Frankfurt, Germany
In my eight years in Europe, Iris and I have never been to any German cities. The only exception was when we visited Strasbourg and had to stay in a small German town called Kehl, just across the river, because it was cheaper. But I don’t think that really counts. We’ve always wanted to go to Berlin or Munich, but it was never a priority.
When I heard that two of my longtime college friends, Dexter and Lotlot, had moved to Frankfurt, we planned a weekend trip to visit them. The trip was convenient, thanks to a direct train from Paris to Frankfurt.
I didn’t expect much from Frankfurt, except maybe beers and sausages. Back in the Philippines, I’d always heard of Frankfurters or Frankfurt sausages. The keyword here is “heard,” because I couldn’t afford them back then. This time, though, we made sure to try them at the public market. I’m more of an Asian soup kind of guy, but it didn’t disappoint.
The city is relatively small and far less crowded than Paris. The European Central Bank is located in Frankfurt, so I guess if you’re not a banker, you might think there’s no reason to go there. 😀 But I actually liked it. It has both the city vibes and the calmness of the countryside—at least from my three-day, two-night impression. 😛
We did the usual things: walked around the old town, strolled along the shopping street, browsed the public market, and wandered by the river—the typical European city layout. But the highlight of the trip was seeing longtime friends again. We graduated from college 16 years ago and had only seen each other once since then, about 10 years ago. It felt so good to reminisce about all those college antics—attending classes drunk, talking trash about professors behind their backs, getting kicked out of the boarding house because someone (very drunk) pulled off a Pacquiao combo and KO’d the landlady’s banana tree, while another puked on the terrace, unleashing all the undigested instant noodles. It’s unbelievable that those crazy things, which seemed so stupid back then, are now hilarious memories. Damn, we’re old.
Anyway, it’s always nice to stay in touch with good friends and reflect on how far we’ve come. It feels even more special when you realize it’s been so long since you’ve had that much fun—and that many sleepless nights racing to meet last-minute deadlines and cram for unprepared exams. Damn, we’re old.
