Frank Goes to Strasbourg

“Bonjour! Paw-lez vous Anglais?” My French is starting to get better after my second trip to France! Kind of hard to hide my dog accent though. I guess I’ll have to work on that.

Our Labor Day weekends have always consisted of going to my favorite place, THE BEACH! But now that we are no longer in Jersey, we had to improvise somehow. We’ve heard so many wonderful things about Strasbourg so we knew we had to take a trip there.

After an easy two hour nap drive, we arrived! We quickly settled into our hotel room and headed back out for some fun. I’ve become quite the natural with public transportation so we hopped on the tram into town. The weather was very chilly so I was very happy mom packed my sweater. (Sweater is from here)

Is this one ours?

I’m guessing not!

I loved the big windows! Looking out whenever I’m going anywhere is my favorite. We finally arrived at the Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Strasbourg. It was super duper big. I’d say half a million weenies high! Did you notice that there was only one tower? Apparently, there was not enough foundation underneath the church to build a second tower. Another fun fact? Legend has it that underneath the church there is an underground lake where an empty boat would roam. The noise of the oars could still be heard though. Spooooooky!

After hanging around for a little, we headed off to check out the European Parliament and the Parc de’lOrangerie. I heard there was a zoo in there so I was very curious to meet some friends! After walking through town and avoiding a shower, we hopped on a tram and were on our way!

My artistic “contemplating life” pose.

That doesn’t look like any cat I’ve ever seen before!

Clearly hesitant to see what those things are!

Mesmerized by these things!

Baby monkeys?!

These don’t look like the birds I see!

Alsace Storks! They had the BIGGEST nests ever!

Why are you only standing on one foot?

After a long day of walking around, we were pooped and was ready to call it a night. We grabbed a quick dinner and hit the sack!

“I WANNA GO TO BED!”

The next day we had planned on spending half the day exploring by the water in La Petite France before heading back to Germany. When you look up Strasbourg, you see all these beautiful picturesque shots by the water. I’ll tell you what, seeing it in person did NOT disappoint!

 

I met a friend! She played hard to get…

The Queen of Strasbourg!

After exploring a little, we hopped on a tram and headed towards the covered bridges. I was super happy because the sun finally came out and it started to warm up! I am NOT a fan of the cold!

We made our way to the top of the bridge for some really pretty views! Since the weather was finally nice, we spent quite some time just hanging out and soaking up the sun.

My pal Sam and his humans came to Strasbourg too so of course we had to snap a pic together. Should’ve utilized his nice long arms to take a selfie.. Must remember that for next time! The weather started to cool back down again which was my cue to go. I was also pretty pooped out from all the walking so I was ready for my car nap. We trotted all the way back to the car and were off to Germany.

Strasbourg, I WILL be back. Paw-revoir les amis! And as always, thanks for tuning into my adventures!

Frank Goes to Munich

Did you know that Munich is also know as München? Talk about confusing a pooch! From Frankfurt to Munich, it is about a 4 hour drive. Four uninterrupted hours of sleep? YES PLEASE!

After getting settled into our hotel, we were ready to venture out. We were super close to the train station so we opted to use that instead. I’m a ween of all sorts of transportation!

How am I supposed to jump from here to the train?

Ah never mind, here it is!

My own seat!

But pop’s lap is always more comfy 😉

After a super quick 8 minutes, we had arrived in the heart of Munich, Marienplatz! That’s where we stumbled in to the Rathaus. I didn’t really understand. I thought it was a house of rats.

I don’t know how I feel about a house full of rats…

We started to make our way to the English Garden. I heard it was bigger than Central Park in NYC so I had to see it! There were some really pretty spots along the way.

Peek-a-boo!

We finally made our way into the English Garden and was greeted with lots of grass and water! There were a lot of really cool streams that people were swimming and surfing in. It looked fun but you know I was NOT getting in the water. Water = Bath. Bath = Devil.

You’re not expecting me to go in are you pops?

If I close my eyes, you can’t see me!

After walking around for quite some time, we knew we hadn’t covered much ground. My little stumps don’t walk very far or fast. Sorry mom and pops! We found a nice man who was going to take us around on his bike. He was super nice and gave us a lot of great info! Did you know that during the 1972 Olympics in Munich they had a dachshund as a mascot? His name was Waldi and he was modeled after Cherie von Birkenhof, a long haired ween!

We stumbled into a furry ween named Max who decided to be our road block. He was your typical doxie that was rebellious and didn’t listen to his humans commands. They’ll never understand that we just like to do our own thing sometimes 😉

My “I can’t believe you wanted me to walk all this” face

My new buddy! Thanks for the lift!

