Here I am today, writing about my latest journey in a city I had never visited before: Dusseldorf in West Germany. Upon arrival, this charming city welcomed me with a spectacular sunset setting over DUS airport, absolutely magical! The flight from London to Dusseldorf takes just a little over one hour, one of the reasons why my heart is in the air…line industry 😊!

Düsseldorf Airport (DUS) is the third busiest airport in Germany, following Frankfurt and Munich. With two runways and over 25 million passengers handled last year, it’s quite remarkable for a city with 600,000 residents. The airport comprises three passenger terminals connected by a central spine, although these terminals are essentially halls within a single terminal building.

Located approximately 7 kilometres north of the city center, the airport is easily accessible through public transport, making all areas of the airport conveniently reachable.

This time, my mission is to reconnect with my fabulous and very good friend, Paolita. I flew with British Airways, and fortunately, the flight arrived earlier than planned. Upon arrival, my new mobile network, Vodafone, pleasantly greeted me with a text, assuring that I wouldn’t incur extra charges while in Germany, as my UK plans cover the entirety of Europe. (Luckily, Brexit has not impacted us in this regard yet!)

After leaving the airport, I expected to find Paolita waiting for me. However, as it happens, I realised I had exited from the wrong side of the building, contrary to the specific instructions she had given me earlier…oops!. Fortunately, she forgave my little mishap and welcomed me with an amazing hug, an embrace eight years overdue! I was genuinely thrilled to see the lady in the red coat. Reconnecting with her and being welcomed into her house and life for the upcoming days filled me with gratitude. Despite the distance and the passing years, it was magical to feel that our connection had not been lost. The night continued with a delightful reciprocal storytelling catch-up about our lives, a truly great moment to share, and for that, I was truly appreciative.

I promised Paola that I would strive to be a good guest and make an effort not to inadvertently break her vacuum cleaner while assisting with chores (as I did in Velletri when trying to help my friend Bonita clean her house!). Nonetheless, life is unquestionably better with friends.

Dusseldorf Introduction

Divided by the Rhine River, Dusseldorf is a thriving city in the west of Germany, renowned for its vibrant fashion and art scene. I had the pleasure of exploring numerous places and engaging in various activities, which I’ll now summarise in the following lines.

Scenery Walk to Altstadt:

It took me a leisurely 40 minutes to walk from Paolita’s house to the renowned Old Town, Altstadt. I must say, I thoroughly enjoyed this stroll along the Rhine promenade, listening to my favourite tunes and captivated by the river’s beauty. Passing by charming gardens, including the Rheingartchen, heightened the experience before reaching Altstadt, Dusseldorf’s historic old town.

I found Altstadt to be a truly charming area, brimming with character, and boasting an impressive number of pubs (apparently more than 260!), local breweries, cocktail bars, restaurants, and various cool cafes scattered throughout a network of pedestrian alleyways. As I explored, I encountered unique buildings, including the handsome Schifffahrtmuseum and Kunstammlung, better known as K21 (I’ll delve into this one later). The opera, along with other art venues like the Tonhalle Concert Hall, contributes to Düsseldorf’s well-earned reputation for its vibrant art scene.

I also had the fortune to meet one of my fellow Couchsurfers, a kind young man named Ahmed. He graciously took me for a walk around Hafen, one of the most affluent areas in the city. The atmosphere at that moment felt somewhat cold and solitary, perhaps due to the still chilly weather for my liking.

Girls Night Out

The evening unfolded with a return to Altstadt, where we caught a glimpse of Rumba Latina before making our way to Sir Walker, one of the city’s popular nightlife spots. Not exactly my usual scene, but the great company of the girls it was a enjoyable night out. I engaged in conversations with fellow party-goers while sipping on one of Paola’s recommended cocktails, the “Mosque-Mule.”

Nacht der Museen – Night of Museumms

I was fortunate enough to be in Dusseldorf during the annual event, Nacht der Museen – Night of Museums. The event, which takes place once a year, happened to coincide with my visit. It runs from 7 pm until 2 am, allowing you to explore multiple museums within that time frame at a reduced cost of 12 Euros. The only downside? It was incredibly crowded! Patience became a virtue on this particular night of museums.

Aquazoo Lobbecke Museum

This is an impressive place that seamlessly combines the best of a natural history museum with exquisite displays of marine species, all housed under one roof. Throughout the visit, I couldn’t help but think about how much my son would have enjoyed this particular experience.

