trinacria: I too am Frankfurt bound.

So! Recently my lovely girlfriend, tired of ten years in the Midwest,

packed her powerbook, camera and bicycle and embarked on a new
journey which brought her to Frankfurt, Germany. A week later I found

myself in a plane somewhere over the Atlantic armed with a new pair of
Chuck Ts, a camera and an insatiable hunger for beer and sausages.

I didn't really know what to expect of the city of Frankfurt or Germany for that
matter. That is not to say that I was picturing streets lined with quaint
exposed timber homes filled with umpa lumpa playing, beer guzzling,
liederhosen wearing ass clowns with bushy staches or the classic cookie cutter
bad guy from Die Hard. You know, the blond hair-blue eyed, chiseled Arian nation
soldier or the ass less chap sporting, German sheisse pornstar. AND let's not forget the
culinary traditions of the great Vaterland. Pickled cabbage, boiled meats,
dumplings, and sausage. Most people would consider that almost as unappealing as
English cuisine. Perhaps I have watched too many WWII films or had the
misfortune of seeing Beerfest. Needless to say, Germany was never on my
top places to visit. Once arriving however, I was pleasantly surprised.

Frankfurt am Main has often been referred to as Mainhattan because of its proximity to the Main river which cuts through the center of the city. The other reason is its close resemblance to Manhattan. Frankfurt is a modern metropolis built upon the ruins of an old world trading center. It is the financial heart of Germany housing most of
the head banks of central Europe. Since it is one of the primary centers of commerce in Europe, there is a huge influx of bankers, business people and international tourists that create a diverse cultural environment for a food/travel geek like me to enjoy. It is the perfect balance of old world charm and gritty urban infrastructure of
an American city.