Diary of John's visit

Thursday, 22 December

Zeil Frankfurt

Zeil Frankfurt

John arrived to visit us on Thursday morning.  We were so excited to see him that we actually got to the airport an  hour earlier than necessary - and then, of course, the plane was 45 minutes late!  We stood outside the baggage/customs area for the entire time, waiting impatiently for the display board to register that the flight had arrived, then waited another 20 minutes it to taxi, pull up to the gate and unload passengers; who then had to make their way through baggage and customs.  As the time went along, we moved from the center of the waiting area, to the barriers by the doors.  Each time the doors would open to allow someone out, we would strain to see in, trying to catch a glimpse of John at the luggage carousel, or walking toward the door.  After a while, we did indeed see him, and we were thrilled!  He eventually looked out the door during one of those fleeting moments when it was open, and saw us - he told us later he was so relieved - he had realized that he did not have cell phone service in Germany - and he didn't have our phone number even if he had!  But we were there waiting.

Zeil, Frankfurt

After picking him up, we made our way to downtown Frankfurt.  It is a beautiful modern city.  Frankfurt is the "Wall Street" of Europe, the home of the European Central Bank, many businesses and financial firms are located there.  We went to a downtown shopping district, including a visit to the Zeil - which is an 8-floor, glass mall with an incredible interior and exterior design.  We also visited some other stores in the downtown district, and then walked to the Weinhachtsmarkt.  The Frankfurt Markt leads to the Alt-Stadt - or old city district, where we were able to show John some of the flavor of the centuries old German city center - which has been rebuilt after the destruction of World War II.  We had some seasonal food and drink, including currywurst (Carol's favorite), bratwurst and Lentil soup.  By that time, John was feeling the effects of jet lag, so we made our way home. 

That evening, we had our Bible Study group over to our home for a light Christmas gathering.  Most of the group was traveling for the holidays, but it was a real blessing to gather with those of the group who were still in town.   

Darmstadt Weihnachtsmarkt

 
Friday, 23 December
John slept in to help recover from jet lag, and we took it kind of easy.  In the evening, we made our way to the Darmstadt Weihnachtsmarkt, since it was the last night of the event.  We walked through the palace, the city Marktplatz, saw the food, drink and craft booths, had some food and drink, listened to music, and made our way back home.  All of this was done in a light, cold drizzle.

Saturday 24 December.
We took a walk to a park just a few blocks south of our apartment called Prince Emil's Garten (opened 1772).  It has a small palace (the locals call it a Scholossshen - which means "baby palace").  It has a nice walking area, pond, gazebo, children's and playgrounds.  It also has two California Giant Sequoias that were planted here in the 19th Century.  From there we walked to the Orangerie, an 18th Century royal garden that includes tropical orange and palm trees during the summer.  They are safely stored away in a greenhouse during the winter, but the grounds are beautiful nonetheless.  From there, we walked to the local McDonald's, where John had a taste of home...That evening we drove over to Ramstein for their Christmas Eve service, followed by a party at friends home.  The two services there had over 500 people at them, and the party afterward was a great time with friends we met last year.  All in all, a busy Christmas Eve!

Sunday 25 December

Christmas Eve at Frontline Community in Ramstein

We attended church on Christmas morning at Immanuel International Baptist Church in Wiesbaden.  It was a beautiful and meaningful.  The children did a wonderful job of presenting the Christmas story, the praise team and Pastor Mason Smith did a great job.  We made our way back to Darmstadt, shared a meal and made phone calls to family back in the US, and watched some US Football on the TV.