July 11, 2022
Day 90: Markranstadt to Frankfurt Flughafen
The Leipzig main train station is claimed to be the largest in the world, by floor area. It's large, alright, but somehow Frankfurt and Paris seem like they should also be contenders. But one thing Leipzig also has is an integrated very large shopping mall. The thing about this mall in contrast to many others, it that the products, notably the food products, are right at the national top quality standard, at normal prices. That is, if you want some fine German chocolate, for example, this is as good a place as any to find it, and probably more convenient.
But who wants fine German chocolate? What kind of question is that! Steve, of course. But subject to two constraints. The first was that we scarcely had any luggage space, because we decided not to have any checked bags for the airlines to lose, and the carry-ons we do have are a lot smaller than the permitted size.
The second constraint is the grudging recognition that "you can't take it with you". The only way to continue to experience the pleasures of Germany and Europe is to stay here, or return soon. If it's food, it will just make you crazy to try to eat it all in one day, or stuff it all into a bag.
So those are noble words, above. But the fact was we had two hours to kick around before our train to Frankfurt. What better activity than to check out the chocolate on offer?
I am somehow not so keen on Lindt, so that left only Ritter, Halloren, Reber, and Viba to check out. With Ritter we always look for any new or unique flavours, Halloren is made nearby and features Birgit's favourite kugeln, Reber is a maker of Mozart Kugeln, maybe to replace or bolster the brands we bought in Salzburg and which all melted in the panniers, and Viba is another local manufacturer.
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We did manage to waddle to the platform, and said goodbye to Jurgen. We expect to see him again, in Canada, in September!
The ICE train ride to Frankfurt was really easy, despite being about 3 1/2 hours. On a train, compared to a plane, you have room and the chance to easily walk around, it makes a huge difference. You also have internet, and I used it to continue banging my head against the ArriveCan app, required for entry to Canada, and notorious for not working. For me, it never did work. It never even really tried - refusing to log me in despite all efforts.
We walked off the train at the airport station, naively believing that our hotel, The Park Inn, was "at the airport". We began by asking Deutsche Bahn information, and got sent in some general direction. But that general direction did not yield any "Park Inn this way" signs, though admittedly we did see Sheraton.
I suggested that we use the method that had guided us to our hotel on the 89 previous nights - put a pin in it on the GPS and go there. Well, the GPS could find no satellites from inside the airport, and our other one - that can fall back on the Mobile Data signal for location info -put us a couple of km away. Clearly we needed a shuttle, but where to get it?
When technology fails, Dodie likes to as - people! But we looked around, and contrary to what you might expect, we were alone!
Well at least we knew where the Sheraton was. We went there and asked, and a helpful employee had a crack at pointing out a general shuttle loading area.
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We found some kind of shuttle, and the driver suggested we ask some nearby Deutsche Bahn people, but they had no idea, and fingered another shuttle driver.
I got the idea of phoning the hotel to ask them where to go. Dodie pulled out our Booking document to get the phone number, and on that paper in black and white was written that the shuttle had been discontinued due to COVID. As true Grampies, we picked up our heavy bags and began to trudge in the direction shown by the GPS.
As we passed some taxis, I got my second idea and asked Dodie "Are you willing to pay, say 10 euros, to put an end to this?" I asked a taxi driver if he had ever heard of the Park Inn, and if yes, how much. "10 euros". "Sold!"
It turned out that even with Grampie stubbornness there was no way we were going to walk there, because the way is blocked by a rat's nest of highways. At the check-in desk for the hotel, the clerk challenged my ID, saying the Booking was for "Steve" and I appeared to be "Stephen". I had actually already read this one in a Bill Bryson travel book - that's Bill, eh, not William. But I was not amused, and when (after graciously deciding to let me get away with my "Steve" scam - based on Dodie promising to report on whether Steve or Stephen got into the bed tonight) she chirped the standard "How was your trip?", I replied "Rotten", "because you have cancelled your shuttle". "If COVID can stop your shuttle, how can I get in a taxi or onto a plane?" This elegant logic was completely over the head of the woman, and it was without sarcasm or irony that she advised - "Take the S-Bahn, there is a station nearby."
We have set our clock for 4 a.m. Time to find a taxi and then to see if the advertised airport chaos is all true. With any luck, we'll be fighting with an ArriveCan official in Vancouver in no time!
What gave Meaning to Life, today? Thinking of my brother Harold. It's his birthday today. He has carefully been following this blog all along.
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