Frankfurt Train Station - September 23, 2026
Tour journal?
I’m waiting for the train to stop and I compliment the woman next to me on her Andy Warhol designed suitcase. (was even branded Andy Warhol) and she asks,
“Can I take a picture of your guitar case? I really like the stickers.”
“Of course”
Then the doors open and we all hurry off. She is in front of me and I say,
“Entschuldigen, did you want to take a picture.”
“Ah yes. I’m…I’m sorry.” and keeps walking.
“Why are you sorry?”
“I don’t usually…if it’s too much trouble…I’m sorry. “
“It’s no trouble at all, please do. Stop up here.”
And I motion to a space where people are not bustling by.
She takes a picture of both sides of my guitar case and then we keep walking towards the station.
“My son plays guitar and he will like your stickers. He lost his father recently and he’s been really depressed. I’m going to see him this weekend and this might cheer him up.”
“I’m sorry to hear about his father. Please pass along love from one guitar player to another.” I say.
It’s weird to me that she refers to her son’s father and not as her ex or whatever but I’m not diving into that with a stranger. Just take the information given to me.
“Are you a professional musician?” She asks
“Yes, I am here on tour.”
“And where are you from?”
“California.”
“Ach, Kalifornia. I want to go to California, everyone wants to go to California! But we wait until no more Trump. Has everyone here been nice to you here?”
“Everyone has been great. Everyone knows that not all Americans are Trump supporters and you know… (I lift up my guitar case. )
“We all feel very bad about what is going on there. It is obvious to Germans what he is. We have learned about it but now Americans have to learn.”
“Ich verstehe.” I say.
It’s a long walk from Carriage 22 to the main part of the station and we talk the whole way.
“I told my boss that I have to go to Hamburg by train next week and he wished me luck. I don’t like the change in Munich where you have to go outside and all.”
“Yes, tracks 1-10 are like a different station and a long walk.”
“So you know Munich station?”
“I was there yesterday.”
“I work for Deutsche Bahn and I’m going to a workshop today on how to make travel better.”
“My only real issue with Munich is the lack of signs telling you that tracks 1-10 are at the end and outside. It’s a long run!”
“I will bring that up.”
We keep walking.
“Can I ask you a question? What gives you hope?” I ask.
“My grandchildren. They are the future.”
“That’s beautiful.” I say. Then she adds,
“And we need to show them how good the world can be so they grow up and make it better. We know Trump in the U.S. is terrible but it’s not been good here lately either with voting and we can all be so much better.
“Thank you for sharing that.”
“You have to have hope. Take care.”
She turns to the left.
“Tschüss.” I say.
She turns back and smiles “Tschüss!”
I turn to the right and board my train to Brussels.
#toomanymilesbook