Back to Frankfurt

Germany: Main River Tour – More Sightseeing in Frankfurt (Wed 31st May 2017)

Weather: 14⁰C min – 24⁰C max, partly cloudy

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“Joy in looking and comprehending is nature’s most beautiful gift” ~ Albert Einstein

Finishing my usual breakfast of baguette and cappuccino at the Bäckerei down the street at around 9 am it was too early to go to the Mannheim hauptbahnhof to catch my 10:49 am train back to Frankfurt. To fill in time I sat on a bench next to the famous water tower in the delightful town square, enjoying the sunshine on the last day of spring. For something to do I lay my bike down on the lawn, then removed and cleaned my brakes and rims which were in a bad condition after riding in the storm yesterday. Then I just sat there watching all the cyclists streaming by on their way to work. How I must stand out in my colourful cycling gear and helmet, because all the other riders were in street clothes and without a helmet!

After leaving my panniers at the AirBNB it was time to do some more exploration of Frankfurt. This time I headed to the interesting looking PalmenGarten area. From my limited knowledge of German my reading of the sign at the entrance was that bikes were not welcome in the gardens, so I continued on in the direction of the Museum for Modern Art. Actually I didn’t make it inside this venue either because I found an irresistible gelato shop where I enjoyed a two-flavour cone (not five scoops like yesterday).

I saw a different side to Frankfurt this afternoon than what I saw on Sunday. Frankfurt is a really a very appealing city, with some fine architecture, modern shopping centre, great cafes and restaurants, and beautiful tree-lined boulevards. And cycling around a city that has marked cycle lanes or segregated bike paths along every street is an Australian cyclist’s idea of paradise. Yes, this is a city I could live in quite happily!

Enough of the tourist stuff, it is time I got to work doing what I like most … serious riding. So tomorrow will be the first of seven days cycling that will get me to Bamberg, followed by three more rest days in Berlin!