This small city (~80,000) is a regional hub. I'm staying in the Altstadt (old city) portion. Facinating narrow cobblestone streets (no cars) and old buildings with a mix of styles. But also moderized in places with upscale shops, ice cream places, cafes, etc. The waterfront area are both the lake and the Rhine River outlet.
This was the end of the short trip to Konstanz on a car ferry. Thanks to Sarah for the ride!
So these little whitefish babies (the ones in the lake...) are getting creamed by this invasive stickleback since ~2014
Well, the trip finally started after nearly a year of fits & starts. Of course I had all of my documentation (a ton due to covid travel restrictions) but didn't expect to need it until entering Germany. Well right off the bat they wanted my paperwork at the Fresno airport check in. When I pulled out the folder to get my docs, she says 'Oh, you must be my Frankfurt passenger'....that's so Fresno! If that wasn't enough, she didn't know what Fulbright was, asking me if I was a student(!) due to the univ invite letters. She had to call someone to figure it all out, while everyone else in line was understandably getting impatient. So off to a great start!
The
international terminal at San Francisco was deserted, way more workers than passengers. There were
only 4 other people in my section of the plane. So it was super great service, endless space, & virtually a private restroom.
Arrived in Frankfurt maybe 1am CA time. My expected movement checking was flipped. The customs/entry guy just looked at my docs for about 30 seconds, didn't say a thing and stamped the passport. Very nice (sehr nett!). Then directly to my lonely checked bags on the carousel.
Albert is a colleage who works at the Fisheries Research Institute. He was so kind to lend me this Dutch-style (he's Dutch) street bike...
