Thanksgiving in Mainz
Thanksgiving Day: After ditching all of the turkey roasting responsibilities this year (no baking, no rolls, no pies, but also no leftovers . . .), we drove to Milan mid-morning to catch an afternoon flight up to Frankfurt. We lucked out and had an empty seat in our row on the plane, which is always a nice bonus.
The flight from Milan to Frankfurt is just a short 1 hour, 15 minute one. We flew over Lake Como and the Italian-Swiss Alps along the way, with scenery that is always so incredible.
Video as we took off from Milan-Linate Airport (17 seconds)
This airport is on the eastern outskirts of Milan, so you're not actually seeing the city of Milan in the video.
I looked on their website and these "NapCabs" are available in the Frankfurt, Berlin, Munich, and Stuttgart Airports. During the day, from 0600 to 2200, you pay 17 euros per hour, with a minimum of 2 hours. During the night, from 2200 to 0600, you pay 12 euros per hour, with a minimum of 2 hours.
We got our rental car, a Ford Focus station wagon with all the bells and whistles. The seats were plush with bun-warmers, for example. And there was a heated steering wheel that Scott really enjoyed. We drove approximately 45 minutes west to get to Mainz (pronounced like Mynz or Mines).
We got our rental car, a Ford Focus station wagon with all the bells and whistles. The seats were plush with bun-warmers, for example. And there was a heated steering wheel that Scott really enjoyed. We drove approximately 45 minutes west to get to Mainz (pronounced like Mynz or Mines).
We had some pretty hefty problems that evening, though . . .
First, we couldn't find the actual building for our AirBnB. The host had shared a pin for the location, but all it ended up being was a spot in the middle of an intersection. We had no idea which building it was, and there really wasn't a good description of it or photos for reference, either. So we found a place to park and then we started walking around trying to find it, while dragging our luggage along with us.
Once we located what appeared to be the right building, we followed the directions to access the lockbox where the apartment key was supposed to be inside. Only the lockbox was empty. We tried reaching out to the host multiple times, even calling him, but to no avail.
Scott suggested we hike up to the apartment on the top floor, just in case there might be an additional lockbox with a key up there. I was wary of hauling our luggage all the way up there, but Mr. Muscles hefted our heavier suitcase all the way up to the 5th floor, pausing occasionally to catch his breath. (No, there was no elevator in the building.)
After an hour of trying to reach our host without success, I then reached out to AirBnB for help. They assured me that they would try to reach our host as well, and they would check back in with me from time to time during the process.
After another hour of not being able to get ahold of a key or anyone who could let us in, AirBnB initiated a full refund (plus an extra $80). They offered to help us find another place to stay, but we had already hopped onto Hotels.com and found something else closeby.
Scott then hauled that 45 lb. suitcase down 5 flights of stairs like the Hero that he is.
In some ways, it reminded me of the Paris France Temple because the temple is sort of tucked behind a few other buildings and isn't very visible from the street.
After settling into the new lodging, Hotel Schottenhof, we finally secured a pretty lame Thanksgiving meal at roughly 9:00 p.m. I opted for pizza, while Scott grabbed some kebab (always his favorite).
Black Friday: Our hotel was located in a great spot. It was across the street from the main train station, and there were restaurants galore to choose from, as well as several grocery stores. For that first morning, however, I opted to pay a few dollars to eat from the hotel's downstairs buffet.
Herbal tea, a banana, chia "yogurt", muesli, fruit yogurt, and a poached egg. The egg was runny and gross, so I abandoned it partway in.
Scott went on a little explore and found a McDonald's inside the train station for some "takeaway" breakfast.
After our tummies were happy, we drove about 50 minutes north to attend the Frankfurt Temple.
In the photo below, you can see a glass hallway of sorts. To the left is the Visitor Center. To the right is the Temple Patron Housing. If you go straight through, you'll end up in a little courtyard with the actual temple on the opposite side.
The Visitor Center . . .
Video of the temple courtyard, starting with the Visitor Center and ending with the temple on the left:
(21 seconds) https://photos.app.goo.gl/RhUGaiwFNF5vtrAXA
After our session was over (which was lovely - as always), we went next door into the Visitor Center. They have some interesting exhibits on display there, such as this original Book of Mormon (1830), another testament of Jesus Christ.
