Wednesday, July 17, 2013

진선미 (眞善美)

The inscription on the frieze of Alte Oper (Old Opera) reads, "Dem Wahren Schönen Guten" (To the true, the beautiful, the good) or in Chinese, "眞善美".  I let out a faint sigh as I stared at the inscription. I am far from these ideals. All I have was a camera to take in whatever beauty I could capture as I find my way closer to them.

Dem Wahren Schönen Guten (To the true, the beautiful, the good)

Alte Oper, otherwise known as the old opera house, was built in 1880, financed wholly by the people of Frankfurt. During WWII, 80% of Frankfurt's buildings was completely destroyed and Alte Oper was not spared either. After the war, it was rebuilt, again with support and donations from the citizens. Today, the building serves as a concert hall and is home to all sorts of entertainment at the heart of the city.

Alte Oper (Old Opera)

The square in front of Alte Oper is called the Opernplatz (Opera Square). A 2-week food and beer festival was going on as the locals welcomed the start of summer holiday. "Summer holiday" is a remote term to me, but having the chance to mingle with the crowd at the festival, I caught on the holiday mood. My own celebration was a good meal of bratwurst (German sausage), no booze though.

Coffee brewing at the mobile coffee cart

This is how life should be lived - have a break and drink

A row of quaint old buildings by the side of Alte Oper

Alfresco cafes everywhere. When outdoor temperature was less than 20°C, no sweat at all.

Alte Oper at 11pm. Drinking crowd has yet to disperse.

Dining crowd has dwindled

Italian food stall calling it a day

Calling it a day for myself too

2 comments:

  1. From the looks of it, you're having a great time traveling. Have you been to any concerts or museums since arriving?

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    1. No concert or museum. It was a short trip

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