As the financial center of 

Germany...

Frankfurt is the headquarters... 

for the European Central Bank.

Saint Bartholomeus Cathedral...

and Saint Paul's Church...  

add to the beautiful skyline.

One reason for our visit...

was to spend some time with friends from Texas

and Flat Stacie was surprised to see who we were visiting.

Our hotel, the Steigenberger Frankfurter Hof...

was grand indeed...

and a convenient location...

to stroll through the streets...

and the farmers market...

where my favorite booth...

was the herb lady. 

The selection was impressive.

After the farmers market,

we walked along the River Main...

and across the Eiserner Bridge...

where we noticed these locks...

known as love locks, 

explained on this blog,

which also has some nice photos of Frankfurt.

On the other side...

we stumbled across an amazing flea market...

before heading over to the Roemer...

which has been the city hall for 600 years.

and is a great place for people watching...

and wandering about.

It is like a magnet pulling you...

close enough to smell...

the apple strudel...

and realize just how hungry you are.

Now...

when in Frankfurt...

it is mandatory to eat frankfurters...

and we found a pleasant cafe on the square...

where a very talented young man...

serenaded...

our meal.

I am always drawn inside each cafe...

and am always impressed... 

with the surprises I find...

like this creative marketing on the paper towels... 

you are about to wipe your hands on...

and the impressive spiral staircase.

The amazing day...

continued outdoors in the beautiful weather...

 and right on into the night.

We made a stop at Jimmy's Bar...

where we noticed a large crowd had gathered...

and a piano in the corner...

so we made ourselves comfie...

and waited...

when all of the sudden...

we noticed this Mark Twain look alike...

sitting under the lamplight with a microphone...

and then the lights dim...

the room becomes as quiet as a library...

still no one is sitting down at the piano...

when all of the sudden...

Johano Strasser begins reading from his most recent book...

in German.
The title translates into English as...
"The Best Time of Life".

I felt like Meryl Streep in "Out of Africa"...

when she goes with Farah to speak with "the big chief",

of the Kikuyu tribe.

As they stood there and Farah did the talking,

Karen Blixen smiled and shook her head like she knew exactly what he was saying to the chief.

We did not want to be rude...

and leave...

so we sat and listened...

and were quite amused when...
all of the sudden... 
he would read a phrase in English...

"L-O-V-E and K-I-S-S"...

"when one door closes, another door opens".

Finally...

he stops to make a joke to the crowd and we slip out... 

giggling hysterically...

and walk out into the brisk night air.

Frankfurt is coolness...

and we loved our time with friends.