Frankfurt to Hamburg— this short leg was accomplished via bus, about 8 hours over the road. Sound long? Actually it was a great opportunity to see the German countryside via the Autobahn. Downside was it rained 90% of the way. We had the best seats in the house—front row, passenger side. Even though it said “Don’t bother the driver” (in German)Goran (Our Bosnian driver) and I had an on-going 8 hour conversation. I learned a lot about him, the war in Bosnia in the 80’s and his emigration to Germany when no jobs were available in his home country. He’s now in his early thirties, has a wife, a young daughter, and is very happy with his job as a bus driver and his life in Germany. “I’m not rich but I have all I want and I like it here.” We shared lots of stories and parted friends. In fact he apologized for not being able to take us right to our hotel but the bus wouldn’t fit down Alt Wal Street. He’d like to visit the USA but has no desire to move there. He’s happy where he is. Another American myth crushed. Not everyone wants to live in the our country. ;-)
One short story about Hamburg...Cindy’s job is to write more about that. She got us a great room at the Sofitel Alt Wal. It has to be one of the nicest I’ve stayed in. Why? The room was nice, the bed comfortable but the pool and spa downstairs was outstanding. It was like what I think of as a Roman Bath. A pool at about 85 degrees, enclosed in tile with a small river leading into it with a waterfall at the far end. It also had a sauna, steam bath, hot/cold foot massager, and a man and a woman who didn’t realize a swimming suit wasn’t optional. Cindy’s mouth was hanging open. Which brings me to Cindy’s swimsuit. She didn’t bring one and I thought she’d be missing a great opportunity to enjoyable a memorable experience so I said I’d buy her one at a shop nearby. You know what she said? “I’d rather have a charm for my bracelet!” Who dickers with someone offering a gift? The only thing worse would have been, “Can I have the money instead?” She decided a suit was better than nothing so off we went to shop. I sat in a chair for over an hour, while she wandered, touched the fabric, and considered all of the suits (and there were many). A prime example of why we don’t shop together — ever!
Next stop—Sweden to spend time with Steve and Lotta Linton, Cindy’s cousins.
Cindy’s Notes:
Hamburger with cheese, please. I so wanted Dennis to go into one of the banks to order a cheeseburger. He kept insisting that Hamburger Sparkassen was a chain much like a MacDonalds. On our second day in Hamburg we had a walking tour and our guide, Matthias gently broke it to him, that it is a bank and no, he couldn’t get a cheeseburger there.
In Hamburg we stayed in the city center, just behind the town hall. We didn’t find it as easy to navigate as Frankfurt though we took a five hour walking tour and the Hop on-Hop off bus. We couldn’t seem to get our bearings and we couldn’t easily find neighborhood bars. Though we did find a neighborhood laundry. Spent half a day there before taking a taxi back to the Sofitel. It rained almost everyday but it didn’t stop us much though we have many photos taken through raindrops on the bus window.
The Sofitel is a beautiful hotel with an amazing spa on the floor below reception (basement to us less classy). The pool is more like a river curving and meandering into an open area complete with waterfall and a pounding jet which gives a great massage. It also has a steam bath, sauna, herbal mediation room, and water foot massages. Plenty to keep you busy on a rainy day. Unfortunately I didn’t bring a swimsuit. Dennis loved it so much he decided he would give me a present—a new swim suit! How about a charm? Small, easy to pack, don’t have to try it on. He frowned, saying, “That’s very ungracious.”
I thought he would change his mind when I told him it would probably be at least $100 since it is out of season. NO, he was not deterred. Off we went to a department store unlike any I’ve seen. Really big, lots of suits, had no idea what size to try. I found a chair for him so he could be comfortable and then I began pawing through the racks. Started with a 50 G cup, way too big, 48 D, way too big, xx B, just right but $119.00 and showed every bump and bulge and cellulite ripple. Left the dressing room and there on a rack was a xx B on sale for $54.00. Got that one and after that excruciating horrible experience, he had the nerve to ask what took me so long????
I will add that he also bought a wrap for me because I am not going down into the area without something covering me.
The spa was wonderful and the sauna was dry, hot and soothing, burning the stress right out of your pores—yes stress. When’s the last time you sent an hour taking all of your clothes off but your socks (black ankle, not pretty), putting them back on, and repeating the process because after you’ve given up, you find one on the sale rack??
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