FRANZISKA OUT AND ABOUT

Opera – again – some of my readers might say. I have received comments here on my blog and also on CDH, from sisters that apparently do not like operas. And I fully understand that one might not like operas. I have seen operas I did not like. But I have also very much been surprised and inspired by operas. In general, I enjoy the drama of operas, their language(s) and poetry, the impressive skills and professionalism of the actors and musicians, and the artistic complexity that many of them display. I also like the historical and cultural significance and heritage of this classical art form. But I also understand the reasons for which people dislike operas, such as their length, old-fashioned context, vocal style, and foreign languages, often requiring preparation and pre-reading, or their pace and complexity, or their high cost in terms of ticket price and limited accessibility, requiring travel and accomodation. Moreover, operas may be perceived as exclusive and elitist. Tell me what...

As I had reported in my previous posting, the key purpose of this day out-and-about in mid-April 2025 was Franzi’s visit to the hairdresser for an in-salon appointment. I had made that appointment two months earlier and I had dropped off my long blonde wig at the hairdresser four week earlier. A full-scale treatment, consisting of washing, pin curlers, drying, styling was not possible with a wig that only loosely sits on my head. After my wonderful lunch at "Kanonesteppel," I arrived wearing my medium length blonde wig that you already know from my last posting, and I was placed in the hairdresser’s chair. In the background, my washed, treated, and to-be-styled wig. After removal of the pin curlers, my hairdresser first worked on it with his hands and fingers, drawing out the curls. You can see how this unfolds in the following pictures. He then placed it on my head and continued to style it. What do you think? Is that a fun and worthwhile thing to do en femme? I left the oth...

This Saturday in mid-April 2025 was special for several reasons. Having worn three different wigs within one day was only one of them. I had started to plan this day out-and-about about two months earlier by calling Franzi’s hairdresser – the one who has been washing and styling my wigs for several years – for an appointment. This time it was not to drop off or pick up a wig, but to have an in-salon appointment for a styling. He and I had talked about that before and this time I made an appointment for early afternoon today. It was time for Franzi to experience that feminine pleasure of sitting in a salon and have somebody work on your hair to make you look the most attractive. It was a warm and sunny day and I decided on one of my short and colorful summer dresses, with 5 denier nylons, white sandals, and a white blazer – just in case. Portraits of the day. Granted, this wig urgently needed to be taken care of. As many times before, I took the bus from our local bus stop to Südbahnhof...