Timeless.

Where are the red balloons?

Frankfurt, Germany – For the duration of the 19-minute journey from the airport, the train ran two full minutes behind.

By the time we had arrived in downtown Frankfurt, however, Germany had restored its reputation. Tick. Tock.

With an 11-hour layover, we had few expectations beyond seeing the Rhine and the old town, which amounts to little more than a city block with a beautiful stone plaza, and a large church at its epicentre.

Having been levelled during the Second World War, the Frankfurt we saw today stitched together reconstructions of traditional structures with the ultra-modern. Familiar, gothic restaurants meld with curved bank towers, shimmering in the sun.

Our exhaustion melted with us as we took the time on a hot, sunny day to find some schnitzel, bratwurst and beer.

These remain areas in which past and present are more closely aligned than timelines can possibly hope to dictate.