Friday, August 8, 2003

Here I am, on one of the most important rivers in European history. The Rhine River has been a huge trade route for centuries and still is. An hour boat ride will due, I guess. The cathedral was quite amazing. Well worth the trip. They had the tomb of Saint Christopher. Did not know that is where that was. The cathedral is more amazing from the river. A trip down the Rhine is one of the things to do next time. I do not know how long it would take, but it would be quite a good time. The Rhine is a lot wider than most of the rivers I have been seeing. No wonder it was such an intricate part of history. Reminds a person a lot of the Mississippi. They have little fortresses all along the banks. Hitler’s first victory came here. Taking the Rhineland back. No guns fired, only his persuasive tongue and a good argument and weak minded enemies

What a trip back. The heat is so bad it is causing problems on the trains. I have been talking to some that have never seen it this bad. One lady said it was so weird to see everyone sweating. The train from Cologne to Frankfurt’s main station was canceled all day. Had to get one from Cologne to Frankfurt airport, then get off and go to Frankfurt Main. Just was lucky to figure that out. It is hard to know a train is canceled when the loudspeaker is in German only. I finally went to where the train was suppose to be, waited for the German announcement, and then followed the masses wherever they went. Pretty nifty I would say. Then the train to the airport was not air conditioned and stunk like an outhouse. Evidently all the bathrooms were full and they could not unload them. The heat is affecting the train’s electronics. The radio was not working either.

Finally made it to the airport and the train to the city was ½ hour late. Some of the people making the excurtion with me said there was a tram to the city that left sooner, but I did not want to risk having to pay anything, so I waited. It is becoming quite clear to me how much patience I have. It is almost to the point where it could get me in trouble because I will wait too long. There must be a fine line somewhere so that a patient person will not miss opportunities because they are being patient. The key is to find the line before it is too late and not go over it while searching.

There have been a lot of people on this trip that have told me how patient I am, it does not seem to be a quality of too many law students. If it is a virtue and pays great dividends in the long run, I only hope the prices paid will not be too great. Arriving at Frankfurt Main for the third and final time.