Frankfurt am Main

So, our new home city. What's it like? Well, honestly it is mostly like any large city back home. You name it and the city has it. Theater, Movies, Fairs, Restraurants, Opera Houses, Gyms, Parks, Traffic...all pretty familiar concepts coming from Dallas, and all similar events here.
The great thing about Frankfurt is that it is a very International city, so though it is in the heart of Germany, most people understand and at least speak some English. The people are extremely friendly and helpful. They say that at least a third of all Frankfurt residents is a foreigner, so at times it feels as though everyone is in it together trying to figure out the place and make it home with your familiar culture.
The one thing that Frankfurt is big on is its Apfelwein (applewine). So, as we all know Germany is supposed to be all about beer right?! Well, not here herrs and fraus. Here, Apfelwein is the drink of choice. We have to admit, it is pretty good. You drink one and you say "umm, that is okay, I guess, I guess I'll have another". You finish two and you say "wow, that stuff is pretty good, I think I like it." You finish a third and you say "WooHoo, hey, where did my pants go?"
So, yes, don't drink more than 2.
As for a little history of the city of Frankfurt itself, it was basically demolished after WWII. So the main city itself is all new construction. It is one of the only cities in Germany with skyscrapers so Germans are quite amazed by that and always comment about how marvelous it is. Coming from Dallas, we just play along and say "yeah, skyscrapers, great", but they are really a lot like what we are all used to. The cool parts for us are the areas just outside of the city that made it through the war. That is what we find interesting. For instance, we live in a highrise apartment building in the Bornheim area of Frankfurt. (It's like saying you live in East Dallas. Ya know, an area of town that has its own personality.) Here in Bornheim, there are homes that date back to the 1500's. That, to us, is what's pretty cool. I mean, you are walking by and looking at the homes with their construction dates posted on the outside and thinking "wow, that house is older than our country by a couple hundred years".
The major difference as we see it. Shea and I have talked about it a few times and we guess the one thing that really stands out most here is that during the Winter the sun is nowhere to be found. Most days are foggy and cold. Frankfurt sits down in the Main River valley surrounded by the Taunus mountains, so during the winter with only 7 hours of daylight, the sun has a tough time piercing the fog and providing much light. You don't really realize it while you're here, but after a brief trip back to Texas, you quickly realize that you haven't needed your sunglasses for the last few months like you need them immediately upon exiting the DFW terminal.