Another Year Over...

Only 30 more sleeps until Christmas. That also means it's been 11 months since the last one. Where did the year go?

Hungarian Christmas

It was such a wonderfully refreshing vacation last year: so peaceful, and such fun times with new friends. Just looking at the photos and thinking back, brings out the good feelings again.

Christmas Shopping in Budapest

There is a long layover in Frankfurt on the way home. Time enough to hit one last Christmas market. From the airport, it's a quick ride on the S-Bahn to the Hauptbahnhof downtown. Compared to Budapest, Prague, and certainly Bratislava, the commercial centre of Frankfurt has a more sophisticated feel, but not as much to see.

European Central Bank

Even the advertising is higher-tech than back home. In some of the tunnels, there is a video display or projection system, which matches the speed of the train, such that large advertisements remain visible in the train windows. For the most part, it works rather well, and is a testament to the power of the advertising Euro in driving the development of high-speed electronics. One simpler, but no less innovative practice is how the large and complex transit system maps are placed on the ceilings of the train.

Deutschherrenkirche

The Main river is a major commercial waterway. In the Second World War, much of the historical city was destroyed. The result is modern re-construction, but still charming.

Frankfurter Weihnachtsmarkt

One last snack on the go: a seasonal bread, with raisins.

Nikolaus

Then it's back on the U-Bahn, to the airport, and home.