I’d been in Frankfurt for about five hours before I took a moment to sit down at MyZeil to share some impressions. Much of the airport is still closed. Germany would have been closed to me if I hadn’t been able to call my brother-in-law Klaus and have him verify the reason for my arrival during the pandemic. Our stories matched, and after they had checked all the documents I had photographed (one with Caroline and her passport, our marriage certificate, the document that notes that she took my name), I showed my return ticket along with a couple of other things such as the name of my mother-in-law’s assisted living center and had explained that I would be staying in her apartment, only after all that, I watched as my passport was stamped for entry. Klaus picked me up shortly after that and took me directly to Saalburgstrasse 46, where I’ll be staying. We caught up a bit, but then I needed to head out for a bite to eat and to make my first visit with Jutta Engelhardt, my mother-in-law.

Around the corner from the apartment is Zeiss Metzgerei, where I never fail to stop for a slice of roasted pork belly on a Brötchen mit senf (roll with mustard). I’m sharing the image of the bag with my sandwich because very few places are offering somewhere to sit down and those that do are only serving people outside. To be seated at a restaurant, you have to show proof of vaccination. So, I’m outside, it’s raining lightly, and I have my computer on my back and camera on my shoulder. As I was still evaluating the relative safety of the area here on Bergerstrasse (there are usually quite a few beggars and shady types hanging out), I was keeping things tight as I stood under an awning, quickly wolfing down my Schweinebauch-Brötchen.

Living in Phoenix, we are confronted with a constant flow of people on street corners holding up placards, begging for a handout, and offering us blessings from God; store parking lot driveways are also popular begging spots. In Frankfurt, they are sitting against a building holding up signs explaining their destitute situation, but you also have those who approach you directly, asking for some change. Then there are people somewhere between poverty and homelessness who want cigarettes or a lighter. There’s something that feels more confrontational about these situations. Later in the day, I was walking by groups of beggars that seemed either like family or maybe a small gang of friends who I couldn’t help but feel were taking inventory of the person passing by as they tried to get me to acknowledge their needs. I just keep going without a word.

With something to sustain me and wanting to put the beggars behind me, I headed for the U-Bahn to catch the U4 to Römer. Jutta is now living at an assisted living facility on Buchgasse 1, and it took me a minute or two to find the entrance.

After a quick hello, it just so happened that I was right on time before Caroline jumped into her day to Skype her into our first meeting so the three of us could share some big smiles. I showed Jutta some photos of our recent trip to Monterey and the Big Sur Coast in California, and after a quick hour of reminiscing about past adventures, including her first trip to America that took her up that very same coast, I was back out on the street, just as the sun was emerging. I had wanted to stay longer, but jet lag was hammering at me in the warmth of my mother-in-law’s room.

The first thing to notice about Frankfurt today is how empty everything is. Streets are quiet, pedestrian traffic is way off, and many shops are still closed, while those that are open have strict entry procedures, including a few that check for your vaccination or recent negative COVID-19 test before letting you in. While intermittent rain was coming and going, there should have been far more people out here next to the Main River on a spring day.

If I’m walking, I can’t fall asleep, and I need to stay awake until at least 9:00 p.m. This might have been a bad plan because while, yes, I was moving, I had so little cognitive ability that my wandering felt lost and meaningless. Sure, there’s the nostalgia of being in the city where Caroline and I fell in love, but I’m trying to appreciate how peculiar the situation is regarding the impact of COVID-19 on such an important European capital city. Instead, I move a bit slowly, uncertain where I’m going other than hoping to find an umbrella before the next shower.

This street, in normal times, would see bumper-to-bumper traffic and a ton of noise, but it’s quiet, with only a few cars passing here and there.

Part of the iconic (and unique to Germany) view of the city of highrises is taken near a vantage point where we watch the fireworks over Frankfurt every New Year’s Day. One of the small cruise ships that ply these waters for tourists and people wanting a couple of hours on the Main sipping wine was out in the middle of the channel, but no passengers could be seen on board; I’m hoping it’s a sign that they are getting ready to ramp up services again.

I walked through here on the way to Jutta’s when it was still raining and absolutely empty, but that photo was a bit grim, and half-timber buildings just look better in the sun anyway. Behind me is the Römer, the seat of city government, and before me is the Römerberg where one of the best Christmas markets is held when conditions allow.

