Frankfurt: a fair, and the city afterFrankfurt: a fair, and the city after

The reason was the Messe — badge on, halls of it, the Festhalle/Messe stop becoming muscle memory by day two. Frankfurt does business with an efficiency that’s almost relaxing.

But the city has a quieter trick it pulls after the badge comes off. The Römerberg at night — 15th-century gabled houses with the banking skyline glowing right behind them — is the whole place in a single frame: old and new, standing politely next to each other.

Cold, bright, well-organised, and yes, the alcohol-free Weissbier still counts. A good first handshake with Germany.