's because of the mist that formed on the lens. It was very humid inside.
I leave the greenhouses to sit on a bench, read and then leave...
It was …
… amazing !!
May 9, 2024 - Last full day... a desire for morning light, a desire for green at Grüneburgpark
For this last day, I wanted to get up early to admire the city in its most beautiful light, the light of early morning. It's cool and there's no one around. It's so pleasant. Paradoxically, I love to be a tourist but don't like tourists, so that's why the morning is a perfect time to go for a walk and explore the city while it's still asleep. I return to the medieval town and then along the river Main. It's so beautiful...
The light is perfect, isn't it?
Photos of skyscrapers. It's a great playground for photography
Beratung BBBank Frankfurt in a former Mercedes building? I couldn't find the information
I head back to the hotel. It's only 8:30. So I can have my breakfast...
... before taking the subway to Grüneburgpark via Friedrichstraße with its beautiful facades, Liebigstraße and August-Siebert-Straße...
So I'm at Grüneburgpark. I've got my headphones on, and I'm strolling through this green world. I feel extremely well...
I stay here for a while before heading back to the hotel, checking out and spending my last few moments at the Galeria Kaufhof, shopping and discovering the terrace with its panoramic view over the whole city. I then head back to the station to catch my first train to Brussels and then on towards Lille... These few moments in Frankfurt have been really pleasant for me.