A first-edition German translated Book of Mormon (1852) . . .
Here is an overview of the campus of the Temple and its surrounding buildings and features . . .
Back in Mainz at the hotel, we walked over to one of the grocery stores in the train station. It's essentially a staff-free store, and it took me a couple minutes to figure out the self-checkout kiosk because they didn't have an option to change the language to English, ha ha.
But I learned what the chia-yogurt is actually called . . . it's Chia PORRIDGE. I was way off . . .
When we got there, she was so happy to see us both! She is always so expressive and over-the-moon when she opens the front door and we're standing there ready to scoop her up. Kylie was quick to explain the artwork that Avery attempted on her own face, ha ha. Apparently while Kylie was cooking up Thanksgiving dinner, Avery found a marker pen and decided to draw on herself. What a character. :)
The other gift was a book of easy pattern pages to learn how to safely and efficiently cut with scissors. It came with 2 pairs of safety scissors that were 100% plastic, with no metal edge whatsoever. It took some patience and practice for either of us to be able to use them correctly, lol.
One of the pages allowed us to make "Nachos". I helped Avery to cut out all of the triangle-shaped tortilla chips (by holding the paper while she cut) and then she arranged them on the plate with all the "dipping sauces" that were already part of the illustration. We cut out several other activity pages that evening and she loved them all.
Kylie did an amazing job with the food. The turkey was incredibly good - I would have to say it was definitely the star of the show. She had filled the cavity with lemons and herbs and onions, and then she injected flavors throughout the baking process. Also there was a good deal of butter involved.
Also, her ginormous macaroni and cheese casserole was fantastic!! She had added a nice crunchy breading on top and it was simply *chef's kiss*.
This 21 second video that I'm about to show you includes quite a bit of her personality.
1. If there is a room full of people laughing, she will crack up because she wants to join in.
2. Her attention span is short, so she then jumps to, "What do I want to do right now?"
3. She enjoys constant companionship and social interaction, so she asks, "Will you play with me?"
4. She saw someone take something off the table in front her her, spurring on a very offended look. But it's also very brief. She likes to be in charge of HER stuff.
5. She is a ham for photos 99% of the time, so once she figured out that I was "taking pictures", she quickly gave her best cheesy grin.
6. She ALWAYS wants to see the result of the photo immediately. So at the very end, she is reaching for my phone because she wants to see how it turned out.
Here it is: (21 seconds)
After dinner, I suggested we take Avery on a walk outside. The social scene was very loud with so many people there, and I could tell she needed a quiet break. It turned out to be a perfect little getaway. It was cold outside, but breathtakingly silent. There was a fine mist falling from the sky, too, but we could still see some stars up there.
Kylie had suggested a loop around the block, which we did, only Avery didn't want to walk at all so we took turns carrying her the entire way. However, she is not light as a feather . . . she weighs about 40 pounds. As soon as one of us was too fatigued to carry her, we'd switch off.
We all whispered to communicate during our entire walk. And a couple of times, Avery shushed us because she heard something and wanted to be able to identify it, ha ha. One of the sounds we heard was a donkey braying off in the distance.
We were quite surprised when, as we rounded the final bend of the loop, we saw a dairy farm!! It's just around the corner from their house!
Video of the cows: (18 seconds)
Shortly after the brief - but lovely - walk, it was time for us to hit the road. Avery was a little sad that we were leaving, but she always struggles with goodbyes. She clung to me for a long time, with her arms wrapped tightly around my neck as I held her tenderly and whispered promises of "We'll be back", and "I love you so much!"
Once we got back to Mainz and found a spot to park, we went for another walk before turning in for the night. We stopped inside the Lidl grocery store so Scott could grab something. The Germans sure do love their breads . . .
Saturday, November 29th: I chose McDonald's for breakfast, since I was in need of some protein. They did an okay job . . .
Around 9:30 a.m., we set off on a 15-minute walk to get to the Gutenberg Museum where we would be meeting our dear friends, Jeff and Sherry Haines. They are now serving their FIFTH mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints!! This time they are up in Kaiserslautern, Germany - their second German Mission.
