Europe Day 1: Welcome to Frankfurt on Christmas Eve

This post is long overdue, so flashback to 4 months ago and the date is December 24th, 2017; location: Frankfurt, Germany.

Eight hours had passed and only four prolonged hours remained until the crammed and chilly plane touched down on the runway of Frankfurt International airport. The sky turned from blue to orange, with a tinge of pink and yellow as the golden orb made its debut from within the clouds, scattering blinding light in all directions.

My head instantly swerved away from the window as I dodged the rays of piercing white light, an indicator that the breakfast cart was about to make its presence. What was for breakfast, I wondered while keeping my expectations quite low because United Airlines is quite sub-par when it comes to food. Indeed, a sad breakfast of a buttered croissant, strawberry yogurt, and juice on a tray was served and I instantly lost my appetite. I’m not generally a picky eater but the breakfast was heavy; full of carbs, fat, and plain sugar. Nonetheless, I managed to eat the croissant and drink some juice as I propped open my journal to scribble down my musings to pass time.

When the plane finally touched down at 11 PM, I was ecstatic to set foot in a new country and explore the architecture, culture, lifestyle, and most importantly, the food:) The day was bleak, windy, and 35 F without snow. The absence of snow lead to an assumption that it wasn’t very cold, but the windchill factor was crazy and I ran back into the airport to put on additional layers of clothing.

As I stood huddled in clothing in the near-empty and old airport, waves of fear ran through my body. It was Christmas Eve so everybody was huddled at home, my surroundings looked deserted, and I had absolutely no clue how to get around the city. And with a quick peak from outside, many homeless people lay on the streets, some yelling at others while newspaper clippings and plastic wrappers flew in the air from large gusts of winds. The desolate scene was quite intimidating, but the beauty of the infrastructure ensured me everything would be just fine. I purchased a Deutsche bahn (local train) day pass for only 6 Euros and hopped on and off at random stops to explore the city. All stores were closed and few people roamed the streets, but spectacular church steeples, the Main river, and Baroque and Renaissance architecture kept me intrigued.

I didn’t view globally famous destinations such as the Brandenburg gate or Neuschwanstein Castle, but the simplicity of strolling for free without hordes of tourists is one of the best ways to fathom a country. After many photos and thousands of steps were taken, I realized it was well past 3 PM and I had not eaten since the sad croissant from the flight. Ideally, a grocery store would be in sight so that I could purchase a sandwich or a meal, but nothing was open, so I hungrily hopped back onto the tram and rode to the “Frankfurt City Centre” as I supposed this stop was probably the main hub.

The City Centre was quite packed, and I was grateful to see a good amount of people, happily enjoying Christmas Eve with their families. Furthermore, some restaurants were open so that truly made me happy. The time was 3:20 PM when I decided I would have an early dinner so that I wouldn’t be hungry anymore. The very first restaurant I saw was Zum Standesamtchen, a cozy and warm restaurant, with a spiral staircase and all wooden furniture. The interior was quaint with very little space, but very welcoming. I was seated at a corner table underneath the spiral staircase, and it was after this dining experience that reminded me of the difference of dining cultures in Europe vs. America. One, water is never free. Two, tax is already included in the price. Three, sometimes tip is included in the price so I honestly never knew when to tip, but the waiter here semi-rudely made certain that I tipped him…

Despite the semi-rude waiter who probably made me tip excessively, I had a good time here. I must say, Germany is not known for its food and that was certainly evident. We were served 3 entrees and everything was meat and potatoes and not a single trace of a vegetable besides the miniature side salad that accompanied the Schnitzel. Salty, meaty, and carby, my heart was warm and my stomach was full after consuming their Schnitzel with green sauce (a local special), roast pork leg, and liver dumplings. I don’t think I have eaten so many potatoes in one day, but in a hungry moment, that was all I could eat besides meat. After ordering a bottle of water for 8 Euros and changing my mind before it even came, the waiter told me that he had already put it into the system and that he couldn’t change it. This was perhaps the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard, I ordered a drink, changed my mind after a minute, and was told that I’d have to pay for it anyways… Well it was Christmas Eve and I was in no mood to be in a grudge and so I paid for the meal, paid for the water, and paid for 25% tip. 25% seems rather excessive, but the waiter said I must tip 25% and he watched me calculate and write the tip on the receipt. I don’t know why he was scrutinizing me like that, but like I said, I was in no mood to be in a grudge. With a warm and happy heart, I walked several thousand more steps until the sun had set, with which I rode the tram back home. Tonight’s home was Moxy Hotel, one of my favorite hotel chains in Europe. I had previously stayed at the Moxy in Vienna and was extremely happy to return to the hip, colorful, and lively hotel. I then went to sleep early in preparation for tomorrow’s greater adventure.