Our family had to take separate vacations this year. While my husband and son went to Sardinia, our daughter and I opted for a completely different type of vacation.

Theirs, on Sardinia, is in a self-catering vacation apartment. To get around the island, my husband booked a rental car.

Margo and I enjoy All-inclusive this year, with a paid driver on the side.

On Sardinia, the temperature is a decent 27° (80 F). Where we are, the temp is hovering at 35° (95 F) for today, with 38° C – 40°C (100 F – 104 F) in the forecast for tomorrow. We have a nice view onto a beautiful park stacked with flowers and lounge chairs. There is an in-door pool and we are getting spoiled by room service versus the regular line-up at the buffet.

The staff is very kind and it makes me wonder if they had to go through a U.S. American customer-service training. We are being greeted every time we step in and out of the elevator. Doors are being held open for us. Special requests are delivered promptly.

And – I have never met so many men in my life. This place is just swarming with guys, suntanned from their extended stays. Margo has her own room boy, who takes her out for leisurely strolls.

In the hallway, there is a special room with only an ice-machine in it. We can help ourselves to ice at any time!

The other guests are extremely nice and kind, too. We open each others doors  as the staff is setting a supreme example. Meeting new guests is made very easy and we freely talk about how we ended up in this location.

We arrived by car. Special guests arrive by helicopter.

80% of the guests are male, ranging from young men to senior citizens. Everybody is so kind and helpful – I doubt it could be any better in a 5-star hotel.

Curious now  where we are spending our vacation?

We are having a lovely time at the Berufsgenossenschaftliche Unfallklinik (BGU) a.k.a. Workmen’s Emergency Clinic in Frankfurt.

Due to our daughter’s injury at school three days before the planned family holiday, we ended up here.

By the way, her knee surgery (avulsion fracture, torn ligaments) went well and we just learned we are booked for another five days with the ever remaining option for another extension.

No one realizes how beautiful it is to travel until he comes home and rests his head on his old, familiar pillow.

- Lin Yutang -

Come summer time weather, Germans are out and about, if the weather allows it. The country is full of Biergartens with people eating and drinking.

As my Heimat is Bavaria, this might explain my aversion to Apfelwein (a.k. as Eppelwoi and Äppelwoi). I try this wine every few years, but I still don’t care for it.

Äppelwoi (apple wine) in Hesse

The drink itself looks delicious on a hot summer evening. This is a 0.5 l glass (one pint), but many Germans will turn this into a Gespritzter (apple wine diluted with mineral water).

Bread dumplings with chanterelle

I had ordered this dish called Semmelknödel mit Pfifferlingen. It looked very fancy with this herbal decoration, but the food quality itself was average. The Gasthaus seems to get good reviews, though. Service was very good and quick.

If you are in the Frankfurt area, you might enjoy visiting this guesthouse Land Gasthaus Zur Sonne located in Oberursel/Stierstadt.

View onto Frankfurt

On a clear day, you can also make out the skyline while sitting outside drinking German style.

All journeys have secret destinations of which the traveler is unaware.

- Martin Buber -

(German Jewish biblical translator, philosopher and interpreter)

Among the photos, taken by our daughter, in Sicily (April 2010), I found this to be the most striking and representative of the Sicilian dress style.

(with friendly permission from the photographer, Margo Shipley)