A Sunny Day in Frankfurt

Weltmeister.  That's the word I see displayed everywhere in great pride.  Congratulations to my host country Germany--winners of the World Cup.
I have been touristing hard, and it's caught up with me.  Truth to tell I am tired--genuinely physically tired.  Now if I had known, I would have had an easier day yesterday, and taken advantage of the sun to go to Fulda today, but feeling as I do, I decided that I had better give myself a fairly easy time of it.  There's a Tour de France rest day tomorrow, and I have plans for a major day of touristing. Stay tuned.
Today, I did set out.  I got myself a day pass for public transportation and took the S Bahn out to the town center.  I strolled down the Zeil pedestrianized street licking windows--well, not literally.   Lecher le vitrine--to lick the window--is a slang term for window shopping, I not being able to afford even if I wanted them--which actually I don't--the things displayed in said windows given the expense of this trip.  I revisited the Klein Markt and was far more tempted by the goods on display there.  One popular product appears to be artesianal pasta.  The tortelone looked good, but I am going to stick to Maultachen.  I also gazed longingly at a cheese counter featuring some lovely French cheeses (and it is Bastille Day!) that I love but cannot obtain at home.  Nevertheless, I turned away.  I'll return to Paris someday and eat them all then.
The fruit and vegetables are so brilliantly colored by expert cultivation and display as to look almost jewel like.
I made my way to the Romer and checked out touristy shops.  I like to do some birthday and Christmas shopping for some non-blog readers, but I don't think any of my friends would have any uses for beer steins or cuckoo clocks.  I refuse to give people "souvenirs."  I want to give something people can use or wear.  I'll just have to keep looking.
I crossed the Main by the Iron Bridge and paused midway to watch the water.  People who live in well-watered places will find my fascination with rivers mystifying, but freely flowing water is like a miracle to me, and I love to watch it.  I headed for Sachsenhausen, a old quarter of Frankfurt that largely escaped the destruction of the War.  It's a pretty district with handsome nineteenth century buildings and tree lined avenues.  I ended up walking quite a bit and began to feel the fatigue.
I thought it would be fun to take a tram, so I found a spot and a tram and boarded.  And it was fun!
I alighted at the Hauptbahnhof and walked around the nearby streets--carefully avoiding the ones advertising sex shows.  But I was really tired by then, so I stopped by my favorite Imbiss for--frankfurters!  And then I went home, dumped my stuff and attended the shopping center across the street.  Before going to the grocery store I took the elevator up to the roof garden and walked around and enjoyed the view.  It was pleasant and breezy.
After getting my groceries, I came home and washed my hair and collapsed.  Now I am enjoying the Tour de France, which is shaping up to be a great race.  I have no idea who will end up in the Yellow Jersey.
Dinner consists of the frankfurters eaten properly sliced with a fork and mustard and accompanied by some red cabbage.  I have some more Bitburger beer along with it.  At home I turn my little pink nose up at pork and especially sausages, but here they are so good!  It's nice to have a German meal to celebrate Weltmeisterheit!