Munchen to Frankfurt: New Year’s Eve (St. Sylvestre)

I was to spend the grand fête with German girl from Killarney. Katrin had extended an invitation for me to come and visit her, but because of Poppy’s death and a few lost days, my RSVP was short notice. She lives outside of Frankfurt—about one and one half hours outside of Frankfurt—but I lost track of that little fact in my head when she volunteered to meet me at the hauptbanoff. She met me at the station, took me on a whirlwind tour of Germany’s banking capitol (skyscrapers and luxe shops), we even snuck into the opera house. Then back to her house by way of train and short car ride. This girl after only knowing me from a few shared days in Ireland, invited me into her home and she introduced me to her family and friends. Once again, European hospitality amazes me!
We ended up spending the night at the home of a friend in Marburg. A party of several nationalities gathered together for a potluck dinner, after which, we climbed a hill in the center of town for the best view of the fireworks shows (if you could call them that). Germans love fireworks, and as far as I could tell, there are no regulations. Whatsoever. Marburg was a war zone. Pink, green, and yellow explosions on the horizon, purple bursts of flames in the streets, and red smoke coming from the rooftops. I have never seen anything like it. And to add to the madness, everyone was drunk, using their empty bottles to launch rockets, and spread glass over the ‘war-ravaged’ streets. Walking around town, one had to use extreme caution to avoid firecrackers and bubbling fountains of sparks, not to mention in-coming projectiles around every corner. It was madness. I loved it.
We ended up at a club that was miserably hot and smoky, but fun. Circulating through the crowd: two blonds—each one taller over 6’4” and trashed as all hell. They actually looked a lot like Marlon and Shawn Wayans in White Girls. They were dancing on tables, falling over drunk, and wearing next to nothing.
The next morning, Katrin took me back through town and showed me the sights. Marburg is a very old town with a large university and home to the super lethal virus of the same name. It has some of the most picturesque streets and homes, and a castle at the top of a hill in the center of town. I like this place.
Adding to her already overwhelming hospitality, Katrin presented me with a feast of a breakfast, and helped me get a cheap flight out of Frankfurt. She then proceeded to take me all the way to the airport (a 2 hour-trip both ways for her). I paid 190€ for a last minute -same day flight and said goodbye to my friend. In two hours I was back at Charles de Gaulle and fighting to get my pack from the carousel.

Germany was better than anything I could have imagined, despite obvious disappointments, avoidable expenses, and the loss of a loved one, my Christmas alone was one of the best ever. I love the German people, they are kind and welcoming, I loved shopping and their cinema, and left totally impressed with the culture.