FRANZISKA OUT AND ABOUT

First, my excuse for not having posted in almost one month. We were on vacation and had a pretty busy program. And I needed a break from blogging. Maintaining a blog is more work and requires more consistency and diligence in research than you might think. In mid-March, Franzi had another great day out-and-about on her home turf in Frankfurt. It was a full day en femme again with two outfits and hence two postings. The day started as so often with a visit to Kleinmarkthalle, Franzi’s favorite lunch location in the heart of Frankfurt. Unfortunately, my most common lunch place had no space left – not even a single stool in a corner. For that reason, I ended up at that small Italian mom-and-pop stall I had talked about before, where I enjoyed a glass of wine with some bread and cheese. While I was strolling through Kleinmarkthalle, I received an unsolicited compliment from a gentleman, who said “ If I may say, this is a great look.“ But let us start at the beginning. My outfit for the day...

After a relaxed day out-and-about, I went home to freshen up and to change into an outfit suited for an evening at „Alte Oper“ Frankfurt. I am not a fan of waltzes and polkas, but if you have as few chances to spend an evening out en femme as I do, you cannot be picky about what you get to see and hear. That evening at “Alter Oper,” the “Original Kendlinger's K&K Philharmoniker und Ballett” performed their “Wiener Johann Strauß Konzert-Gala,” (Vienna Johann Strauß Concert-Gala), sort of a potpourri of songs composed by Johann Strauss and some of his like-minded contemporaries. Johann Strauß (II, the son, the younger) was an Austrian composer of the 19 th  century with the byname “Waltz King,” who composed some 500 pieces of music. He should not be confused with Richard Strauß, a German composer of operas of the late 19 th  century, e.g. of “Ariadne on Naxos.” Portrait of the evening Standing cute in my LBD in the lobby of “Alte Oper” Frankfurt Dinner at the same Italian re...

Let us move into 2025, a year that – not even half-way through – has already seen 9 outings. This first opportunity presented itself as a half-day outing, hence, after work, just for the evening. The outfit of the evening consisted of burgundy faux leather pants, a silky white shirt, and a black blazer, combined with a comfy black coat. On the subway. Did you notice the (for the most part) matching pants, handbag, and gloves, and the black and burgundy scarf? I love it. A little bit of shopping And dinner at an Italian restaurant. Fortunately, oysters are a popular item in numerous cuisines across the globe. At one point, I am going to a run a series of Franzi oyster shots. What do you notice in this picture? Correct, January has been a dry month for us for several years, and 2025 was no exception. After this visit to a rather classy Italian restaurant, Franzi visited Frankfurt’s “Club Voltaire.” There are several clubs in Germany with that name, but this one is the oldest thereof. Epo...

That evening in 2017, Franzi went to see a ballet performance. And it was a really great performance. Preceding the show, two huge live projections onto the curtain showed the two main protagonists, one male and one female, for around 10 minutes, during their warmup routine. Fascinating. Franzi had picked her favorite LBD and red blazer; incidentally, the very same combination as during her recent visit to the opera in Düsseldorf ( Link ). That dress must be one the oldest items in her cabinet and I remember buying it together with my wife, one for her and one for Franzi, more than 10 years ago. Unfortunately, we have yet to go out together  both  wearing them. Looking at these pictures, I am also reminded of those 8 cm black heels. They were perfect with the outfit, but I remember having difficulties balancing in them  and  people, mostly women, following me with their eyes. Nowadays, I am more of a pro wearing heels  and  more modest in choosing the heigh...

What else can you learn from looking back at your archives? You have aged! Ageing isn’t bad in and by itself, though. I am at peace with my age, fem or male, drag or drab. If there is one thing that crossdressing can do for you, it can make you look significantly younger. Franzi very recently had a conversation with a man at a hotel bar late in the evening and somehow the conversation lead to the question of age. When I told him that I am in my late 50s, his jaw dropped and he didn’t want to believe me. I was looking particularly cute and well made-up that evening, though, despite the fact that I had been out-and-about since 10 am. Portrait of the day. This is the same wig I still often wear today. However, it was before I started to regularly have it professionally groomed and styled. Obviously! Incidentally, I just picked it up at my hairdresser yesterday and it looks fantastic. And I was still a little chubby. But some cute legs, don’t you agree?

Regular readers to my blog will know that I have covered several years of Franzi days out-and-about by now; to be precise: 2018 to 2024. I have also recently shared a picture from my very first day out-and-about in 2013. Hence, there are five more years of historic Franzi pictures and stories to be shared – as we go along. The year 2017 has seen 20 outings of Franzi, some of them as short as three to four hours during a weeknight. Let’s take a look at the first three of them, before we move to into 2025. Portrait of the evening A little odd, that red scarf, don’t you think? A somewhat adolescent look, I nowadays think. I still own that necklace, but nowadays find few occasions to wear it. Why is that? It looks like I am carrying a briefcase. What was I thinking? Or was I coming home from the office? Stay tuned for my next posting to find the answer to these three questions.

After that lovely afternoon out on the town, followed a lovely evening out. Franzi went to “Alte Oper” again, of which all of my regular readers have heard numerous times. It is more of a concert and musical venue, whereas operas are being performed that the Frankfurt Opera house. That evening in mid-October, Joja Wendt, a German pianist and composer performed his current solo program. Throughout his career, he has played with several great international musicians. He is also known for his Boogie-Woogie. It was a really fun performance, as he is not only a great piano player but also a great story teller. Franziska wore black pants and a red blouse. The wide pants consist of several layers, are quite heavy, and are lined in satin. Wearing some fine nylons underneath is pure bliss. You know what I mean, don’t you? You simply can’t stop playing with them, tugging on them, because is feels electrifying. The red crinkle blouse is from the same Scandinavian brand and looks and feels fantast...

After the change of outfit – pants to LBD – there was a little time left to kill before heading to the Düsseldorf opera. And as the hotel had a – not very spectacular – rooftop bar, there was little better to do than to pay a visit. On the left, you can see a glimpse of the river Rhein, flowing north towards the Netherlands and the “Oberkasseler” bridge crossing it. The area below the bridge is the “old town” of Düsseldorf. At the opera house … … enjoying a drink before the performance. I love this red blazer. It is a very, very bright red. Let’s talk about what happened on stage that night. “The Flying Dutchman” is a legend about a ship’s captain who was cursed to stay on board of his ship, without being able to make a port or for the captain to decease. “Flying Dutchman” is the name of his ghost ship. The story is supposed to have originated in the 17 th  century during the Golden Age of the Dutch East India Company and was first documented in 1790. Richard Wagner’s opera „The Fl...