I’m a huge fan of sugar (disclaimer before judgement: I like to think it’s a healthy obsession).
This weekend, I’m thinking of going slightly overboard and planning a mini travel mission just to find the best pastries in Germany.
Where should I go (or) which bakeries should I try?
I think Instagram has successfully brainwashed me AND my feed is currently almost 80% Cologne Cathedral (don’t get me wrong, it’s absolutely stunning! And I fully respect the algorithm).
But it got me exploring…it seems Germany clearly has some of the world’s premium Gothic architecture. So this summer I’m planning to go beyond the obvious. I’m especially looking for hidden gems...whether that’s a cathedral or smaller towns with a dramatic Gothic aura. Basically anything that made you stop and go: “I want that on a postcard” (I love—LOVE—random postcards...feel free to name any/all postcards shops too).
Would love your suggestions here!!
Okay, disclaimer upfront: my opinion below is based on a *very*** small sample size and my unhealthy love for talking to strangers (yes, Reddit counts). But I’ve noticed a pattern and now I can’t unsee it...so I’m just curious how close this is to reality.
With Frankfurters, conversations feel like they operate in two extreme modes: (1) Either… nothing really happens. You get a polite nod (maybe a “Hallo!”) and everyone respectfully continues existing in their own bubble. OR (2) And this is my favourite, you somehow end up in a completely unexpected deep conversation where someone is sharing almost life-advice-level insights. Like you go from “Das ist mir Wurst” to “what actually makes a life meaningful” in a few minutesss! And the wildest part is it often feels very genuine. There’s a kind of genuine kindness there that sneaks up on you… and even grows when you think about it later.
London, on the other hand, feels different to me. It’s much easier to have light conversations...people are open/chatty (depending on the weather), sometimes even effortlessly funny. You can have multiple nice interactions even with the same people over time. But… and I can’t fully pin this down… it sometimes feels like there’s an unspoken boundary. The conversations are good but they tend to stay in that comfortable zone and don’t always tip into those unexpectedly real moments.
So, this is my very unqualified takeaway (based on limited experience). And just to be clear, I’m not trying to generalize entire cities. Both are huge, diverse and way too complex to fit into definite patterns. This is just a personal impression from a short time (and I’m sure context, circles and pure chance play a big role).
Still… While, I understand some people might prefer as little as possible interaction for the sake of civility (and I appreciate their preference). But I unfortunately love talking to people and hearing their life stories, so I can’t help noticing these vibes and wondering if anyone else has a similar impression or did I get lucky/unlucky with mine?
Last month, my brother and I had what I can only describe as a questionable encounter at Frankfurt am Main Hbf.
We were in the lounging area waiting for our connecting train when we noticed a guy (judging by his mannerisms, most likely an addict) attempting to whisk away a sleeping man’s bag. Not in a slick, Oceans-Eleven-kind-of-way… more like whispering God-knows-what spells (literally) to himself while slowly inching the bag away. And yes, we tried waking the sleeping guy up… except he was deeeep into sleep (for context, it was broad daylight and vibe wasn't particularly cozy). At that point, we weren’t even sure if we were helping a tired/sober traveler or someone under an influence himself.
So as the logical next step, my brother went off to find a police officer… but there wasn’t one in sight. Meanwhile, everyone else around us was acting like this was just business as usual, a normal Saturday if you will. No reactions at all except for a surprised/horrified French girl sitting beside us. Unfortunately, we had to catch our train and I thought I completely forgot about it.
But a recent Reddit post reminded me of this incident and now I’m just wondering...Is Frankfurt am Main Hbf always like this? Or did we just witness a rare “what are the odds” moment? Any similar experiences any one (even in other German Hbfs)?