You don’t want to know what time I got up this morning, but I’ll tell you, it was 4am. Why? Because my appointment at the Frankfurt US consulate was set for 7:30am and it was a two hour drive. I gave myself the extra hour because I didn’t want to risk anything. Despite the darkness of the morning, I could tell it was another dreary day and I was nervous driving Sabrina’s car solo for the first time. Without being able to find a radio station, I soon put my headphones in to pass away the kilometres. I didn’t go crazy on the autobahn because the power of the Clio was limited, probably a good thing.

There was obviously nothing to look at on the drive in the dark and I made it to the city of Frankfurt without incident (thanks Google maps). The consulate was also pretty easy to spot with its fortified fences and giant Christmas tree. It was just after 6:30am when I parked across the road and got out to double check parking was for free. Even though I’d eaten two muesli bars and two bananas on the drive down, I was starving and considered using my extra time to go find food but it was properly raining so I retreated to the car and read until it was time.

At 7:15am I went to the entrance to find a queue of about twenty people already lined up outside. This was the beginning of a process I didn’t like. There was only enough shelter under an awning for about thirty people and when more people arrived behind me, I tried to ask using hand signals that the people in front move forward so that everyone could get out of the rain. A few people shuffled forwards but I didn’t get any traction with the idea. At 7:30am, the consulate staff started calling out for people to come forward to one of the two windows where you have to stand OUTSIDE to talk to the first person. I was pretty insulted by this, they wouldn’t even let you in the building, despite the weather outside, until you’d completed the first step. That bit was straightforward, next was security.

There was a round of security outside where you can’t have any electronics (Sabrina had forewarned me so I left my phone and everything else except my documents and wallet in the car) or much else. The German guard was very good at explaining what was forbidden and that anything you were allowed had to be placed in a plastic bag which he provided. Next, they allowed five people at a time inside the building, the rest had to wait (IN THE RAIN) until the next five could go.

At my turn, the couple in front of my could not get the door open. It was unlocked each time a group approached the door and it was like the door to a safe it was so heavy. As we struggled to get it open, the security guard inside the building did nothing to help us. Once inside, the five of us stood to attention as Mr. Security explained the proceedings. Pretty obvious really, but he was all business until he told us that we could smile if we wanted to. No one was in the mood.

On the other side of the x-ray we had our stuff handed back to us (you couldn’t get it out of the tub yourself) then we exited the building through another heavy door, walked through the rain within the consulate compound to another building. No signs to direct you, only guards shouting if you veered off-route.

The main building had a reception where a nice lady looked at my ticket and directed me to another queue in front of a few service windows. This was the first time I was glad to be here so early, it was pretty quiet but I’d hate to imagine midday or the afternoon. A man called me over to his window and he asked what type of visa I was applying for. “Non-immigrant visa”. “Well I know that,” he said. “Why do you want one?”
“To travel.”
“Why didn’t you just use ESTA?” (this is the visa waiver program)
“Because I’ve already done that and I’d like to travel some more.”

It carried on like this, him talking as if I’m stupid and at the end of it, he started waving my passport saying that since I didn’t live in Germany I might have trouble getting it back in the mail in time, since it’s Christmas and all that. I assured him I was confident that the address I gave was correct and how long it should take for the mail. He said 4-7 business days, so maybe he was just trying to discourage me? He told me there would be an additional $25 fee but he didn’t explain why and I couldn’t be bothered asking so our conversation was over and he sent me to another queue.

This was the “interview”. To give you an idea how prepared I was for this interview to prove that my visa interest was only for travel and nothing else, I had the following documents with me:

• US bank account statement, to prove I have money to fund my trip
• Tesla shares account statement, to prove I have MORE money to fund my trip
• Australian bank account statement, to prove I have BACKUP money to fund my trip
• The itemised expenses of my trip so far, to prove I have enough money to cover my “lifestyle”
• My tourist map, to show where I plan to go in the US
• Astrotracks blog articles, to prove I have been travelling and am promoting the US
• My invitation letter from Canadian Immigration, to prove I plan to leave the US
• A flight confirmation from New York to Calgary, as proof of exit from the country (this is my golden ticket, even though I plan to cancel the flight for a refund)

He didn’t look at ANYTHING. He asked me my travel plans and if I had enough money and waved dismissively when I said I had bank account information to show it. He was nice, but not that interested. That was literally the sum of it. He sent me away to the cashier to pay my $25. When I found her, she asked if I was Austrian or Australian, they’d put me down as Austrian. Pretty sure that might affect my visa if they get my country wrong?! Anyway, that sorted, I went back down to see Mr. Interview again as he’d instructed. This time, he just took my passport back and said my visa had been approved and I should expect my passport back in the mail within five days. Just like that. I was back at the car by 8am.

I didn’t feel elated, or over-the-moon happy or relieved, I was just angry that not one person at the consulate had a shred of happiness, cheerfulness, or even concern. I understand they do this every day but they joined the public service for a reason? I think it’s impossible to have a good experience with any sort of US government institution.

Right, no more of that, it’s behind me and I got what I needed out of it. The weather had only improved slightly with the rain falling at a reduced intensity. I left the car parked where it was so I didn’t have to worry about finding another spot, even though I was 4km from the city. It would be a nice walk in the rain?

