I woke up too early to a German DJ's perky good morning wishes. We weren't gonna go down for breakfast in another couple of hours, so I tamed my hair, took out my camera, opened the windows...and took drama shots. Haha. On hindsight, I'm glad I was wearing long-sleeved "conservative" PJs. Not because it was freezing, but, well, we'll get to that later. The trees didn't look so creepy anymore. It was a beautiful quiet morning in Neuss- the birds were chirping and the sun was barely up. It would've been nice to just sit on the window sill, wrapped in a thick blanket while sipping hot chocolate, but EuroShop was opening that day, and I had to work.
So, after a sumptuous meal of bacon, sausages, eggs, hash and fruits, off we went to the trade fair. It was an amazing show. New technologies, new gimmicks, spectacular booths. Every company really went out of their way to show off their stuff. Each booth had a bar and places to sit and chat, which I really appreciated. I've attended trade fairs here in Dubai, and while they were grand, nobody offered refreshments and there were few places to sit. Places to rest your tired limbs are very necessary in trade fairs, especially when you have to haul around a collection of heavy brochures and samples, in corporate heels no less. I met someone whom I've been wanting to meet for ages because he's always so nice on the phone, and he sounded like someone who looked really good. Alas, my expectations were too high. Let's just say I'm never going to base looks on voice again. Then again, who does that? He's still a nice guy though. :P
We managed to cover half the fair before we decided to head out and get some rest before exploring more of Düsseldorf. We were hoping to join the city tour that the EuroShop organizers offered, but when we inquired at the tourism booth, the tour was already fully booked. The friendly guy at the booth gave us an apologetic smile and a pretty useful map, so useful that we realized we really didn't need to join a tour group after all. We saved 20 euros each, and I got to use my legendary navigation skills. :D
Königsallee, the shopping district was fascinating. A tree-lined avenue with a canal running through, oh-so-adorable puppies that almost looked like the owners they were walking along with, boutiques in old-fashioned buildings, historical fountains, and an odd guy with a garbage can over his head- every step was a postcard moment. We made it to the Rhein promenade just as the sun was setting, and it was breathtaking. The river was calm, the wind was just right, there was a perfect view of modern downtown and the charming old town. An old castle tower watched over everything and everyone- little girls pushing their doll carts, sweethearts cuddling in the cold, tourists taking photos, the city slowly coming to life as the sun gave way to the night lights. Walked back to Altstadt for dinner, and this time, we had roast pork, potatoes and German beer. I'd like to think we made up for the Pizza Hut and the Guinness we had the previous night. Germany must've been pleased. After dinner, I walked around to try to burn all that sin and though I did try to get lost in dark alleys with vine covered walls, I found myself right in front of Zara. There must've been a magnetic pull or something. My lack of a significant amount of Euros discouraged me from entering, so I dragged my drooling self away and continued on my mini adventure. A couple of drunks here, a cute guy there, adorable puppies jumping around- it was a pretty pleasant walk.
We had an entertaining cabbie on the way back to the hotel. A Polish guy who knew a lot about the Philippines. We asked if he had a Filipino wife, he didn't. He just happened to like geography and knew a lot about other countries. Cool guy. And he drove a Benz. Which really wasn't something amazing in Germany. According to him, it was crap.
It was a productive day, overall. So productive that I fell asleep as soon as I laid my head on the brand new pillow on my bed.
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