As I had mentioned, there were a decent number of seats to Frankfurt from Malta, so Lufthansa actually let us pick our seats during online check-in. I chose an exit row that had just two seats in the row. Getting away from people for a bit is underrated.
The breakfast buffet on the roof was a fiasco. There weren’t even that many people in the grand scheme of things, but the hotel staff insisted on giving us each an individual tour of the offerings, which then blocked the food for about two minutes per “tour.” Signage could go a long way to remedy this issue. It was such a battle to even look at the food, that all I somehow ended up with was a slice of marble cake. I panicked! We ended up going down the street to the local SPAR market, which was equally as chaotic, but at least we could get some normal pastries. Why aren’t pastries ever offered? It’s what the people demand! They don’t want cold cuts that have been sitting out for who knows how long! Sigh.
After finishing our packing, we sent for a Bolt and were soon on our way to the airport. It was a relatively quick 15 minute ride despite the driver encountering an unexpected road closure. It’s good to know this fun little Maltese surprise happens to even the most seasoned of drivers. Check-in was relatively painless and security was efficient. We emptied into a busy Duty Free store that emptied into an even busier terminal. We immediately took the stairs to LaVallette, a priority pass lounge. Its own buffet was crowded with people contemplating cold cuts. We sat outside in what was technically a smoking section, but why should they get the nicest terrace seating?
What sounded like anti-aircraft guns went off throughout the entire time we sat outside. We could see little puffs of smoke in the air occasionally. It’s the kind of thing that doesn’t quite seem right near an airport. We snacked, booked a hotel in Mainz — just outside Frankfurt, and had some beverages as we awaited the arrival of our slightly delayed aircraft. As we saw the Lufthansa A321 pull up and park, we slowly made our way down to a terminal that had become even more chaotic.
We boarded a bus, and ultimately took our special emergency exit seats in row 26. Shortly thereafter we were airborne. Two and a half hours later we were descending through turbulence into Frankfurt Am Main Flughafen. We parked at a hard stand, which meant we had to board another bus. What’s a girl have to do to get a jetbridge on this trip? Mercifully, the bus dropped us off directly at baggage claim and our bags were the first to come off the carousel. Perhaps the crew tags helped us. Rather than spend 50 Euro for an Uber or Bolt, we bought a couple of regional train tickets for 1/4 of that price. 20 minutes later we were arriving in Mainz and walked for about 15 minutes to the Hilton.
We were upgraded to a river view, and then moved to another river view room because there was a clear spot of dried tinkle on the toilet seat. Nicole may have been downgraded from Hilton Diamond to Gold status, but this golden stain on the toilet was taking it too far! Rain showers passed through the area, but as we ventured outside they had mostly stopped. Since my lunch was mostly desserts scavenged from the club, I was quite hungry. There was an unassuming couple of stalls on the Mainz Strand where we grabbed a bratwurst and a pretzel. For the first time in Germany, I feel like I finally got something that at least resembled the quality of German bratwursts you would expect to find anywhere in Wisconsin.
We then wandered the streets for a spell, eventually making our way to what appeared to be a backlot for a quaint German village. Being Sunday, a fair amount of restaurants were closed, but we eventually wound our way to one called Zum Goldstein. Having ordered my bratwurst in German and understanding that the lady asked if I wanted mustard earlier, I was feeling quite confident when I asked for a table outside for two at the Zum Goldstein. What was said in response was baffling detailed and long, and then the hostess walked away. Nicole said, “Now you’ve gotten yourself into a pickle.” She later was able to clarify that there were a few tables unprotected by umbrellas, but we could eat at them if we felt confident that it wasn’t going to rain. Duo will be disappointed in me.
Since I already had a brat and Nicole had eaten a pretzel, we managed to split a plate with two schnitzels. I washed it down with an excellent Paulaner Dunkel. Very creamy and delicious. Though others were having the Hefeweizens and summery ales, it is most certainly dunkel weather. We were shivering despite it being June. Germany is always a wildcard with its weather. This didn’t stop the outside area from filling up to capacity shortly after I took the above picture.
We walked back to the Hilton as the sun was slowly setting in the distance to warm up and prepare ourselves for a long travel day tomorrow. Our original flight plan has already changed. Typical. I am hesitant to even say which airport we are going to try and fly to because I’m about to make my third separate listing of the day. A United flight with 130 seats now shows us barely getting on because they changed the plane. You would think a slowdown in travel to and from the U.S. would make standby easier, but this results in canceled flights and downsized aircraft causing last minute heartbreak for the likes of us. Wish us luck.
passports & pepto bismol 