Detour of Silver Linings
Alright, I am on a flight which will be beginning a descent soon, so no time for long introductions.
I am now at Istanbul airport, its 3.30 am in the morning, I am half asleep, and I have 3 hours to go before my flight. How could things get worse? I quickly checked in, went through to security, and sat in the Turkish Airlines lounge. I had been excited to visit this lounge, as it is supposed to be one of the best around.
The lounge was very quiet when I arrived, and many of the live cooking stations were closed. While I was a bit disappointed, I was not too bothered I also did not have enough energy to check out everything anyway. I stayed a wake by talking to my friend, who very nicely decided to stay awake till 6 am her time (she was in Abu Dhabi) so that I did not fall asleep. The time passed by quicker than I thought it was and I was soon on board my flight to Frankfurt.
I must have fallen asleep before the plane took off, although I wasn’t fully asleep. I fought as hard as I could as this 3 hour flight was the only time I would be able to sleep until my flight from Frankfurt at 10 pm, which was midnight time in Istanbul. Landing in Frankfurt, I already had a plan for at least the first part of the day, which was to visit Zeit für Brot.
Zeit für Brot is a chain of bakeries found all over Germany, my first visit was to a location in Berlin. They are known for all their baked goods, but notably their cinnamon rolls. I was about to place my order for a cinnamon roll but saw that they had a Christmas themed roll with marzipan and nuts, which I could not refuse. I ordered the Winterschnecke, as well as a Laugencroissant (sourdough croissant), and a Milchkaffee (a normal latte). One of the silver linings of being in Germany now was the opportunity to practice my German, which I had not used in probably a year. I showed off my not-so-great skills and sat to enjoy my breakfast. I would spend the next 3 or 4 hours sat here, typing up some of my blogs from Istanbul, as well at speaking to my family in hopes to stay awake. At some point, I got hungry again and ordered a Zimtschnecke (classic cinnamon roll) as well as an Americano for another caffeine dose.
I wrapped up my writing, scheduled some posts, and then went on a little shopping trip. See, I had been wanting to buy a new backpack, although I just wanted a new one of the same model I had. My backpack that I currently use is from Aevor, a small German company, which I bought while I was in Vienna about 6 or 7 years ago. I went through all the different stores, taking in all the Christmas decorations and Christmas markets set up over the city in between. (will discuss later). I finally found somewhere that sold the bag I was looking for, and this time I opted for a waterproof version as thought it would be more practical for my travels. Here’s a picture of the bag for those of you wondering, and I can definitely recommend it. My current bag has been with me for the better part of a decade and still in very great condition.
A backpack later, I was once again looking for a way to waste some more time. Evening was starting to roll in, which I was waiting for as I wanted to see the Christmas markets all lit up at night. To pass time, I retraced my steps and walked around, stopping by a mosque I had found to do my prayers. I am always glad for the sense of community we have in Islam, as I can always find a mosque wherever I am, which acts as a “safe space” of sorts, where I can be met with like minded individuals joined by a bond that cannot be described through words.
By the time I finished and started walking back, the sun had now mostly set, and it was time to experience Frankfurt in all its glory. Another silver lining of my stop in Frankfurt in December was that Christmas was in full swing. Christmas markets everywhere, with food stalls all over, and more decorations and lights than one can imagine. I had been planning my Christmas market trip for a while, and this impromptu stop showed my why I had been planning it. I mean the decorations, atmosphere, lights, and heart warming scents were amazing. I had this sautéed mushroom dish in a garlic sauce, which was to die for, and followed it with a Yoghurette (think kinder bar, stuffed with strawberry yoghurt instead) to satisfy my sweet tooth. These markets were basically everything I needed in my life at this moment, and all the stimulation kept me wide awake. Strolling through the shops and crowds, I was beginning to get cold, and needed something warm to drink to keep the cold at bay.
Now let me tell you that I live for moments and aesthetics, and can sometime be susceptible to FOMO. How does this relate? Well, in Christmas markets, the drink to have is Glühwein (mulled wine), which was unfortunate for me as a non consumer of alcohol. Luckily, I found that one of the stalls offered a kids version, which was perfect for me. I did not hesitate to order it at all and was happy to have something warm to drink, as well as to have the fullest experience of a Christmas market that I could have at that moment.
Soon enough, it was time to head back to the airport, so I picked up some chocolates as gifts as well as some toothpaste. Before you get all confused, I discovered this German toothpaste a few years ago that comes in a pack of two, one to be used in the morning and a second at night. I know it is probably just a gimmick, and I sound super pretentious at the moment, but please don’t burst my bubble. Oh, I also stopped by the Lindt store to have a hot chocolate which hit the spot at that moment, and was soon on the way back to the airport.
Back at the airport, I made my way to the lounge where I caught up some more with my family, including my cousin living in Berlin as we had not talked in a while. I had a quick shower to freshen up before the long flight I had ahead as well as some snacks to fill me up a bit.
And that’s all for the day. I really don’t know hope I made it through the day with my minimal sleep, as I am not a person who can do all-nighters. I think my stop in Frankfurt, as last minute as it was, was full of silver linings, as I got to visit a beloved bakery, pick up a backpack I had been wanting, and experience a German Christmas market, all completely unplanned. I know you may be angry that I have yet to mention where my trip is to, but I promise that it will be in the next post.
What were your thoughts on my silver lining filled stop in Frankfurt? Have you had something like this before? Where do you think I will be going to in my next post? Let me know in the comments below, but until then, stay positive!
