We ate a late breakfast on Sunday and then got ready to go and took a tram ride to Ratingen to check out our new town. We saw our apartment from the outside; looks like we have quite a few windows and a tree. Not much to look at from the outside, it's the inside that counts. But some nice red hanging geraniums would look great against the white stucco. Would stay alive too. There are palm trees growing here!!!! Maybe we brought too many warm things!
The town itself is lovely...and I found a Thai massage place that I am dying to try out. There are many shops, restaurants and the town square is very quaint complete with a couple of men playing accordion near the 700 year old church. It's Catholic too. Took a lot of photos only to have error show up on that dumb Sony camera and then it reformatted my camera... Which means that it erased ALL photos. Yeah. Sigh........
I wanted to go to Kaiserswerth to see how E would get to school. A bus goes there directly and drops her off right in front of her school and takes 15 min. However, if she misses that bus, it's a 30 to 40 min wait til the next one. She could take the tram too, but it goes south back into Dusseldorf, then north to her school and takes triple the time.
Kaiserswerth is a sleepy little backwater in the country with the Rhein on one side and pastoral farmer fields on the other. Everyone goes there to cycle along the Rhein and in fact there are many walking and bicycle paths along the way. I finally got my wish to sit on a bench and watch the Rhein traffic go by. Fast for the barges going north since the Rhein runs northwards. The slower traffic was going south and had to pull harder against the flow of the fast moving river. Tour boats stop in Kaiserswerth from Dusseldorf to let people off and on, then on to Cologne.
We stayed for awhile. There is something idyllic and relaxing about watching river traffic flow by. The barges are owned by families who live right on it. The river is their home. Watching river traffic seemed to be very popular since many people had the same idea as I did and every bench was taken.
Elowyn used her new Schokocard (chocolate card) which is the transit card for kids in school. Very economical at 34 euro per month for unlimited rides and she can go to many regions outside Dusseldorf too.
Her highness is now making a late lunch of spaghetti for us. Lots of clattering and crashes coming from the kitchen nook. I'm afraid to see the mess! I think I heard her say scheisse! Ah, yes, the smoothie is now on the floor....
We walk a lot every day; kilometres and kilometres. Really getting to know this city on foot! At first, my feet and back were sore by the end of the day, but now I'm getting used to being on my feet for hours at a time. Wish it was cooler though; I melt in the heat! Thus, every day I come home drenched in sweat as it is quite humid here. On Wed. it is going up to 32C which means E and I are going to an air conditioned museum that day!
We picked up a new resident book for museum and other discounts for 5 euros. Many museums are free with the coupon or discounted, like a free Dusseldorf magnet, and Victorinox is even giving us a free tomato knife. Now how's that for a German welcome?!?
As for fashion, E and I noticed a lot of men wearing salmon coloured pants. All shades of salmon from light to deep. They usually wear a navy blue shirt with it, or blazer. It actually looks really good.Tattoos not really popular here unless people sporting them are covering them up. People very fashionable here and match their running shoes to their outfits. No shorts unless you're a kid, or a tourist! They certainly like their trousers! On Wed. fashion be damned because in the heat, I'll be wearing my Bermudas come hell or high water!
No hat culture though, at least not in Dusseldorf. I guess I'm going to have to start a new trend. I already found a fabulous hat store in Ratingen.
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