Paris - Frankfurt

The early train to Paris goes off without a hitch. I take the early train in order to spend a few hours in Paris before boarding my train to Frankfurt. Unfortunately as I had only slept a few hours, it is hard to get into the Parisian vibe. 

It was interesting to see how Paris has developed it's cycling infrastructure. Often held as an example of how to quickly transition to a biking culture and lauded for it's safe streets to bike for children, I have another opinion. The cycle paths are sometimes on one side of the street and other times on the opposite side, then, just for variety, down the middle of the street. This is plain confusing and especially tricky at junctions. I am not sure I saw even one child on a bike in the few hours I was here. The cyclists travel erratically and very fast, seemingly oblivious to any safety risks to themselves or others. Yes, there is definitely progress here, but it is not easy, especially for an outsider, to feel comfortable riding here. It has a long way to go to feel as developed as Copenhagen. 

There is a two hour delay on my connecting train to Frankfurt - only 70% of fast trains from the Deutsch Bahn are on time (within 20 minutes) these days.... much to the annoyance and embarrassment of many Germans. This means I arrive in Frankfurt close to midnight and disrupt my sister's bedtime schedule. 

I plan to spend one day in Frankfurt, which turns into two, due to new information that the night trains in Sweden under no circumstances will allow bulky bags. Ah well, the sun is shining and the outdoor swimming pools (Sommerbäder) are open. Finally back to German society and it's daily rhythms.