I loved this cute little shop with colorful teapots in their front window that we saw on our way . . .
Hopefully you can see this cool bike in the photo below . . . zoom in if you need to. As we waited out front for the Haines to arrive, we saw this young father pull up on a bike that had two extra rear seats for his school-aged children to ride with him. There are so many family-friendly inventions that I've seen in Europe . . . I wish there were more options like this in the U.S.
The front lobby reminded me of the movie, "Night at the Museum" . . .
This sign explains the significance of the Gutenberg Museum . . . (I'll transcribe below)
"All around the world the name Gutenberg has become synonymous with the invention of letterpress printing using movable type. Until the mid-15th century, the duplication of texts was very complex. Copies were mostly made by hand, and the dissemination of written material was slow and expensive.
"Gutenberg's invention marks a turning point in human history. The new methods made texts and knowledge accessible to many people. This led to alphabetization as well as public opinion and decision-making - with significant social outcomes, such as Church reformations and Democratic movements.
"Gutenberg's legacy can still be recognized in Mainz today. At the Gutenberg Museum, visitors can experience not only Gutenberg's groundbreaking invention, but also the unique world of the book, printing, and writing arts.
"A new Gutenberg Museum is currently under construction at its historic location in the immediate vicinity of the Mainz Cathedral. Selected objects will be shown here, in the rooms of the former Poor Clares Monastery, until the new museum is completed."
FYI: Johannes Gutenberg was from the city of Mainz, Germany. In 1997, he was named as one of the most influential people of the second millenia because of his invention (Time Life).
There are also numerous memorials and statues of him around the world:
~ Statues of him across Germany in a variety of settings
~ In 1952, the US Postal Service made a commemorative stamp to honor Gutenberg's printing press
~ In space, there is an asteroid named after him: Asteroid 777 Gutenberga (!)
~ Two operas were created with him as the basis
~ And in Mainz, in 1968 they designated a day of the year to honor him: St. John's Night (Johannisnacht)
Sherry and me, posing in front of the statue of Johannes Gutenberg . . .
The museum was cleverly designed with plenty of technology in mind. With your entrance ticket, they give you a special insert card with a "chip" inside it. There are multiple stations where you can lay this card down and then watch some magic unfold. Videos play on it, imagery and illustrations dance on it, and it was quite fun to give it a try.
There was also a listening area where you could pick up a speaker with your own native language to help you watch the video on the large wall nearby. The video tells the story of the printing press and how the printing of the Bible was the first major project that Gutenberg successfully completed.
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I love seeing my husband intently listening to something. He always does so well with audio learning. (My best style of learning is always visual.)
To read the explanations, please click on the photos below to enlarge them.
I loved learning about this next bit of trivia: "A skilled scribe was distinguished by the ability to harmoniously combine different scripts, initials, and illustrations on a single page. Completing a book took about three years. With Gutenberg's invention, around 180 books could be printed in the same period of time."
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"In the mid-15th century, there was already a long-standing tradition of the production of hand-written books. Particularly famous examples are the books of hours, which primarily contained texts for private devotion." (see more by enlarging the photos above and below)
"Book of Hours", created circa 1450 in Paris (on parchment).
As per the description above . . .
Southern Germany Bible, circa 1460-1464. (Rubbing)
"The Art of Dying", Southern Germany before 1475. (Double-sided print on a printing press)
Feel free to enlarge these informative frames to read more . . .
The punch cutter, and the various stages for preparing a letter. ONE letter. Wow.
Upstairs, there is an additional printing press area where you can take part in the process yourself. You need to make a reservation for this ahead of time, though, which we did not.
In lieu of our not being able to play with the printing press upstairs, the concierge graciously allowed Sherry and me to select a print of Johannes Gutenberg from a box of extras . . .
This is the one I chose . . .
They had interactive postcards, too. After selecting one, you could lay it down on the white screen and a story would unfold, explaining the history of the illustrations and their religious (or otherwise) meanings.
And that blank white card with the chip in it? It later became a souvenir with the selfie station downstairs!
Once we finished our tour of the Museum and stepped outside, the Rhine River was just a few yards away. The Haines told us about a recent Rhine River Cruise they went on, in a boat similar to this one below. It was pricy because it's not your typical huge ship with hundreds of passengers, but they said it was fancy, quiet, and intimate with just a handful of passengers.
