At the end of a long and demanding Friday – and an equally relentless seventy-plus-hour workweek – Franzi, a successful corporate hotshot at the center of Frankfurt’s male-dominated financial district, finally shut down her laptop. She wished her associates a good evening and weekend, gathered her things, grabbed her handbag, and left her office on the 34th floor, determined to reward herself with a proper dinner and a drink – or two.
Franziska – as her staff respectfully calls her – wore one of her many tailored two-piece skirt suits, seasonally paired with black, soft-shaft boots. As she strode past his desk, her assistant muttered a barely audible “Cute.” Franzi paused, turned around, and responded with one of her captivating smiles and a soft, effortless “Thank you.” His face immediately flushed crimson.
First things first: bubbles (I hope you remember my posting on bubble classification and denomination). A stylish bar downtown provided exactly what she needed. The first glass of Crémant fizzed lightly, the crisp acidity cutting through the mental fog of meetings, numbers, and decisions. With every sip, the week loosened its grip just a little more.
From there, Franzi continued on to a restaurant in walking distance, nestled in a park along the river “Main.” Both, restaurant and park are named after the wife of a mid-19th-century bank director, a woman famed for hosting one of Frankfurt’s most influential salons. These salons – private gatherings for discussion, readings, and music – had once drawn together nobility, intellectuals, artists, politicians, Jewish citizens, and military officers alike, transcending rigid class and religious boundaries. Franzi likes places with history and significance, as I am sure you know; they reminded her that power had always taken many different forms.
As she approached, the waiter opened the door for her with a practiced smile: “Nice to see you again, Ms. Franziska. I hope you had a successful day. We’ve reserved your favorite table.”
Franzi sat down, taking in the atmosphere, her breath and pulse slowly easing. She studied the menu and decided on two courses only: soup and fish.
First course: Light cabbage foam soup, kimchi, sour cream, and chili oil Sichuan style
Slowly, the tension melted away – helped along by the restaurant’s warm lighting, the unhurried attentiveness of the staff, a perfectly chilled glass of white Burgundy, and the first real food since the hurried breakfast, consumed on her way into the office that morning. The flavors grounded her, pulling her back into the present. And the chili oil did wonders to remove the slight chill she had felt since leaving the office building.
Then the second course came: Charcoal-grilled char, aubergine (egg pant), fermented plum, lemon
After dinner and an espresso, Franzi felt pleasantly heavy, yet relaxed. The world seemed softer at the edges, as if time itself has agreed to pause for a moment. The subtle glow of satisfaction from having been well cared for and well fed unfortunately vanished quickly, when Franzi’s thoughts came back to the rest of her week.
Although tired already, one thought crossed her mind and refused to leave again: She remembered a colleague mentioning a new wine bar that had recently opened—conveniently located along her route home. Tonight felt like the right moment to explore something new. One more glass, she decided. Just one.
At the wine bar
Finally, after a fourteen-hour workday, trying to save the financial world – or at least her corner of it, and two hours of culinary delights – Franzi arrived home.
She slipped out of her suit and into something soft and comfortable, sank into her sofa, and reopened her laptop. The glow of the screen illuminated her living room as she skimmed through updates, messages, and last-minute developments. With a quiet sigh, she began reshuffling her weekend plans – once again making room for business demands that refused to respect the boundaries between work and life.
Confession: All bogus and nonsense, of course. But what do you think? Did you enjoy my little made-up story? Merry Christmas to all of you!
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