Thomas Hervouet

I thought it was about time to host again. Thomas Hervouet posted on the Frankfurt Couch Emergency group that he was unable to find a host after 25 requests. His message was nice and his profile sympathetic. However, I first thought I would turn down a 1-night-request because normally it didn't provide enough time to get to know each other well enough

We had a lot of mail exchange beforehand. Somehow he sounded like an interesting guest to host and I provided him with a lot of information regarding Frankfurt and Mainz. He was French and I thought this was an excellent opportunity to practise my French too. Apart from everything his profile said that he grew up in a stable family which was something I was always impressed by. Couchsurfing is an opportunity to meet awesome people and speak many languages if you know how to choose your guests.

I was busy working on that day and he needed to tour Frankfurt on his own. We made an arrangement to meet at the Shangrila Mongolian Restaurant in Frankfurt. As I entered the room a young man with a backpack and friendly blue eyes came along and greetet me. He looked a bit different from his profile photo which was not too clear at that time. However, he recognised me straight away. His eyes were friendly and his manners appealing. The food was excellent and good value for that price. Thomas was hungry and couldn't wait for the fresh prawns to cook. The staff would cook the meat you choose in front of your eyes. Thomas chose spicy food and I already thought it was too spicy for a Frenchman.

Our conversation continued to become more interesting and I learnt that he was a nuclear physician who just finished his CME in Würzburg. His English was excellent, my French rusty and I couldn't communicate on the same level as in English. So we decided to speak English. After informative conversations with the other people in the restaurant, we drove home in the rain. I had some trouble with my night vision and he was patient enough to assist and navigate me a little bit.

Visiting the Mainz Marathon
The next day was a Sunday and the Mainz marathon was on. It is a big running event in Mainz along with cultural performances and food. At first he was reluctant to visit a loud marathon but soon he changed his mind. He enjoyed the beauty and historical significance of Mainz.

Mainz was famous for its laid-back people and love for outdoor festivals. Anyway, the Mainz marathon was a unique event and everywhere there were Brazilian and German military drummers to fire the runners. We took some photo shots, visited some baroque churches and headed for Wiesbaden after spending a couple of hours sightseeing.

Wiesbaden
Thomas preferred Mainz to Wiesbaden but I thought he had not seen everything and we did not have enough time to view the Wiesbaden baroque architecture and lifestyle. I drove him through the posh Wilhelmstraße or Wilhelm Street and we could see the Park, Casino and Opera from the car. From the Taunus Str we could already see the hills and wineyards of the Neroberg. This is an important landmark with the only water-driven funiculaire. We took a walk and photo shots on top of the Neroberg. The weather was excellent and we had a clear view of Wiesbaden. After a lovely lunch it was time for him to catch the train to the airport.

Thomas was one of my best guests whose visit felt rather like meeting a good friend. When I have time I really would like to visit him in France. Up until now, he was the second guest that I initially didn't want and who turned out to be one of the best experiences ever! He invited me to surf his couch in France and one day I will do mate....