Leaving for trip tomorrow-won’t be posting for 5 weeks

Yes, I do know about the public holiday on Thursday, but just found out about it 2 weeks ago. I’ve been planning this trip for a year, and somehow checking holidays just slipped my mind. We are flying into Frankfurt and immediately taking the train to Mainz where we will be staying for the first 2 days. Both of us were very keen to see the Gutenberg museum, but almost certainly it will be closed on Thursday, our first full day in Germany and our last full day in Mainz.

Thanks to the new airline trends of switching your plane tickets around even after you have booked them, instead of arriving in Germany in the morning it’ll be closer to 4 pm by the time we get to our hotel. Ah well, you’ve got to expect a few curve balls during travel and learn to pivot and adjust plans, right?

Thanks for all the well wishes for this trip. I’m beyond excited to get back to Germany, eat the food I love and have my mother tongue come back to me a bit more each day so by the time I leave I can speak German again.

Regarding the rain-I am all prepared with a rain jacket, gore-Tex pants and waterproof Dansko sneakers. As the Germans say there is no bad weather, just improper clothing .

By the way Sueg, I only have one day in Munich planned, but if you have the time would you like to possibly meet for coffee or a beer? I’ll be in Munich on May 30th. PM me and we can go from there.

Yes, I have the next two holidays you mentioned written down in my traveling notes.

Regarding the Gutenberg museum: There is a chance we could see it on Friday morning (we are meant to leave that morning to journey by train to Rothenburg OdT), if we can get the hotel to hold our bags for a couple of hours, and then get on the train a couple of hours late. Will have to play all of this by ear.

DH and I both love books so seeing that museum was something we were both looking forward to. But it also means getting to Rothenburg later in the day and we only have 2 days there ( well, a day and a half) and it is such a special place. DH is also a photographer-he’s going to love it there. I know I did 7 years ago.

     How exciting! Will this be the first time you've been back? Where were you born?  I was born in Wurzburg and my sister was born in Frankfurt.  My Mom is German and my father is American, but was taught German by the Army Language Institute so we only spoke German at home until we moved to the USA when I was 6 years old. I've been back off and on to visit my Oma but she passed away 20 years ago.  7 years ago was the first time I went back strictly on a sightseeing tour (not to see relatives) and it was the best trip of my life-2 weeks solo journey around Bavaria. 

I'm not doing a traditional Rhine River cruise of several days this time, but I will be spending many days in that area hopping from town to town via the trains. I am taking a day cruise on the Rhine river.