TRAVELLIVE 9-2017 WEB

96
ermany is famous for skillfully crafted wooden toys. Dolls,
musketeers, wooden jewelry boxes or statues of goddesses
are displayed colorfully in stores that you can choose to
make gifts. One of specialty items that most visitors to Germany choose
are music boxes that are as small as matchboxes. You can choose among
numerous music melodies such as Blue Danube or songs about spring
or pieces from famous musicians. Each song is also the main decoration
theme of the box.
After wandering around shopping streets, we take our chance to try a glass
of German beer, traditional bread that has become a culture of German
people, and tempting slices of bratwurst. Grilled bratwurst, salted bread,
mashed potatos and salad served with a glass of beer is a popular menu of
German people.
Romance by Rhine river
Our tour guide, Mathias, was a local guy who was born and grew up here.
He knows and shared with us very clearly about the history of Mainz. We
walked to the Rhine river, happened many historical events of the country
happened. The Rhine river flows throughout the city and brings both
serenity and peace to this landscape.
Mathias said that since his family used to live on the river bank, he had
many special memories about this place. He used to play with his friends on
the bank after school or watched swans with some girls. "Time may destroy
anything but not this river that has
witnessed many changes of the city",
said Mathias. For me, I felt as if the
modern life with its bustle and hustle
could not touch this ancient city.
The evening in Mainz was fabulous
with yellow lights from ancient
architectural structures sparkling in
the dark sky. Sloping roads leading
to the church as well as the central
square were hidden in dark and light
colors. Restaurants and stores were
lit by candles and the city was filled
with the sound of soft melodies
played by some artists with their
accordions in the streets. Here and
there, couples walked hand in hand
which made this atmosphere even
more romantic than ever.
At the end of the day, we enjoyed
an authentic German meal with
Mathias's family in the cold weather
of autumn. I felt very lucky to have
a chance to visit Mainz, the pink city
of Germany.
TRAVELLIVE
Visa
In order to apply for a visa to
Germany, you should submit your
documents at the embassy of
Germany in Hanoi. Website: http://
www.hanoi.diplo.de/.
Itinerary
From Vietnam, you can take a direct
flight to Frankfurt with a return ticket
of Vietnam Airlines at 22 million
VND. From Frankfurt, you can take a
train to Mainz at HBF station in about
30 minutes. You can buy tickets at the
station or at an automatic machine. It
costs about 15 Euros/ticket.
Car renting
You can hire a car at the airport. Most
cars are equipped with GPS which is
easy for you to track the path.
Expenses
It is not very expensive to stay at
Mainz. It's about 15-30 euros/hotel
room. A meal is priced about 10
euros. It costs about 30 million VND
for a journey of 4 days in Germany.
Free ticket
Interestingly, when you buy a train
ticket to Mainz (From any city),
you will get free tickets for public
transportation in this city.
Dolls, musketeers,
wooden jewelry
boxes or statues
of goddesses
are displayed
colorfully in
stores that you
can choose to
make gifts.