Mainz - cocktails and old buildings

The Mainzer Dom

I've come back to Mainz with Hauke for a couple of nights before I fly out from Frankfurt to Madrid on January 10th. Hauke goes to university here, and its an amazing old city of about 200 000 people on the Rhine. Its history is over 2000 years old and its always been quite important, as a trading centre, Roman fort city and now as the capital city of this state. Hauke's flat is awesome, its really old and three stories, with sloping floors and a tiny winding staircase that terrifies me!

Party time!

We got here on Saturday evening and after our first proper dinner in awhile we went out to the bar where Hauke works. With his new-found bartender knowledge, he has been introducing me to new spirits and between that, the bar staff giving us several shots and someones foolish decision to also introduce me to Long Island Ice Teas, we ended up having quite an awesome night and quite a tragic Sunday. We did manage to drag ourselves out of the house after a breakfast of good old Sanitarium wheatbix that I'd posted to Hauke at some point (as a side note I don't really recommend mixing wheatbix with hangovers) and wander around Mainz. The buildings are amazing, I know I keep saying

Old pharmacy

that but everywhere has a different style, and here there are really old and elaborate, I can't really explain so check out my photos on facebook. Hauke tells me that Mainz was really heavily bombed during the war, but there are some streets that escaped unharmed and amazingly the huge cathedral survived, it is an amazing building, photos can't show just how huge it is. Finally, we had the best asian food I've had so far in Germany (and we tried a lot in Berlin!), although best isn't saying too much. I would pay big money for a Satay Kingdom mee goereng, although I was overjoyed to find my favourite too minute noodles here! Anyone that knows me well can probably imagine my smile!

Tomorrow I am off to Spain, quite stressed about my dodgy Ryanair flight and getting my ridiculous luggage though. I have discovered I am not great at this nomadic thing, I am sick of packing and unpacking and I've only done it half a

Old buildings in Mainz

dozen times, I think in Spain I am going to reevaluate what I am lugging around with me! I am really looking forward to being somewhere where I speak the language. I have been so dependant on Hauke for the last three weeks, he has selected and ordered my food for me, sorted out all of the trains and buses and constantly nagged me about things like taking a coat and checking I've got my wallet, so it's going to be weird to be looking after myself again! Sad to be leaving Hauke, its been so amazing spending time with him and I am really grateful for everything he has done, but I am really excited to see Miguel again tomorrow afternoon! Guten nacht!