Next, we walked over to the Mainz Christmas Market, less than 10 minutes away, passing some interesting architecture on the way.
The Mainz Christmas Market has been in place for hundreds of years, although originally the market was intended for selling winter necessities. The earliest written mention of the Mainz Christmas Market was in 1678. Dresden currently has the unequivocal title of being the oldest Christmas Market in Germany (1434).
One of the things I love most about Christmas Markets is the opportunity to taste a variety of foods that I wouldn't have access to otherwise, like this giant bratwurst, for example. Nevermind the fact that they nestle it into a bun that is clearly not designed for length instead of circumference . . . I mainly focused on eating the bratwurst and ignored the bread for the most part. It was delicious.
The soup menu below reads something like this with Google Translate:
~ Grandma's Potato Soup, with or without sausage
~ Goulash (sharp) Beef
~ Lentil Stew, with or without sausage
~ Pumpkin Stew
~ Carrot Coconut Ginger
~ Red Cashew Thai Curry with chicken meat
~ Vegan
~ Soup in Bread 10 euros
Behind the soup booth were a few double-decker tables where you could stand and eat. I appreciated the lower level to accommodate my shortness in stature.
Video of a lady making a bread funnel in a nearby booth: (26 seconds)
After she made the "braided" dough, it would be fried up and then filled with your choice of gooey sugary possibilities, which included a thick chocolate syrup as one of the options. I didn't buy one of these, but the process was fascinating to watch.
Sherry and I bravely inched our way through a tightly packed Christmas ornament shop. Sardine-packed, but with eyes darting all around, I was intrigued by all of the traditional items for sale. Some of the items were unbelievably expensive, into the hundreds of dollars for an intricate Nativity scene.
I almost bought a smaller (and much less expensive) Nativity set for 30 euros, but it was such a rigamarol just to be able to procure it . . . so I continued shuffling through the store inch by inch in the crowds until we eventually reached the exit. These nutcrackers were sure cute, though.
I don't need that many mugs, but I do like to collect a variety of mugs as I travel around. My daughter, Amber, told me a year or two ago that I "might" have a bit of a mug-collecting problem, ha ha.
We did eventually find a place that sells "Heisse Schokolade" . . . Sherry had to do a bit of wheeling and dealing to convince them to put some whipped cream on top for us. And I now have a Mainz Christmas Market mug from 2025.
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Next, we made our way over to the Mainz Cathedral which was adjacent to the Christmas Market. It was a great place to slip away from the noise of the crowds and have a quiet place to sit and rest for a bit.
I think this is John the Baptist, holding his own head . . .
The Mainz Cathedral is over 1000 years old, with its debut clear back in 1009 AD. A few more chapels were added on, starting in 1279. It has seen its share of destruction and disasters through the centuries, from accidental fires, to lightning strikes, and portions that were demolished during wartimes and skirmishes. Each time disaster struck, crews and artisans worked tirelessly to reconstruct and improve the structure for years to come.
In the back area of the chapel, there is a relatively large Nativity scene . . . with Baby Jesus missing. I'm coming to realize that this is a common practice in some of the European cultures. I think it is customary to place Jesus in his holy manger on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day.
We sat on a pew for a good while, happy to rest our legs and feet for a bit. I could hear music happening somewhere up near the pulpit, but I couldn't tell if they were just practicing for a later performance or not. Eventually, I crept closer to investigate.
It was a small group of singers, a guitarist, and a man playing an instrument that I was not familiar with. It's called a Cajon. It's essentially a wooden box with a hole cut out for the sounds to reverberate outward. There are strings attached on the inside wall of the front that can be adjusted tighter or looser, depending on the sound you wish to convey. You can sit on the box and play it as you would a bongo drum, and a microphone placed next to the cutout in the back helps to amplify the bass. The overall sound and musicality of the Cajon was striking to me and I was very moved by it.
The cajonist in the following video briefly used a brush set to achieve a slightly different effect. I was so mesmerized that I began researching this instrument passionately, trying to decide if I should buy one of my own or not. Ultimately, I decided to wait . . . with Bruno living downstairs, I'm not sure he would appreciate me playing drums and having all kinds of loud fun up here. Maybe he would. I just don't know . . .
