More exploring around the Altstadt and Kirshgarten area. Wonderful food markets in main square, again so well priced in comparison to Australia. We also enter the Kaiserdom for the first time, the Romanesque cathedral that dates back to the 11th century. Very dark space but beautiful Art. Unfortunately for us, no English translations for historical information, something we have experienced regularly in our German travels to date. We explore the prospect of a Rhi...

Beautiful sunrise over the Rhine at 730am precedes another day of strolling around Mainz and the Yesterday, as it was Sunday, nothing was open other than the eating houses, so today, our keen shopping eyes are very active. Currently having cappuccinos and cremeschnitt, a very tasty apple cake. Rest of day spent in shopping areas in and around the altstadt area.

After a disturbed sleep caused by a constant stream of street noise, we leave Frankfurt and catch the train to Mainz: ICE Inter city express, 10 Euro each, expensive, considering Mainz is only 40 minutes from Frankfurt. Jesse meets us at the station and helps us locate our motel, the Mainzer Hof, which is situated directly opposite the Rhine River. Having had Jesse to meet us in both Frankfurt and Mainz has been a Godsend, really helping us with orientation, t...

6/10/12 My god. We have slept in to 910 am. After a fantastic continental breakfast, we walk extensively around Frankfurt city for a few hours before deciding to take a 100 minute ferry trip up and down the Main River. All I can say is that I wouldn't recommend to anyone. The few hundred metres on either said of the berthing point is attractive, but beyond that on either side, all you see are industrial buildings, chimney stacks, cement works etc etc. Jess texts ...

5/10/12 arrive Frankfurt Airport 610 pm German time. Reasonably easy exit through immigration. Use my Italian passport for the first time. Wow, straight through the EU immigration counter whilst the rest have to do the push and shove with a few hundred Koreans. Jesse has caught the train from Mainz to meet us at the Airport. AWESOME!!!!!He then guides us from Airport by bus and train to Frankfurt am Main, the city train station. With the aid of smart phone Googl...