As quickly as the sun came out, the clouds moved back in, so I dipped into Kleinmarkthalle where I’ll probably visit a dozen more times while I’m in the Frankfurt area. This covered farmers market has always been a favorite of mine as I’d never known anything like it before I took up residence in Frankfurt back in 1985. Stopping here for a cortado was not only meant to revive my heavy eyes, but I couldn’t help but think of our friend Angela, who brought us to the place that made her favorite coffee drink in Frankfurt some years ago that just happened to be right here.

On the other side of Kleinmarkthalle, with my coffee in hand, I found myself being serenaded by this Cuban busker playing clarinet for passersby, hoping to earn a few Euros. I threw some coins in and talked with him for a short while about his 30 years living in this city and his hopes that someday he could move to America. Seems that the pandemic has been especially hard on people on the economic margin of life in Germany.

Still, without an umbrella, I had to duck under an awning and wait for some fierce and heavy rain mixed with hail to pass before continuing my aimless walk through the city.

Just behind me is where I visited MyZeil, looking in even more earnest for an umbrella but also in need of a toilet. What the heck? The toilets are all closed, probably due to the pandemic. Then, like the determined person I am, I simply went through one of the passages where the “closed toilets” were supposed to be, but they were locked. …Or were they? Yes, the men’s room was definitely locked, but I heard female voices in the women’s room, so I waited. Their door didn’t close all the way, and so, although the handle was locked too and wouldn’t turn, I was able to use the facilities. I guess Germans aren’t wandering very far from home or drinking a lot while out getting some sun, as I didn’t see one open public toilet.

It was at this point that I started taking my first notes of the day I referenced in the first paragraph.

I can’t believe how familiar this city still is. When Caroline and I visited Frankfurt for the first time after 18 years away, I was kind of lost, but today things are all quite familiar. It was difficult to sit still writing anything as I wanted to keep on moving to see what I could see on my first day. I had ideas for dinner, but the fatigue of traveling around the earth to be here and only getting about two hours of sleep on my flight might change my plans.

I know I can’t do everything on day one, and I also know I have five more hours of daylight. The urgency to sleep nags at me with big yawns that tell me to get my blood flowing and keep walking. I know I have to stay awake until at least 9:00 p.m., though it feels like I could lay down on a nearby bench for a quick nap.

Wow, an E-Assist mini UPS delivery vehicle is being pedaled through the shopping area of Hauptwache; I’m seriously impressed. If these were 2-person affairs with space in the back for sleeping, I could see driving something like this through Yellowstone and going camping with it.

Speaking of Hauptwache, while the Hauptwache Cafe looked closed, it was open actually, but having apple strudel and cream for dinner seemed a bit heavy, so I kept walking in the direction I was going, which was in the general direction of the Hauptbahnhof (main train station). That got me thinking about this guy I know who lives nearby.

I texted Olaf, who had no idea I was coming to Germany, and asked him to take a walk down Kaiserstrasse and that maybe we’d bump into each other. Surprised, he headed out immediately, no questions asked. He helped me find a nice, inexpensive purple umbrella and then led us to an Imbiss (cafe and convenience store in one), where I had another coffee before we crossed the street to his apartment.

Whoa, Olaf’s “kids” grew up and are nearly adults! Sylvia was home, but of course, she was, as many people still are, working from home, though I did learn she’s had her first two days back in the classroom. Both Olaf and his wife are vaccinated; well, Olaf is halfway there. After covering things about life during the pandemic, I was hungry, but my plans were now certainly different than my intention when I left America; I needed food, and I needed it now.

Again, back across the street and up towards the Hauptbahnhof, we visited a Döner Kebab shop Olaf’s daughter Lucy recommended: it hit the spot. Döner is loosely known as gyros in America, but they are nothing alike because döner is actually great. All of a sudden, it was 9:00 p.m., and I still wanted to get some blog-related things out of the way, so we parted ways with the agreement that we’d meet again while I was in Germany for a cookout in his backyard.

Walking through the main train station area at 9:00 p.m. was a stupid idea as I felt I had “robbery victim” written all over my head. Moving with purpose, I was quickly on my way to the subway on the U4 back to Bornheim Mitte for the short walk to my mother-in-law’s apartment. This photo is for Caroline. It is a mural near her mom’s place that never fails to put smiles on our faces. Great, now I’m wired. Maybe I had too much coffee?