After our tour, we got dropped off at the Chinese Biergarten and Tower. The size of the pretzels were unbelievable!

Hey lady! You see the size of this thing?!

Okay mom, get your picture so I can eat this thing!

Okay now where do I even start….

After over indulging in beers and giant pretzels, we decided to head back because it started to storm. We all know I do NOT do well in the rain. The rain didn’t seem to want to go away so we opted to stay in the rest of the night and relax til the next morning.

We knew we wanted to stop at the Hofbräuhaus early in the morning to avoid all of the crowds. I’m not a morning person so mom had to bribe me with some eggs she smuggled back from breakfast to get me up and moving. The Hofbräuhaus is really cool and has a lot of interesting history. A lot of people have hung out here like Mozart, Lenin, Hitler, and now ME! The Nazi Party actually used the Hofbräuhaus to hold functions and assemblies and is also where Hitler declared the 25 thesis of the National Socialist party back in 1920. He even painted a picture of The Hofbräuhaus.

I guess I’m too early for Yappy Hour.

Okay waiter, I asked for a beer, not a tower!

HELP!

Post Yappy Hour face

Once the crowds started to come in, we knew it was time to go. Low riders don’t do well in large crowds of people. It’s like we become little ants that are prone to get stepped on! We hopped on another train and headed off to Nymphenburg Palace. The palace is the main summer residence of the former rulers of Bavaria. This place was super duper big. Can you imagine how many weens could fit here? Wiener party! There was so much grass and open space. We found a nice cozy bench in the shade and rested there for quite a bit. You know I took that as an opportunity to nap!

We decided to head back to the hotel for a bit to rest because we knew we wanted to head back out again for dinner. After a few hours of nap time. We headed back out for dinner! We went to a yummy place and while we were waiting in line to get in, the man at the door was kind enough to bring me a bowl of water. I love how much Germans love their animals!

After dinner, we headed back to the Rathaus. Or house of rats? I’m not sure. It was even prettier at night! Also better because it was MUCH less crowded! I had to wear my sweater because it became very cold. Everyone passing by got a kick out of it. What? You’ve never seen a wiener in a sweater before? (And for those of you who have been asking, you can find the sweater here)

We hung around for a bit and watched some neat street performers until it started to get really windy and chilly. Once I start to shiver, mom always makes sure I get somewhere warm. Thanks ma! I was really tired at this point and ready to go to bed. After taking the train so much, I knew my way around and trotted to the train as fast as I could. All I could think about was BED!

Okay folks, this is me closing the door and saying goodbye! Until my next adventure, friends!

Frank Goes to Brussels

When I first found out that we were going to Brussels, I was convinced that we were going to the land of brussels sprouts. (ICK!) Then I realized it was Brussels, Belgium. Belgium! The magical land of WAFFLES! Or should I say, woofles!

From Germany, Brussels is about a 3 and a half hour drive. No biggie. Paris was 5 so this should be a piece of cake. Mom did the usual and piled up my blankets and bed to ensure maximum comfort. I also had a backseat buddy this time as my Aunt Dani is in town! YIPPIE! (Boy did I miss her! If you missed our reunion, you can find the video here)

(Insert Spongebob’s “3 hours later” timecard voice)

HORRAY WE’RE HERE!

I was so eager to get out of the car and sniff my way to the woofles. During my trot over, I found so many cool and beautiful places along the way! Did you know that The Smurfs originated in Belgium? No? Me neither!

Must find woofles.. must find woofles..

During my quest for woofles, I stumbled into the Grand Place and I must say… it is QUITE grand! Everything about it was so magnificent!

Then it hit me. That sweet sweet magical scent of heaven. WOOFLES! I know they’re around here! We trotted down a little alley and followed the scent to this tiny little shop that sold them for a whopping 1 Euro!  Once I got my woofle, I couldn’t sit down fast enough to eat it. Mom of course had to make me take pics before I could eat it. Moooooom!

Post woofle face

Once I finally got a taste, it was SO worth the wait! It was ooey, and chewy, and had this amazing sweet glaze. I’ll never be able to look at Eggo’s the same. I begged mom for another but she objected. Once I finally completed my mission, I was ready to venture out and really explore.

Cathedral of St. Michael and St. Gudula

House of Parliament

The Royal Palace

Mont des Arts

Photobombing mom and dad. TEEHEE

After a long day of trotting around, we decided to head back. I tried flying with my ears but that didn’t seem to work. Once we got back, we all voted to take a nap before dinner. I never object to a nap. Two hours later, we were off again to see the beautiful Brussels at night!