I feel like my impression of Frankfurt was dampened by the rain, but it is still a beautiful city with absolutely endless Christmas markets. I was hoping to find breakfast on the way to the city, but there weren’t many options this early in the morning so I had to wait until I was in the shopping district. I had been hankering for some bacon and eggs, but feeling shy about my very poor German, I opted for a bakery “Backwerk” which had all their food on display. For EUR5 I got myself two pastries and a yoghurt, which I ate while walking. I found an inside farmers market that was deserted from a customer perspective, so the stall attendants were very attentive. I took one sample from a chocolate stall and I thought the guy was going to follow me the rest of my time there, but he eventually relented. No more samples for me.

Back outside in the cold I wound up at the Kaiserdom, which is the centrepiece of the city. It stands tall above the city and instead of being tinged green like the Cologne towers, this one was faded red. After I went in, all the tour buses arrived so there was a huge influx of Asian tourists within the church so I got out of there. I didn’t really have a plan (obviously) so I just wandered.

I walked through the gigantic Christmas markets that just kept on going and going and every time I saw a church I would go in. They all have their own charms, so I enjoyed each one, especially the Paulskirche, which had been repurposed as a public space so had a bit of history about the first national general assembly that was held there and led to Germany becoming a democracy.

The markets really didn’t end. There were school children everywhere so the stall owners were entertained throughout the day with high sales of candy while they waited for the grown ups to come out for lunch. One of the school groups got on stage and sang everyone a song. They were probably kindergarten age and were clapping away pretty well in tune to each other, it was very cute.

My highlight was finding a newspaper in one of the churches with not one but three naked people on the front page. Only in Germany?

Around 12noon I’d decided I’d done more than enough walking and still had to get back to the car. I went via the river for a look then took the most direct route back. I think I must have walked at least 15km since I hadn’t really sat down the whole time!

I told my phone to navigate me back to Sabrina’s, via the Dragon Castle we’d talked about visiting yesterday since it was on the way. It would take just under two hours to get to the castle and I got about fifteen minutes into the drive before I had to stop and have a sleep. The 4am start and the walking had caught up and I wasn’t going to do autobahn tired. I found a rest stop (which surprisingly had a carpark about twenty times the size of an American rest stop), folded the seat back and got somewhat comfortable. It didn’t take me long to fall asleep and after the half hour nap I felt more alive than before. The rest of the drive was dreary. I yearned to see the castles that were lurking beyond the low clouds but it was hopeless.

I turned off the highway to Drachenfels (Dragon Castle) where I enjoyed some narrow winding roads through thick forest to get to the base of the mountain that the ruins stood atop. I had the impression I could drove to the peak, but after driving past two signs that looked like they said private, I decided it wasn’t right. I was hungry and desperately needed the bathroom so decided to give up on the whole idea. Sabrina would later tell me that you can’t drive to the top, it’s an hour or so hike to get up there. I could see the ruins from the base and it definitely wasn’t hiking weather so I wasn’t sad. I drove through the pretty little town of Bad Honnef on the way in so I went back there to find food and have a look around.

I opted for a greek restaurant and with some broken English managed to order a yiros. When it was handed to me, it was a bowl of food, not a wrap, but I didn’t mind. When I asked for a fork and made “forking” motions with my hands, the vendors nodded encouragingly and pointed to the bag. I assumed they meant there was one in the bag I couldn’t see, so off I went. Straight out the door I realised that I’d ordered a bowl of yiros meat, just meat, and there was no fork. Oh well, so I walked down the main street eating greasy meat with my fingers. It wasn’t too bad, but I felt disgusting by the end of it – at least I wasn’t hungry any more! Bad Honnef was much the same as the other German towns I’ve experienced so far – a main cobble stoned street filled with shops and a church nearby. Once I’d finished my meat-fest I didn’t feel much like hanging around so I was back in the car and on the way home.

I was happy to get in the door to Sabrina’s apartment having had no incidents on my first whole day on my own. I was also happy to have a lie down on the couch and rest before heading out again.

At 5:30 I left the apartment to catch a train into the city and meet Sabrina and her friends. Look at me go, I bought a train ticket and got on the right train all by myself, thanks to perfect instructions from Sabrina. Once I’d made it to the Christmas markets, my next challenge was finding them. This was also easy because of good instructions, I found Sabrina amongst a group of young people enjoying Gluhwein and beer. When I came along everyone went very quiet and Sabrina explained that while all of them spoke English, some weren’t very good and everyone was very shy to speak it. This made things hard. Sabrina kept me entertained but I eventually struck up a conversation with Chris and Katherina, then Anna who came a bit later. It was great to swap stories and their English was great, on another scale to my German so I definitely wasn’t judging!

We stayed at the markets for a few drinks, then moved on to a nearby pub which was packed, but we squeezed ourselves into a corner and were presented with a huge paddle full of ten beers. The cups were small, but there were many so that didn’t matter. With more beers flowing, everyone opened up with their English and I felt a part of the group. I was ecstatic to find that Francisco not only had the coolest name out of everyone, but was an F1 fan. That was it, we talked the rest of the night.

Everyone there was studying with Sabrina and they all had class at 8am so when the pub closed up for the night, the group dispersed to head home in different directions. Chris and Sabrina were enthusiastic to go clubbing but they didn’t get any traction with anyone so Chris, Sabrina, Francisco and I went in search for food (typical night out right?). Sadly we ended up at Maccas but it was a means to an end.

Kindly, Francisco offered to drive everyone home so the talking and laughing continued all the way home. I was so grateful to meet Sabrina’s mates and that they’d accommodated me in my ignorance of the German language. We were in bed by 1am and I was sceptical about attendance at tomorrow’s class.

German fact #5: The great cathedrals of Cologne, Dresden and Frankfurt survived the WWII bombings not due to luck but because they were used as points of reference for bombers to hit other targets. Thanks Francisco for that lesson!