Shopping's a huge deal in the Rhein/Main metro area, with several different venues at your disposal. For instance, D and I debated for much of Saturday morning whether to go to Wiesbaden or Frankfurt for a daily shopping trip. After riding the bus into Mainz's inner city, we decided to stay in our fair locale. Perhaps not comparable to Frankfurt, but we have all the basics. And despite the chilly rain showers (we don't have malls here, you know), there were crowds around every corner. The post-Christmas sales were in full swing, and D brought home an orange bargain from H & M, a store that is apparently having their "Final Sale." So get down there quick, because, never again!

Perhaps more impressive are walks through the Altstadt on Sunday afternoons when all the stores are closed. Then you'll find hundreds of people roaming the streets and staring into dark shop windows, appraising what they could purchase if laws were let a bit loose. No wonder Mantelsonntag was such a big deal back in the Fall. But now, if you want jeans from Leo's or a new espresso machine from Saturn, you'll have to wait until Monday. Unless, of course, what you want is purchasable at your local petrol station around the corner from your house.