We are winding down our visit to Frankfurt with a late breakfast after sleeping until 9:30. It’s been a great hotel to stay at, with a nice breakfast and so close to everything.
We decided to go to the Jewish Museum today. It was fascinating. It is housed in the Rothschild Palace.
The Rothschild family was a prominent Jewish family in Frankfurt and a lot of the museum is about the family.
There was also an exhibition on Anne Frank and many religious Jewish items.
The Jewish Cemetery was closed today because it is Saturday, the Sabbath.
After the museum, we headed back to our hotel to start packing. I always hate this.
We ate dinner at the hotel. I had Wiener schnitzel and Bruce had mushroom ravioli.
We are going to bed early so we can catch our 9:50 train to Munich.
Today we decided to brave the train station and head to Heidelberg.
Although we hustled to catch our train, we missed it anyway. It changed tracks without our knowing. Some nice lady at the ticket booth helped us with our tickets and we were on our way.
When we arrived in Heidelberg we had to take bus 20 to the castle. However, we ended up on bus 20 going the wrong way. It was a comedy of errors in 90-degree heat. I’m glad we didn’t become too frazzled. We eventually made our way to the ticket booth and funicular which took us to Heidelberg Castle.
It was a little train that took you up to the castle. You can walk up and down but the funicular is easier.
Some parts of Heidelberg Castle were built prior to 1214 and served as a palace and fortress before it was ruined in the late 17th century.
There are still magnificent sculptures adorning the castle. However, these are high-quality all-weather replicas. The original statues are inside the building.
We visited the wine cellar which housed the Heidelberg Tun, the largest oak wine barrel in the world.
The German Apothecary Museum inside Heidelberg Castle provides ancient to present pharmacological insights.
And Jesus as a pharmacist. It was a pretty interesting museum as part of Heidelberg Castle.
We saw panoramic views of the Neckar River and Old Town.
It was an interesting castle and we enjoyed it for a price of 11 euros each.
We took the funicular back down and strolled through old town. We could see the castle from below.
And a cathedral in the town.
Afterwards, we made it back to the train station and caught the train back to Frankfurt. I slept a bit during the ride.
We found a nice little Italian restaurant, Bacco Pizzeria and Restaurant. We shared a pizza and a caprese salad. Perfect. It was really good pizza.
It’s late now so off to bed. Our feet are tired. Another 5.5 miles today!
We had such a busy day yesterday for our first day in Frankfurt. We walked about 5 miles and slept about 4 hours. What we didn’t expect was to feel the jet lag on day two.
We struggled to wake up but finally got up and went to breakfast at 10 am. All I really wanted was coffee though. Breakfast at the Steigenberger Frankfurter Hof is served indoors and outdoors. We opted for the outdoors.
Our hotel is on the edge of Old Town and the thriving financial metropolis. Our hotel is an historic building surrounded by high-rises.
After breakfast and a quick shower, we went out and about in Frankfurt.
We visited St. Catherine’s church which is an Evangelical church built between 1678 and 1681.
We strolled through a farmers’ market. They sold fruits, vegetables, and wine.
As we strolled, we rested in the little parks scattered around the area. Church bells chimed, it seemed, every hour. Musicians sang and played instruments. One young man even had an upright piano.
Our next stop was the Cathedral of St. Bartholomew. It was interesting that the stained glass was plain.
We stopped for a little gelato and then at a cafe. I had a cappuccino and Bruce had an elderberry lemonade which was quite sour but refreshing.
We walked about 3-1/2 miles so we headed back to the hotel to rest and put our feet up. It’s much more difficult to walk this much in the heat and hot sun and we are from Florida! What do people do when they are from cooler climates?
For dinner, we went to this really huge mall with a food court on the top floor.
I had schnitzel again and Bruce had tomato soup.
We walked over 13,000 steps today which was over 5 miles. A lovely walk with beautiful architecture, although we were on the warm side.
Even with the lie-flat beds in Business class on Lufthansa, we still weren’t able to get more than an hour’s shuteye.
We arrived in Frankfurt at 7 am with a long haul to border patrol and baggage. At times like this, I wish we had asked for wheelchairs.
We took our time and made it out of the airport. It was easy to find a taxi.
We arrived by 9 am at the Steigenberger Frankfurter HOF.
I booked the hotel for four nights through my American Express Platinum card. It was $750 for 4 nights. I received a $300 credit from Amex. In addition, we received a $100 hotel expense credit, free breakfast which is usually $46 per person, and a room upgrade. It wasn’t a suite but it is very nice.
Also, early check-in which usually isn’t until noon. We fell asleep for a few hours and then went for a stroll through Frankfurt’s Old Town.
We visited St. Paul’s Church which was bombed during the war and rebuilt.
We stopped at Cafe Karin for a cappuccino and apple strudel.
We took a sightseeing river cruise on the Main, which was very relaxing.
It was a lovely trip and a great way to see Frankfurt from the water. Tickets for the 100-minute ride were 39 euros for both of us.
We stopped at My Frankfurt for dinner. I had sausage and Bruce had schnitzel. We each had two pieces so we shared.
