Skyper Turm (Skyper Tower)

I went to work as normal this morning - just to check that there was no repeat of last week's debacle.  Thankfully it was all quiet. 

And then I headed off to Frankfurt for Day One of the conference.  I was a bit miffed to see that my favourite bit of the journey (beside the Main) is now a building site.

The venue for the conference is a 10 minute walk from the main station. 

The first part through the tunnel was not pleasant - the underground shopping mall was full of pretty aggressive beggars.  The second part takes you through the Red Light District.  I've been told that it's nowhere near as seedy as it used to be.  OK, then I can say it's definitely still really seedy.

When you get to the end of Kaiserstraße, you can appreciate why Frankfurt has been given the nickname Mainhattan.  There is a stupendous amount of willy-waving architecture, no, sorry, really impressive skyscrapers.

Thankfully the conference isn't on the 38th floor of some glass-and-open-staircases building but in an old and posh one.  I know it's posh because: marble staircases aren't cheap, the lifts only have enough room for 4 people, the rooms we have are huge and there are comfy leather chairs.  Oh and there's way too much food to eat & more than enough coffee & water & juice to drink.

The other attendees are off tonight for a walking tour of part of the city and then dinner in an old fashioned German Kneipe.  I'm not in attendance because getting a train home at 11 at night is not my thing.