This Looking Back Series is dedicated to my Travel and Life Companion who shared with me the joys and sometimes frustrations of travelling in Europe in 2012.
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| Crowds outside Im Füchschen for a social drink |
I had a short assignment at Düsseldorf, called affectionately by my colleagues as Düdo. Every trip to this city is not complete without making a visit to the Old Town (Altstadt), which is reachable by tram from Am Seestern. The Old Town is not really old as such; almost completely destroyed during WWII, it was rebuilt according to historic plans on its foundation walls, which makes it look like a real historic town. In the evenings and at nights, the Old Town turns into the so-called "longest bar of the world". Within one square kilometre, there are over 200 bars, coffee shops and brewing houses. The old town is the home of "Altbier", a top-fermented dark beer served often in a small glass, chilled. For a non beer drinker like me, it tastes delicious nonetheless. It was in one of the brewing houses Im Füchschen that I tasted my first pork knuckle, a hearty fare packed full with cholesterol.
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| An exquisite plate at Hentrich Glass Museum |
On a more refined scale are the exhibits at the Museum Kunst Palast. The Hentrich Glass Museum contains one of Europe's largest and most comprehensive glass collections. On the ground floor is an area dedicated primarily to contemporary glass art and other decorations, amongst them some exquisite pieces that are worthy of their museum status. The strength of the museum however lies in the breadth of its collection, from antiquity to modern pieces, and from Asia, the Middle East to Europe.
