Day 1: Mannheim
I took an early afternoon train from Bonn, a 2-hour ride along the Rhine which gave me an opportunity to gaze at the castles nestled high in the hills. (Note: an alternate way to enjoy this view is to take the Köln-Düsseldorfer boat line, but Eurail passes cover boat travel only between Koln and Mainz). When I arrived at the Mannheim Hauptbahnhof (train station), Peter picked me up in his father's new Daimler Benz, a bubble-shaped vehicle dubbed the "Baby Benz" because of its size. Peter's father used to be an employee of Daimler Benz (he retired this year) and has received a new Benz every year he has worked. Must be nice. Anyway, I hopped in the Baby Benz and we drove back to Peter's apartment so I could settle in. At that point Peter explained that he has a tradition of eating cake and drinking coffee at 4:00. I wasn't going to pass up a chance at participating in a tradition, particularly one involving food, so I enjoyed a divine slice of homemade blueberry meringue cake and coffee.
After coffee and cake, we went to explore the city of Mannheim. First we stopped at the Waldpark and walked along the Strandbad, a path along the beach on the Rhine. The Strandbad is a popular place to eat and drink in the summertime. From there we went to the Zentrum (downtown) and walked around the main shopping area. It was Sunday evening so the stores were closed and the streets were rather tranquil, but I was not interested in buying anything and just wanted to get a sense of the city so I didn't mind. From the shopping district we walked to the Wasserturm (Water Tower) and saw the nearby Rosengarten (Rose Garden, a concert hall). Then we walked through the Turkish neighborhood and stopped for a "Döner", sliced meat on a large roll.
After dinner, we went to Peter's parents' house to say hello. His parents are sweet people but unfortunately they do not speak much English and I speak nur ein paar Wörter Deutsch (only a few words in German) so Peter had to play interpreter. For the record, most people raised in post-war western Germany do speak some English and many speak very good English so it is not a problem travelling there without knowing the language. However, if you have a chance to learn a few basic words and phrases (danke, bitte, Sprechen Sie Englisch?) I recommend it.