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Frankfurt am Main

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  My first visit to Frankfurt dated 1991. My friends and I had a 6-week tour in various European cities. Frankfurt was a two-day visit. Programmes for both days: museum. I went to  Heidelberg  on the second day. So, my impression and memories of Frankfurt were very shallow. Throughout the years, I came again for work and visiting friends in between but had no chance for sightseeing.  In mid-April 2026, I returned to Frankfurt to visit ex-colleagues and friends. My ex-colleagues, Jörg and Sabrina, prepared a nice surprise for me. They took me around to see the revived old town of Frankfurt. Many Fachwerkhäuser (half-timber houses) were damaged / destroyed during the Second World War. Römer remained but many others disappeared. The old town centre was filled with the tasteless Technical Town Hall and used as a car park. A renewal project was undertaken to reconstruct old houses in the original style and a few new buildings harmonious to the old ones. Information ...

Kleinmarkthalle (Small Market Hall)

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  I undertook a quick research for what to see in Frankfurt. The big spots are Römer , New Old Town , Cathedral , River Main , Museumsurfer , Sachsenhausen , etc. Bingo! My ex-colleagues, Jörg and Sabrina, brought me to all the popular spots (without prior discussion) and perhaps only locals know it best – Kleinmarkthalle .   Located in the heart of the city, Kleinmarkthalle offers over 1,500 square meters of space with more than 60 stalls selling fruits, vegetables, meat, fish, cheese, baked goods, and international gourmet foods.   I don't understand how the part of name 'klein' (small) comes from. It is big indeed! Vibrance, colours, fantastic smell, crowds, top-tier gastronomy, tradition and modern are my impressions of the Kleinmarkthalle . It has been opened since 1954. Yes, over 70 years. And, it doesn’t stay in the past but evolves and diversifies, from traditional market food stalls to regional and international products and delicacies. One can choose to buy the...

The Discovery of Étretat – Monet and Various Contemporary Painters

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I visited Frankfurt again, after two decades. My ex-colleagues Jörg and Sabrina spent wonderful time with me. On my last day with Sabrina, she took me to the Städel Museum to see the exhibition of Étretat , fabulous paintings by Claude Monet , Eugène Delacroix , Gustave Courbet , Henri Matisse , Johann Wilhelm Schirmer , Eugène Le Poittevin , as well as Camille Corot , Eugène Boudin and Elger Esser . Étretat is a picturesque seaside town on Normandy’s Alabaster Coast . Nature has carved unusual shapes out of the white cliffs. The dramatic white chalk cliffs with natural arches and the needle-like Aiguille rock were like a magnet, attracting numerous artists to capture the stunning scenes on canvas in the 19 th century. It played a pivotal role in the birth of modern painting.  Eugène Isabey It is widely considered that Eugène Isabey is among the first painters to draw the breathtaking cliffs in the 1820s. Then came Eugene Le Pottevin . His lifelike sea bathing paintings were di...