Video of the singing group and the cajon: (42 seconds)
I've always had the dream of being a drummer. But I always seem to talk myself out of making that dream become a reality, usually for good reasons.
~ A drum set would take up a lot of space
~ They can be expensive
~ When would I have enough time to get my money's worth out of the drum set
~ I now have a downstairs neighbor, so I don't want to make him upset
~ Drum pads allow you to practice your craft, but they don't provide the deep bass sound that I prefer
~ Electronic drum sets seem like the best option (because you hear the sounds in your headphones/ear buds), but lately my carpal tunnal issues in my forearms make me worry that adding drumstick movements into my daily routine might make those issues even worse
So, for now, it is still just a dream . . .
The cloister, or inner courtyard, of the Mainz Cathedral . . .
War is so sad. And so hurtful and destructive.
One last food to sample . . . Kartoffelpuffer mit apfelmus. It is essentially a potato pancake, or latke, with applesauce or - if you prefer something more savory - a side dish of sour cream and chives. I went with the more traditional kartoffelpuffer with applesauce, as per the guy working behind the counter.
It was absolutely DELISH and I would highly recommend it. We shared this three-deep portion amongst the four of us and it was almost more than we could fit into our tummies. It's very filling.
This was a very large one on display at the Market, without "live" candles . . .
Video of it spinning here: (7 seconds)
For more information on the background and history of the Christmas Pyramids, click here:
We were sad to say goodbye to the Haines at the end of the afternoon, but we know we will see them again. After all, we'll be up to Germany somewhat regularly over the next few years.
Sunday, November 30th: After breakfast, we packed up our things and checked out of the hotel. We drove just a few miles south to attend church in Mainz at 10:00 a.m. The large building had multiple businesses inside, something we had seen a time or two before in our travels. We got there early enough to follow a few other church members to the right floor, instead of trying to figure it out on our own and subsequently getting lost, ha ha.
When you enter the lobby of this building, you can choose between taking the stairs or using the elevator to go up. We chose the stairs.
There is a sign next to the elevator indicating that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is on the 2nd Floor. (Kirche Jesu Christi . . .)
The "chapel" was humble and small. It looked like it had been an office space in years past. Someone sat behind the thick post on the far right, manning video equipment to be able to broadcast the meeting to those who might be ill or homebound. This was a common practice during 2020 (Covid), but in some places it's still being used on occasion, or as special needs arise. They do stop the video camera during the sacred Sacrament portion of the program, though.
The opening hymn, "Joy to the World" (in German) . . .
The interim hymn, "O Come All Ye Faithful" (in German) . . .
And the closing hymn, "Away in a Manger" (in German) . . .
Scott opened up his Google Translate app and we were able to follow along (for the most part) with what the speakers were saying. After the meeting, we grabbed a change of clothes from the car and used the tiny bathrooms on the 2nd floor to change out of our church clothes before leaving.
We drove over to a spot near the Rhine River (on the Wiesbaden side) where we could go for a medium-sized walk before heading to the airport. We parked next to a tiny little train station and then followed the path to the river. Trains passed by often, from loud cargo trains to almost silent passenger trains. Walkers, joggers, and bicyclists used the same narrow path, and it didn't seem to matter that it was a little rainy and cold outside. There was even a brave kayaker that paddled by.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/jyj5zeFJmpY3yp2M8
Video of the views from the bridge looking toward Mainz: (15 seconds)
Video of the views from the bridge looking toward Mainz: (15 seconds)
https://photos.app.goo.gl/y6nQhsXAW6HxpKUv6
Fall had closed its doors in Germany by the end of November. Leaves had decidedly fallen kaput onto the ground, and snow had already fallen in recent weeks, too.
We had a short flight back to Milan-Linate, where Santa greeted us warmly.
After the shuttle van transported us back to our car, we drove the two hours home in relative quiet. It felt so nice to climb into our soft bed after a long day and a fun-filled weekend. We were able to see Avery, spend time with the Haines, and take in some wonderful sights and historical inventions.
Until next time, Germany . . . Auf wiedersehen . . .
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