Dusseldorf

Today I decided to repent for yesterday’s oversleepiness and catch a morning train to Dusseldorf, another quaint German town on the Rhine. The German train system is highly efficient, with the station a mere 10 minutes walk from my hotel. Cologne it a hub of sorts, with a train going by every minute on average. I also gotta say, that the entire city is incredibly clean. Back alleys, main thoroughfares, even the train station is spotless.

There were 2 trains per hour going to Dusseldorf. Walking into the station there was an info desk with English-speaking folks to help you find the right ticket as well. The train was super-quiet, and 25 minutes later I arrived at my destination.

Walking out of the train station in Dusseldorf, the city looks like any other modern city. Within 10 minutes, however, you are transported back 300+ years as you enter ”old” Dusseldorf. It amazes me what “old” really means. In the US, anything pre 1950’s is considered old. Here, we’re talking 3-500 years or more!

What’s nice is that the city has recently renovated the waterfront boulevard. This would be a great place to rent a bike and ride around. I was going to do that but the bike shops weren’t open when I got there.

Which brings me to my next point. The whole city seemed to be asleep until 11am. I’m not just talking about the waterfront and tourist areas, but even the “downtown” area near the train station. It all seemed deserted. It was hard to even find a cafe open until 10am! I need to find a job here. 

By noon, however, the streets were bustling. I walked around a bit, checking out most of the old churches. I also walked down “Ko” strasse, Dusseldorf’s version of Rodeo drive. Gucchi, Cartier, etc. It’s known as the place to see and be seen. The street is lined with outdoor cafe’s near the road, with the sidewalk sandwiched between the cafe seats and the storefronts. What’s odd though, is all the seats are turned to face the sidewalk. It’s clearly the place for people watching.

In the afternoon, I caught the train back to Cologne, went for a run, and now I am sitting behind a 1 way mirror waiting for our first focus group to begin.

With that, I’ll leave you with yet another parting shot of The Dom. You’ll notice this one matches my evening shot from yesterday’s post. Time to go to work now.