European Adventures - 30. The End – Flight Back to Toronto

30. The End – Flight Back to Toronto

We left Bad Homburg around 11 AM for the 5.15 PM flight. So we had plenty of time.

But, we needed to find the Budget Car return, turn the car back in, all of that went without a problem. I gave the guy who checked the car in, looked it over for dents, scratches, etc., the fan we had bought weeks earlier.

He was happy to get a new fan, I told him it works great. He smiled and just nodded.

Knowing the huge distances at FRA airport we had arranged some pickups here and there, to be transported, rather than walk miles inside the terminal.

Our check-in for the luggage was fine, no issues.

But then, when we had to go through security they found something in my carry-on bag. Carol was fine but they wanted to check my bag. OK, help yourself!

But before me there was another bag they had to check first.

It took forever!  But finally it was my turn.

The guy put on his rubber gloves and then went to work, opening each zipper, feeling inside for something. I asked him what he was looking for but he did not answer me. A male and a female police officer showed up, both were armed, hands on their holsters. I just stood and waited.

The searcher is still feeling, prodding, looking for something. Again, I asked him, what are you looking for? No answer.

Meanwhile our ‘ride’ has arrived; we need to get on to the shuttle. Carol came and told me, we need to catch the shuttle or it will leave without us. Right! Like I can do anything about that!

So I told this searcher, “Look, let me help you, let me give you from the bag what you need”. He got a bit indignant then, and put my bag back into the x-ray machine. The police personnel just stood there, keeping a watch on me.

I got more indignant, telling this searching guy to stop being such a stuck-up guy and let me help. Ah, big mistake!  The male police (man?) about 19 years old, told me if I don’t shut up he will throw me out of the terminal. Guide me to the parking lot and I will be banned from the airport. Ok, I shut up, but if looks could kill, he would be dead by now.

Finally, the searcher found a Gerber foldable all-in-one tool I forgot I had in the bag. Ah, they showed it to me, saying it is against the law of the European Union to have such a thing. I told him it’s a foldable, in case of emergency, tool. He was not happy that I was not impressed that he had found it. So he searched some more, he found toothpaste I had in my ditty bag. Half used, of course, but he said the toothpaste was too big, European Union rules say it must be a small or medium size, my toothpaste tube was too big. Ok, keep it! I told him.

He was not finished yet, he dug some more and found nail clippers. He confiscated them, too. So I had now 3 items that were against the rules of the European Union regulations, all neatly packed in my carry-on bag. 

He said do you want to keep this? I said, sure I like to keep these, but then he said, I must go with those police folks to the parking lot and miss my flight.

Or, they would keep those items and if ever I wanted them back I could fill out a 20-page form, pay a ransom fee for filing those forms, pay for the storage of the used toothpaste and pick the whole 3 items up in the near future.

Or I could just abandon those items and they would throw them in the trash. I meant to say they could actually shove this stuff where the sun don’t shine but I remembered Carol was waiting impatiently with her shuttle train ride to the gate.

I believe the whole procedure lasted almost 40 minutes.

German Bureaucrats at their finest. Germany might be a nice country but their laws, their obedience to uphold the smallest detail would drive me nuts.

Guess I will stay an American… die an American…. Good riddance, Germany.

Waiting For Luggage - 2 HOURS!

We arrived in Toronto at 7.40 PM and the check in with Immigration was no problem. We went to the baggage carousel and had to wait until our bags arrived.

We waited and waited…. Canadians are polite, they don’t complain.

Finally at 9.30 the first bags started popping up. Almost 2 hours to get our bags.

Shame on you Pearson Airport! That is really, really a bad performance.

We made it into the exit door around 10 PM Toronto time, or 4 AM German time.

It was a long day, a long flight… I don’t like flying!  But I said that already when we started this blog.   

See you down the road!  

European Adventures - 29. Last full day in Germany

29. Last full day in Germany

We enjoyed our day, having a fabulous breakfast at the hotel.

More Cheese

Cold Cuts and Cheese

Sweet Cakes and Rolls

 

Breads

Fruit and Toppings

So Many Cereals

More Fruit

CANADIAN Maple Syrup

Cereal Toppings - Nuts, Dates and More

Jams, Jellies and Condiments

Real Honey Direct From the Hive

Hot Table

More Hot Stuff

This is a really classy place; it serves the best of the best.

Love Those German Breakfasts - Are You Hungry Yet?

Our walk around the neighborhood led us to take some pictures that seem common but give us some memories.

Sooooo Good

We had a Zimbabwean peanut soup for lunch, which included vegetables and couscous. Served with some French bread it was delicious. 

Zimbabwean Peanut Soup

We tried to enter the Russian Orthodox Chapel but it was closed for the day.

Carol craved an ice-cream and when she went to the ice-cream parlor the girls there all gawked at her Tilley Hat, with all the pins on it.

The personnel of the ice-cream shop wanted to look at each pin, hear about each country Carol had visited. It was fun for Carol; she later returned to the store and gave each of the employees a Canadian Flag Pin, so now they can start their own collection.

Schreinerei Pfeiffer Restaurant

Dinner was at an old Carpentry Shop, converted into a Restaurant.  The Schreinerei Pfeiffer served good basic food and beer and we ended a wonderful day.             

Sign Over the Door Indicates a Carpentry Shop

Inside the Restaurant is Decorated With Carpenter's Tools

Ah, let me explain what ‘Bad’ means; as in Bad Homburg, or Bad Ems or many other German towns with the name Bad in front of the town’s name.

 “Baden Baden” being a double name meaning Bath-Bath.  

  

It’s a therapeutically oriented bath I am talking about. It’s part of the German health system. Your Doctor can ‘prescribe’ a ‘Kur’ for you. You take this ‘bath’ to be cured of whatever ails you. You are prescribed a spa treatment, not where you get pampered but where you have to exercise in a certain way. Kneipp was a Doctor (Priest)  who lived a ‘healthy’ life and advocated his methods to the Germans. He might have been a forefather of Holistic Medicine by using herbs and water therapies. Not all Bad-towns use the Kneipp system.

A town like Bad Homburg is certified to give people some health benefits using a Sanatorium, which gives certain other Spa treatments; mud, massages, etc. Bad Homburg is famous for the natural minerals found in the water that comes out of the local spring. You drink this water and get well; using just natural ways, no pharmaceutical pills, needles, etc. you get well. 

Not all cure places (Bad) use his methods, there are many different treatments available and each “Bad”-town seems to have their specialty. It is up to your Doctor to prescribe the right treatment for you. He will send you to a Kur that he feels will benefit you.

For German’s those cures are paid for by their health system.

Some towns, like Bad Homburg have also private treatment centers… where you pay for everything out of pocket. 

Believe me there is a huge difference between being treated privately and Government paid treatments. Bad Homburg is a top of the line Private Spa town.