Mainz is and has always been the center point of our stays in Germany. Mainz is the city where my mother grew up. While in Mainz, we tend to go out for lunch with friends, or visit family.

 

From a young age, my mom decided to speak and read German with me. She also took her children—both me and my younger brother—with her whenever she went to Germany. Her decision paid-off, resulting in my ability to read, write, and speak German as a native speaker would, intuitively, without any accent, or any formal courses (since my school district only offered Spanish and Latin). Speaking as a native speaker has also led to me not being charged extra in some places. Sometimes, prices may be written differently for EU (European Union) members and non-EU members, yet, if your language skills are good enough, officials may not even ask to see an ID, simply thinking that you are a local tourist.

 

Despite its small size, Mainz does, however, have some things to do. For instance, there is the Gutenberg Museum, where one can learn the history of the printing press (because Johannes Gutenberg lived in Mainz). Along with the Museum is also a printing press workshop, where children and adults alike can ask for a demonstration, selecting colors themselves, watching how the press is done, and then keep the work as a souvenir. There is also the downtown market and the animal park, where you can feed animals from the palm of your hand.