The only hiccup was that all the labelling around the species was exclusively in German, with no information available in English.

Kunstammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen o better known as K21:

Until 1988, this building served as the seat of the Parliament of North Rhine-Westphalia. It features four wings with numerous arcades surrounding the core plaza. Undoubtedly, it is a contemporary museum building infused with both history and character. The entire space, comprising a hall for temporary exhibitions on the ground floor and upper galleries, spans an impressive 5300 m² of art space!

What a delightful museum! We even had the chance to experience a piece of real art first-hand. We climbed along an actual piece of art by Thomas Saraceno, an Argentinean artist. The exhibition, called “In Orbit,” provided both a wonderful and somewhat anxious experience!

In Orbit: Suspended at a height of over 25 meters directly above the central plaza, sits this giant art installation titled “In Orbit.” Inspired by the air spider, the artist Tomás Saraceno seems to attempt to resemble an unreal landscape of a shadowy sky where the sky is not the limit of a world but rather the canvas for a multitude of universal forms in motion.

As we entered the area, we couldn’t help but feel a bit edgy, despite my attempts to convince myself that this was a piece of cake and to act as natural as possible. While descending, I could distinctly feel the movements of others through the numerous vibrations. Thank goodness, I never looked down; otherwise, I would have been terrified. Paola was braver than me in that regard! “In Orbit” was strategically conceived and arranged by Saraceno, along with engineers, architects, and biologists, from 2011 to 2013 to create a spatial condition with meticulous precision, resembling the structure of a spider’s web.

Truly a fantastic place to visit if you’re patient enough to endure the queues during the Night of the Museums event!.

City Grazing:

The next morning, I embarked on a two-hour walk while Paolita was still happily asleep. During this time, I encountered a delightful surprise it was a sunny day, I mean a proper sunny day of spring! I had the blessing to observe various aspects of local life, witnessing many families pushing their bikes around, while others enjoyed serene picnics along the riverbank. It truly offered an inspiring city view.

One thing that particularly caught my attention was a large group of sheep and goats happily grazing along the river. I wondered about the reason behind this, so I turned to my best friend, and everyone’s best friend, Mr. Google, to find out more.

Enjoyably, I discovered that City grazing is an early stage project that has been developed to inspire a sustainable way of managing weed in urban areas. I found it bizarre at first, the more I looked at it the more bizarre I found it, yet I thought it was a fantastic idea. City grazing is an innovative and sustainable lifestyle, which functions as an ecological solution to weed control, where goats and sheep are borrowed to the naturally clear public and private land.

This practice eliminates the need for toxic herbicides, chemicals, and fuel-powered lawn mowers. The animals play a crucial role in clearing areas that would otherwise be inaccessible to people or machines. Additionally, the goats contribute to restoring soil fertility by providing organic fertilizer. City grazing has proven to be a great alternative for clearing and maintaining urban landscapes and parks, a practice popular in other cities worldwide, such as San Francisco and Paris.

Fischmarkt – Fish Market

My last day in Dusseldorf was absolutely delightful, with brilliant weather. Paola and I enjoyed a pleasant stroll along the Rhine, passing the old town and heading towards the Rhine Tower. We meandered through the attractive modern buildings in the nearby wharf, encountering beautiful trees and green scenery along the route. There was a great vibe, with many people enjoying picnics on this gorgeous sunny spring day until we reached the Fish Market.

The Sunday Fish Market, located at Tonhallenufer, opens only on specific dates. I was lucky to be there precisely when the market was on, especially on this lovely sunny day. Contrary to what you might think, the market is not just about fish; there are plenty of other vendors offering flowers, fruits, vegetables, plants, clothing, and various other items. Shopping at this lively market can always be topped off with a chilled local Altbier or tasty snacks, all while enjoying live music from talented local musicians.

And as if your thoughts had turned into reality, while walking along the promenade, I thought I heard the sounds of Latin-salsa music. Naturally, we approached the source and found ourselves amidst a group of salsa dancers practicing Cuban salsa. The lively music was skillfully played by Marcos Echavarria from Arriba Rio.

What an excellent way to conclude my Dusseldorf experience! With a great friend, a fantastic atmosphere, wonderful music, perfect weather, and captivating dance! Absolutely amazing!

“You do not travel to arrive, but to travel.”

A city is not gauged by its length and width, but by the broadness of its vision and the height of its dreams. Herb Caen

Sending you lots of Love

🙏

 

Jenny