Day 2 - December 11 - Frankfurt and Mainz

We arrived at Frankfurt Main Airport. One suitcase was slow to come up on the conveyor. Just as Ron was about to report it, it showed up. He was helping a lady to pile her suitcases onto a luggage trolley, breaking a nail in the process. He then put in a 2-Euro coin to get a trolley for us, and the machine that had dispensed the trolley for the lady was suddenly "ausser betrieb". Murphy's Law! So he had to go to another trolley machine. It took us about an hour to leave the luggage claim area. 

We picked up our rental car from Auto Europe. They didn't have the Passat wagon we reserved and gave us a Suzuki we do not like at all.

We then headed west to Mainz, located at the confluence of the Main and Rhine Rivers. We have a reward night at the Hyatt Mainz on the Rhine River. The desk clerk told Ron it was our fifth stay, and so they upgraded us to a Rhein-view room and gave us coupons for a free evening cocktail. (I can remember two times we were here but not four - probably on NALICO business.) Because the room was not quite ready, we occupied ourselves by having an expensive buffet breakfast. The hotel ambiance is lovely, and it is fun watching all the boat/barge traffic on the Rhine, as well as  joggers, skate boarders, and dog walkers.

Breakfast at Bellpepper (Hyatt)

Ft. Malakoff (19th-cen. fortress) part of Hyatt

Our room overlooking the Rhine - before the nap

After resting and working on "blog", we went downstairs for our free cocktails around 6 PM.

In the Malakoff Fort area (Bar)

Lounge/Dining looking at Bellpepper

In Hotel Lobby

We put on our warm coats, gloves, scarves and hats, and walked into the Old City. The Christmas Market was taking place in the area surrounding the Cathedral of St. Martin, and it was fabulous. We had not been to one in years, and brought back so many memories. So many food items to partake of and so many beverages! We first stopped off in a cute wine bar which just so happened to be frequented by folks our age and older. How did we find this by happenstance? Everyone was chatting and many seemed to know each other - as if it were the neighborhood gathering spot. "Cheers for the Senior Set!" We shared a small antipasto misto and Ron had a gulash soup (which he reported was not nearly as good as what he will find in Bavaria!) It was a cute little place -just what we had been envisioning. And very reasonable. Wines by the glass from 2.50 EU to no more than 5 EU.

Leaving there we walked through the Christmas Market. Here is the 36-ft. high Christmas pyramid. We purchased a gluhwein to warm ourselves as we strolled. The booths featured an amazing variety including ornaments, wood carvings, candles, ceramics, baked goods, sausages, sauteed mushrooms, grilled meats - many tantalizing aromas, including roasting chestnuts, wafted through the air.

I gave up trying to place photos two or three across, and just made a collage in Picassa. So, I'm sorry you can't see larger photos, but it gives you an idea. In the first column, third down, are our new gluhwein cups! The bottom two are the Zum Spiegel, which is a gorgeous wine stube with beamed, painted ceilings, Oriental carpets, etc.  We have decided Mainz is a great little city. 

We thoroughly enjoyed our first day in Germany!