Now to bed and hopefully we will take a train to Heidelberg tomorrow.
Travel day is always a little rushed and a bit nerve-racking. We don’t want to forget important stuff like our passports, money, device chargers, and cellphones.
I have our entire trip including flights, hotels, and booked excursions on Tripit. It’s a great little app that keeps me organized.
Going through security at PBI or DJT, was a breeze. After we passed through security, we were able to access the Escape Lounge using my American Express Platinum card. One of the many benefits of that card.
We booked a mixed flight with points. That means our trip from Florida to Newark is economy on United Airlines and our flight on Lufthansa from Newark to Frankfurt, Germany is business class. The flight cost 70,000 points each and $158 CA total. I would hate to be on this plane for the TA.
We spent a few hours in the Lufthansa Lounge which was very quiet at first. It eventually filled up with a surprising number of families with young children.
We had lunch in the lounge and plenty of coffee and water. For those who drink alcohol, lounges are great for free booze.
We just boarded our plane and headed to business class.
This plane even has an upstairs.
So to get these flight deals, I build my points with Chase, American Express, and Capital One. For this particular flight, I used Chase points transferred to Air Canada. I don’t necessarily book with points directly with the airline I fly. I usually use fewer points this way!
I learned this through a group called 10X Travel. They have a free workbook online that teaches you all the pointers on traveling using points.
When you’re traveling for three weeks and getting on trains, it’s important not to overload the luggage.
For my husband’s and my trip, we are packing a large suitcase to be checked and a carry-on. In addition, my husband has a backpack and I have a bag that attaches to the wheeled carry-on.
I use packing cubes to consolidate the clothing. I put one with clothes for our first stop in Frankfurt, Germany. The checked bag will have the bulk of clothes, shoes, hiking sticks, and liquid items.
I’m hoping to do laundry about 12 days in, so I don’t have to bring 3 weeks’ worth of underwear. We will be on a Royal Caribbean ship and I believe I will get a discount for my Diamond status.
But packing lightly for a 3-week trip is quite a challenge. Our bags are stuffed and my checked bag was close to the 50lb limit.
I live in Delray Beach, a small, quiet seaside town with phenomenal restaurants, a fun and friendly atmosphere, and beautiful beaches.
But a few miles west of the beach, the Wakodahatchee Wetlands is a sanctuary for birds, alligators, and iguanas.
There’s a lovely boardwalk to stroll through the wetlands and keep you safe from some of the critters.
It’s free to all and there is plenty of parking as well as restrooms. There are also benches to sit on if you need a rest or are watching the birds nesting.
So if you happen to be in Delray Beach, Wakodahatchee is a great little gem to visit.
The last time we were in Roatan, I fractured my thumb. Ouch. It left me feeling mildly nauseous so we didn’t venture further than the port.
Today we hired M&J Tours with our driver, Kurt. He has only been working as a tour guide for a few months, but he was informative and fun to hang with. The tour cost $55 per person plus tips.
We had a tour of the countryside as we headed to the sloth and monkey sanctuary. We passed a giant solar farm.
At the sanctuary, we first met a few of the macaws. We were even given some seeds to feed them.
Next we met the monkeys. He loved Bruce’s hat.
And last but not least, the sloths. People are no longer able to hold them since it was causing them health issues.
Instead of the beach, Kurt took us to Bad Ass Java for coffee. It was a great spot on the mountain.
Here are some of the lovely sites we saw along the way.
We ate at a gas station with the locals. I had shrimp, plantains and rice.
Bruce had bean soup. It had a whole boiled egg in it.
We were on this ship in 2018 on a Transatlantic where we disembarked in Copenhagen.
We spent some time in the Piazza listening to music and watching the production cast perform.
Dinner was ok. Princess doesn’t have escargot on the menu every night, so I had shrimp cocktail.
We played in the casino a bit and are ahead, which is nice.
We were both very tired, so we went to our cabin and watched an old movie. That’s one thing Princess does well. They have a lot of movies if you want to chill in your cabin.
We had a sea day yesterday and spent the morning at a presentation about our ports, then went to the gym. It was much more crowded, but I was able to do weights and the treadmill.
I ate more beef for lunch and a tiny salad. I’m working hard not to gain weight on this cruise. They say the average person gains about 7-8 lbs. on a 7-day cruise.
We met up with friends for coffee and then dressed for the formal night. Even on Princess, there is very little dressing up. I had escargot, which Princess has on formal nights.
Today we woke early to go to Nachi Cocom Beach Resort. It was a beautiful day out on our balcony.
We took a taxi to the resort, which was easy to find, for $20 each way.
For $79 each, there was an open bar and food. I had a virgin pina colada, and there were four courses to the lunch. I had chicken, and Bruce had guacamole.
The beach was lovely, and we spent time under a palapa.
There were kayaks to rent, and people went parasailing.
I accidentally stepped on a sea urchin and have some of its spines in my foot. It hurts a bit, but hopefully it doesn’t get infected.
Now we are leaving Cozumel for Belize! Its been a relaxing cruise.