We found ourselves in what seemed to be the seafood district. Everyone was eating their mussles in Brussels! When we sat down, the server was kind enough to bring me a giant bucket of water. Giggle. Thanks man! A few pints of delicious Belgium beer later, we were off again.

We somehow found our way back to the Grand Place area. It is even more beautiful at night time! We were getting ready to head back to the hotel when it suddenly hit me. That sweet scent of WOOFLES! Obvi had to get one for the trot back! This time, I added 3 of my favorite things: strawberries, vanilla ice cream, and whipped cream! YUM!

The next day we only planned to hang for a little and then head back to Germany. Since it is about a 3 and a half hour drive, we didn’t wanna stay too late. There were a few things that we knew we wanted to see. First, Manneken Pis! I guess we both have two things in common. We both don’t wear pants and have no shame peeing in public. I’ve decided that he should be my next best friend.

After Manneken Pis, we just wandered around a bit. There were so many cool things that just seemed to pop up! I clearly couldn’t figure my way out of the maze.

We eventually made our way to Delirium Cafe. If you don’t know about this place, I’d sure look it up! It is rated as the number 4 thing to do in Brussels. This place has more than 2000 beers! If you happen to go while they have the cactus one, do it! You won’t be disappointed! When pops asked if I was allowed in, the bartenders response was “We let kids in, I don’t see why dogs can’t come.” WIN! One more bonus point for you, Delirium!

After a quick power nap, we headed off to get some lunch before our trip back to Germany. While in Belgium, you eat waffles. LOTS of waffles. I had my usual with strawberries, ice cream, and whipped cream! DEEEEELICIOUS! No dogs were allowed on the tables so I had to keep bugging mom for more.

On our walk back to the car, we stopped to listen to an amazing street performer. I needed some time to digest my woofles before sitting for 3 hours anyway!

It’s been real Brussels. You’ve impressed me with your beer and woofles. Sadly I missed out on the chocolate but mom said it was out of this world. Until next time my friends! Love, peace, and frito feet!

Frank Goes to Paris

Bonjour! Je m’appelle FRANK! Comment allez-vous? I’ve picked up some French during my trip! Oh who am I kidding, I speak google translator! This past weekend we went to the city of LOVE! Paris was SO much fun and SO SO beautiful! We only did a 3 day trip but in those 3 days, we saw a LOT!

Our trip started (way too early) on Friday morning. The humans had me up and going way before I normally even think about getting up. Mom packed me up real good and made sure my area was nice and cozy for my 5-6 hour nap. That included 4 blankets, a pillow, and my bed. Spoiled? Never! Commence sleep in 3….

2…..

1! Goodnight!

After 550 kilometers and 1 potty break, we arrived! We checked into our hotel and unpacked a little. I was quick to claim my side of the bed.

After getting settled, we were off to explore! Paris was A LOT colder than we realized. Thank goodness mom packed my sweater! (And for many of you who have been asking, the sweater is from American Apparel) We had no idea where to even start so we decided to find a cafe for some lunch and work out a plan.

CHEESE?! I mean.. FROMAGE?!

After a delicious lunch with baguettes and bubbly water, we found out the Louvre was pretty close so we trekked over that way. On the way over, we stumbled upon the Galerie de Beaujolais. The garden was super cool and it was fun pretending to be taller than I really am! Then it was back down to reality.

We walked around a bit more and found ourselves at this giant building. We turned our heads and all of a sudden, the giant glass pyramid was there! The humans put me on the post and next thing I knew, other humans were forming behind them snapping pics of me as well. Everywhere we went, we always had a few people stop and take pictures of me. Talk about puparazzi!

Mooooom are you done? This lady is laughing at me!

Everyone else was doing it so I figured I would too.

Behind the Louvre were some beautiful gardens. I was just happy to see grass! I tried to make friends with some of these humans but for some reason they didn’t want to be my friend.

The weather started to get really cold and rainy so we headed back to the hotel for a little. We all know I don’t handle the rain very well. I needed a nap anyway. My stumps don’t do very well with all the walking around. Whenever we get back in, mom and pops always clean my paws. That’s what I call a royal treatment!

After a 2 hour ween-nap, we were back out again and headed towards Champs-Élysées. There were lots of people and lots of stores! Too many people make me nervous so we decided to head off towards the Grand Palace. From there, the views were amazing! That’s when I found out I was taller than the Eiffel Tower! Or so I thought…

We knew the next day was going to be very busy so we had dinner and went to bed. I woke up at 6 am super excited like a kid on Christmas morning. Mom and Dad weren’t amused so they convinced me to go back to bed. After a few more hours of sleep, it was finally it was time to go! We went to the bus stop and waited patiently for the bus to the Eiffel Tower. Can’t you just see the excitement on my face?!

