Frankfurt, Germany

I guess i should rewind a little bit... I never even mentioned anything about London! It was too bad i was only really there for 1 full day because i'm sure there was so much more that i didn't even get to see. Steve's friend Dave toured me around all day to all the typical sights. We walked through this park and it was a beautiful day! Nice and sunny just like i asked for. As we're leaving the park we can hear all this music and see crowds of people in front of and behind these huge gates. Then it clicks in that we're at Buckinham Palace! I guess i didn't really expect that it would be right in the middle of the city with a huge public park just a short walk from the front gate. We had amazing luck because we arrived just in time for the changing of the guards! Dave didn't know what it was supposed to happen but it was pretty cool to see. So elaborate and intense! The outfits were all exactly what i expected to see. Perfect, red, with gold buttons being worn by serious men with excellent posture. After that we walked through another park on another side with a pond and a bunch of birds. Geese, pigeons, ducks, swans, and pelicans. Yuck! I don't know what it is with England and their birds! After that i saw Big Ben and Westminster Abbey. I got my picture taken with a guard... i guess did all the normal touristy things. Then we went to Covent Garden which basically just had a bunch of shops and buskers. We watched this one really great Charlie Chaplin immitator. At night we went to a comedy show in town. It was free but they took donations. I guess it's just what a bunch of comics do to test out their material on an audience. They were all actually pretty good! Then it was off to bed pretty early so i could wake up at 4 in the morning to get to the airport for my flight to Germany. I liked London alot better than i thought i would. I thought it was clean and beautiful. I also liked how it seemed as if i only have to walk a few  minutes in any direction and it felt as if i'm in a whole new city. All the buildings are unique and seem so much more extravagant than anything i'd see at home.

So, Germany so far? I've learned that you can smoke, drink, and bring your dog anywhere you want. I have also learned that i will most likely be about 20 pounds heavier when i get home because i haven't stopped eating since i got here. Sausage, gelato, schnitzel... or anything that i can't pronounce. If it looks good i'm going to eat it! Yesterday we went to a market on the street that kind of reminded me of St. Jacobs except it was stictly German food. Natalie and I kept asking people what they were eating and ordering it for ourselves. We had these potatoes that were served with a green sauce that's Frankfurt's specialty. It had yogurt, egg, and a bunch of herbs and was delicious! We also tried this flat waffle that had a chocolate and caramel sauce all over it. As well... mayo goes on everything! I don't know how i haven't seen more obese people in this country. It's probably a good thing that i'm only here for 12 days because none of my clothes will fit me.

When we were exploring Frankfurt one afternoon we were walking along the sidewalk and started to hear this techno music that kept getting louder.  We finally figured out that it was coming from this box on the side of the street. Probably 14 feet by 10 with a sign on top that said U-Bar. No one else walking by seemed to notice or really care but I obviously got my camera out to take a picture. Just the strangest thing! We couldn't believe that there was a bar on the sidewalk with people probably just partying like crazy on the inside at about 2:30 in the afternoon.

Not even a block away there was another box in the middle of the sidewalk. It was much smaller and covered in shiny silver reflective plastic. We saw this group of about 5 guys walk in then break out into laughter. So Nat and I got very curious and wanted to find out what was in this mystery box that was so funny! We waited outside until the boys left and peeked our heads in... and with much disappointment and confusion discovered it was empty. Not too sure what that was about or what the point of them are but we saw more than one around the town!

That's all i've had a chance to write so far... next i have tons to tell about Munich and my visit to the Dachau concentration camp and my trip to Berlin and visiting the wall!