Atlantica - 01.06.2001, Side 35

that I passed by on my way back from
museum hopping.
I’m lured by the scent of grilled meat.
Schillerstrassen Markt is lively this after-
noon, food stands by the dozens extend
down the surrounding streets: chicken,
kebabs, pork (of course), fish. You name
it. There are fruit stands, and for those
with strong stomachs, cheese galore
(smells like !#*+). From skateboarders
performing stunts over crates to the
fashion elite and financiers, Frankfurters
are out in full force for this Friday tradi-
tion. It’s a party. All are invited.
One special feature of Schillerstrassen
Markt are the wine stands. They seem to
be the most popular attraction, aside
from the omnipresent pork coaches with
Porky Pig’s image painted on them.
Time to saddle up to one of those waist
high tables. No thanks, I’ll pass on the
bratwurst.
NIGHTLIFE
Twilight. The photographer and I head
to the bridges for some shots of the sil-
houetted skyline. As the Main River
waters below, my photographer shoots
the beautiful images that will spread
through the pages of our magazine. I
strum through the trusty guide book.
Frankfurt has been a financial centre
from the get go, having been linked with
international commerce, trade and
transportation throughout its 1,200-odd
years of history. Today, the city hosts
over 70 international fairs each year,
including the famed Frankfurt Book Fair,
which attracts over 250,000 visitors. So,
despite the fact that I traded in my busi-
ness degree for an MFA and a career in
writing (a life of certain poverty), it
makes perfect sense to be standing on
this bridge staring at the tallest building
in Europe, the 298 m-high Commerz-
bank building.
What makes more sense, though, is to
grab a beer in the Sachsenhausen dis-
trict. On one of my fact-finding tours I
stopped off at the enormous youth hos-
tel Haus der Jugend, located in
Sachsenhausen – south of the Main
River – and spoke with Anahita
Hedayatnia. In between checking in the
herds of backpackers, she insisted that
Sachsenhausen “is where all the fun is”.
Hey, I like fun. So after my photogra-
pher shoots roll after roll of Fuji film, we
stretch over to the winding, cobblestone
streets of Alt-Sachsenhausen.
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