The bus finally arrived and I was having so much fun! I love to people watch so we sat up top where I could watch everything and feel the wind beneath my ears. Next thing I knew, we came across this giant thing in the middle of the road with a bunch of cars around it. Talk about chaos!

After driving a bit more, we finally found ourselves at this giant metal thing called the Eiffel Tower. I was so wrong when I thought I was taller. This thing is like 2 million weenies tall!

Oh I’m sorry, were you trying to take a picture or something?

I figured since I was in Paris, I would practice some of my model poses.

My “GQ face” pose

My “silly face” pose

My “serious face” pose

After hanging out for a while, we hopped back on the bus and headed towards the Notre Dame. I heard there was a pretty lady named Esmerelda looking for me. By this point it was raining so we sought shelter inside of the bus instead of sitting up top. I utilized this time to take a ween-nap on pops lap. Paris is exhausting. When we finally arrived, I couldn’t find Esmerelda anywhere. I guess i’ll try again next time! We found a cozy little cafe there and had some crepes and cappuccinos. I was just happy to have a spot to rest my bum!

 

After recharging, we decided to walk along the water and found some really beautiful bridges. Before we knew it, we ended up at the famous love lock bridge! Sadly, the weight of all the locks have done some damage to the old bridge so they put up paneling to keep people from putting more locks up.

We found ourselves back at the gardens by the Louvre when miraculously, the sun came out! That meant stop, drop, and NAP! Clearly pops had the same idea I did. I made myself a nice little bed with moms coat.

The weather started to get iffy again and we were tired so we headed back to the hotel for another nap. Pops was nice enough to give me a lift seeing how exhausted I was. When we got back to the hotel, I couldn’t get back to the room fast enough. I was ready to turn into hulk and break the elevator doors open and speed down the hall. Got my paws cleaned, got my blankey, I was ready for my nap! Mom had to wash my sweater since it got quite dirty underneath. #shortwienerproblems!

Commence sleep in 3….

2….

 

1! Nighty night!

We wanted to see the Eiffel Tower at night so we had to wait for it to get super dark. Finally after dinner around midnight (aka 3 hours past my bedtime!), we headed off to the Eiffel Tower. Staying up past my bed time was so worth it as it was beautiful!

We returned back to the hotel and slept for a long time! The next morning we were headed back to Germany which was a 5 and a half hour drive. I was still so exhausted that I slept pretty much the entire drive home.

Before I knew it, I woke up and was back at our home aka the hotel. I had so much fun this weekend but I was ready to relax and give my stumps some rest. That was definitely the most walking I have ever done! Gotta convince the humans to get me one of those nifty strollers! That way I can nap on the go. I’ll be sure to put that on my Christmas list this year! As always, thanks for tuning into my adventures! Until next time! Love, peace, and frito feet!

Frank Goes to Heidelberg

May 10th was my humans anniversary so they decided we were taking a day trip to Heidelberg to celebrate. I’m pretty easy going so wherever they go, I just tag along. Once the car starts, so does my nap time!

A little over an hour later, we finally made it to our first destination, the castle! The views at the top of the mountain were absolutely stunning!

Oh em gee I just realized i’m afraid of heights!

 

Hmm I guess this isn’t so bad.. HELLOOOOOO DOWN THERE!

 

Hey lady, you wanna carry me the rest of the way? K THANKS.

Welcome to the Ween Cave!

Can you find me?

Hey daddy-o, you wanna carry me up this slope? My stumps are tired!

The king of Heidelberg!

After walking around the castle grounds a little, we headed off to the downtown portion. We walked around and came across a pretty bridge that looked over the river. I wasn’t afraid of looking out this time!

We walked around town until my stumps couldn’t go no more. We found a cozy little German restaurant perfectly in the sun and had some schnitzels and brews. Perfect way to end the day!

Afterwards, I napped all the way home and then some. It’s exhausting being a traveling sausage. Until next time folks! Love, peace, and frito feet!

Frank Goes to Cologne

We’ve officially been here in Germany for two weeks and finally decided to take a trip somewhere. We decided to go somewhere close by so we were off to Cologne, Germany which was about two hours away. Good thing i’m a pretty easy traveler in the car! Mom kept trying to get me to look at the beautiful scenery but hey, when a dog wants to nap, a dog wants to nap!

When we got to the area, there was some major traffic trying to get into town. Traffic always wakes me up! That’s okay though. Mom rolled down the window and let me people watch and smell everything. My favorite!

