It is almost 6pm, and Uncle Andreas, a professional chef, is cooking dinner. We are enjoying some time at his and Aunt Hanne´s(Georg´s sister) apartment in Rödermark, just outside Frankfurt.

First, the news on our trip....
We flew with British Airways the whole way, and were impressed with the kind service of all the crew onboard. Security checks were no problem at all. The departure from Dallas was at about 5pm on Monday. The three children sat on the left side of the plane, while Georg and Martha sat just across the aisle. Shortly after taking off(to experience that again...ahhhh), crew members offered drinks to the passengers. Then about an hour later, we enjoyed a meal of chicken and rice or ravioli(whatever you chose) complete with salad, a roll, and dessert. Real British tea(the best) was also a treat. Contrary to what had been reported by some others, the meal was good. International flights must have particularly good service, which we experienced in many ways.

We tried to sleep, but generally, it was difficult to do it very deeply. The 7-hour flight passed swiftly, bringing us to the morning, breakfast, and landing in London at the Gatwick airport at 7am. It was fascinating to see the British isles from the plane. Thereafter, we had 3 hours till the next flight from Heathrow airport, which is on the other end of London. We did not miss the plane even though we had to get the tickets, pick up our luggage, get on a bus, ride to Heathrow(which took 1 1/2 hours because of traffic), check in again, and use the meal coupons to pick up some food. The meals on the flight had been so close together that the food was not for hunger but rather to take the wonderful opportunity afforded by 10 British pounds for each of us.

It is fascinating to notice the differences in airports in London and Germany than in the US. The greatest difference seems to be the lack of huge amounts of space. Many things in Europe is built much closer together.

Well, we just made it to the gate in time, and got into the vastly smaller British Airways plane(than the previous one) for the 1 hour flight to Frankfurt. We had been told there was no food served on this flight, which is why we were given coupons, but the kind crew once again served drinks and a little shortbread to go with it. Promptly, we landed in Frankfurt, finally at our destination and our second home! By this time we were very tired out.

Aunt Hanne met us, and took us to a cafe to "catch up" somewhat before leaving. For the first time during the trip, we used carts for luggage. Elevators(or lifts) came in handy when steps were involved, but finally, we copied what others had done, and actually took the carts on the escalator. Pictures will back it up! We loaded the two cars on the 14th floor of the parking garage. Ana Marie was overjoyed to finally be able to see a Smart car. Also, parking places labeled Frauenparkplatz(Ladies parking spot), which are a little bigger for convenience, were interesting to see. All the parking places are small because the cars are small, and there is not much space.

It took about 25 minutes on the Autonbahn(where you can drive 100 to 120 km per hour) to reach the hotel, a Best Western in the forest. This BW is not one you´d see in the states, however. It looks very rustic on the outside, and the rooms are extremely different. Pictures will show the difference. After unpacking, we had time to rest before enjoying a leisurely dinner with Aunt Hanne in La Fountain, the restaurant on the ground floor. About 9:30, after taking a short walk outside in the great cool evening air, we fell into bed and slept well...for the first time in 24 hours.

We got up this morning and enjoyed our first German breakfast, complete with a buffet of real German bread, meusli, yoghurt, fruit, and wurst(sausage). A little after 1:00, we arrived at Uncle Andreas and Aunt Hanne´s apartment. Following the delivery of their new dinner table, we drove to a market to purchase some groceries. Next, we stopped at a cafe next to a music school. A poster advertising a piano concert this evening looked intriquing, but we decided against it for precious time with relatives.

Now, the apartment is filled with the smell of wonderful food, which will soon be ready, and someone else must use the computer. Tomorrow, there will hopefully be pictures!