Pops*Trips

Frankfurt

This afternoon, I flew with Lufthansa from Moscow Domodedovo to Frankfurt Am Main. It was a pretty good flight, in that I managed to sleep soundly for two hours, and a tasty strawberry pudding was served with lunch. (The pasta was not so tasty.) We arrived a little early into Frankfurt, which just gave me time to hop on the shuttle bus to my airport hotel, check in, drop off my suitcase, and brush my teeth before heading back to meet a very good friend from university, Summer, who is now a flight attendant for Lufthansa.

I have been to Frankfurt airport many times, but have never ventured downtown for one reason or another. Today, we hopped on the train to the city centre to make the most of the beautiful spring sunshine. We strolled down the main shopping street, marvelling at the smart mall with its panelled, twisted glass façade. We went inside to sample milkshakes from Dulce, one of Summer’s favourite spots for a sugar fix. We then meandered our way down to the river, basking in the sunlight after too many hours trapped indoors. Along the way, we saw the quaint, historic old town with its timber-framed buildings and magnificent town hall, bustling with people enjoying an alfresco post-work drink. An accordion player serenaded the square with a tune reminiscent of the theme to Charade, the fabulous Audrey Hepburn thriller.

We reached the river, and I was delighted when Summer pointed out the padlocks fastened along the length of the bridge by couples, many of which were monogrammed with their initials. What a sweet idea!

After a good stroll along the other side of the river, we turned back to the city centre, ready for dinner. We dined at a great Italian spot called Vapiano (Goetheplatz 1, 60313, Frankfurt), a casual, stylish and fun self service style restaurant. We were welcomed to a communal table by a group of friendly Dutch lighting designers, in town for a major trade show. The hustle and bustle of a friendly, mixed crowd of diners plus a relaxed ambience, reasonable prices and delicious food made it a hit; I enjoyed a fabulous capricciosa pizza, while Summer wolfed down a creamy pasta dish. Had we not been so stuffed after our mains, we might have tried one of the tempting desserts on offer - pannacottas and chocolate cakes looked pretty amazing - but we waddled out, full to bursting. A brief walk around the square, and it was time for me to head back to my hotel, ready for some sleep - and a shower.

I’m already looking forward to my next visit to this compact little city…