When we were in traffic on the bridge, crazy mom jumped out of the car to snap some pictures. Then she came back and went all paparazzi on me.

Finally after a grueling 30 minutes in bumper to bumper traffic, I was able to get out, stretch my legs, and sniff everything!

You think that guy knows who I am?

We trotted around a little and finally found the big church. And when I say big, I mean BIG! I would say it was equivalent to at least 100,000,000 weenies tall! There were A LOT of humans there so daddy-o carried me around whenever it got really crowded. Thanks pops!

After scoping out the cathedral, we trotted off to check out the Hohenzollern Bridge. Pops was a champ for carrying me around the crowds and the steps again. I felt like Aladdin on the magic carpet! Weeee!

The Hohenzollern Bridge is the love lock bridge of Cologne. Another bridge, another time I don’t have anyone to share a love lock with. Maybe I need to sign up for E-Pawmany.

By this point, we were all pooped out and ready for some beers and brats! During our way, we stumbled upon some fun things. We found a lady who did street art with her HANDS! Can you believe she did that with her hands?! We also ran into a cool street band. Anyone know what that giant guitar looking thing is?!

FINALLY! REFRESHMENTS!

mmmmm wiener schnitzels… WAIT A MINUTE.

WAITER! What’s in a WIENER schnitzel?!

The food came and mom and dad didn’t want me to see them eating the bratwursts and wiener schnitzels. I guess it’s for my own good. I was tired anyway so I decided to just get some rest before we had to hike back to the car. Mom carries around this mat for me in her bag so I have somewhere to lay whenever we go out to eat. I’m very picky about where I place my princess tush.

We finally made it back to the car and I napped the whole way home. And when we got home? Napped til dinner time, ate, then went back to sleep. My stumps are exhausted! Until next time friends, I’ve got some more sleeping to do!

*No wieners were harmed in the making of wiener schnitzels and bratwursts. And no wieners consumed any alcoholic beverages!

Wieners in the air

After a two hour car ride to the airport, got my butt pet by the TSA agents, and an 8 hour plane ride, I finally made it to Frankfurt!

In the car on my way to the airport, I took a little nappy because mom and dad pooped me out on a long walk. I hate walks so I knew something was up.

Once we got to the airport, I got all my bags checked and rolled around in my sweet bag until the plane arrived. Everyone was cracking up at the sight of a dog in a rolling bag. So many people stopped us so they could take a picture of me! Even the airport check in guy loved me so much he asked to take my picture!

(You can find this paw-some bag here)

It was finally time to board and the nice people at Lufthansa even let me board early! I made a new friend named Jason who sat with us and was so nice. He told me he loves dachshunds and even took pics of me to show his friends!

When we finally got on, I started getting super anxious and nervous so mom sprayed some calming spray. After waiting about 20 minutes on the runway to take off, our turn finally came and I did NOT like the take off. I cried and cried and tried to jump up to mom. She caved and picked me up. After pacing around in moms lap after a few minutes, she put me back in my carrier. I don’t know if it was the drone of the plane, the calming spray, or the long walks, or all of the above, I was OUT cold!

8 hours and a sunrise later, we finally arrived in Frankfurt! I slept during the entire flight! I popped my head up every once in a while but put myself right back down to sleep. Mom and dad were SO happy! Once the plane finally landed, I popped my head up to see what all the bumping was about.

“Come on ma, can you tell these people to go faster? I got some peeing to do!”

After another 2 hours at the airport getting our bags and trying to get our car, we were FINALLY on our way to the hotel. Mommy was nice enough and packed my carseat and blankey in her luggage. I get very carsick and this carseat is the sole reason why I love car rides again! I must have been really tired because I went right back to sleep during the ride.

When we finally made it to the hotel, after a long 12 hours, I finally got to go to the potty! Mom packed wee wee pads for me to go on them but I refused them. Grass only please! The hotel will be our home for the next 30 days but we are hoping to find a place sooner. I like it though! I love going under the bed and putting all my stuff under there. I’m calling it the Frank Cave. There’s also a perfect little sun corner where I can keep my eyes on everyone. Mom even put my rug and blankies there!

All in all, my travel over to Germany was MUCH better than anyone could have predicted. Mom and dad had zero faith in me so I guess I showed them! I’m now ready for my new adventures, hope you are too!

Frank in Frankfurt

Hello to all you paw-some people! I’m super excited to share with you all my new upcoming adventures as I travel around the world with my humans. So long New Jersey, it’s been real. I’m heading back to the motherland of wiener dogs! Next stop… Frankfurt, Germany!