Shortly before we left for Switzerland Jeff received the unfortunate news that one of the companies he worked on in Denver was being inspected by the big wigs... This meant he needed to fly back to the states as soon as possible to help with the inspection. So, the Tuesday after we returned from Switzerland, Jeff caught an early flight back to Colorado while I stayed in Düsseldorf to enjoy the cherry blossoms and our scheduled visitors.
Our visitors arrived about a week after Jeff left, which was a great break in the quiet day to day life of living alone. The festivities started with a visit from our Colorado friends Cassie and Riley. They stopped by for a couple days in the midst of their worldly travels. We had fun seeing the sights in Düsseldorf, enjoying the pastries, chocolate shops, outdoor market, learning how to order Alt bier and sipping drinks on the Rhine.
 |
Mustard tasting!
|
On Friday, we caught a train to Cologne where we met up with my cousin Celia and her boyfriend John. We spent Friday afternoon and evening touring Cologne. We visited the famous Cathedral, enjoyed Kölsch beer at the brewery, indulged in true German brats for dinner and ended the night soaking up the views of the city from across the Rhine. On Saturday morning, we were in for a treat… our hotel had the fanciest breakfast buffet I’ve ever seen. They had everything from fresh honey dripping off the honeycomb to at least five different fresh juices, free champagne and cheesecake for dessert. There was a meat, cheese, olive and fish bar, a yogurt station with a fresh berry syrup and a variety of granolas and other toppings, so much fresh fruit (including whole plums), a table full of different breads and jams and of course a private chef preparing personal omelets. Needless to say, we ate like royalty and enjoyed every bite! Thank you Celia for setting us up with rooms at the Hyatt!
 |
| So many locks! |
After breakfast, we split ways and said goodbye to Cassie and Riley. Celia, John and I enjoyed a short stroll in Cologne then caught a train back to Düsseldorf. On Saturday afternoon, we hit all the sights in Düsseldorf including a stop at one of the Alt bier breweries, mustard tasting at the local shop, wine at the Carlsplatz Market, Killepitsch shots from the little window, stops at two chocolate shops, a walk to the Gehry Buildings and radio tower, a special stop to see the cherry blossoms and of course drinks on the Rhine. We finished the evening with a late dinner at home consisting of the goodies we bought at the outdoor market, including fresh white asparagus (there’s a first for everything!).
 |
Farmer's Market Dinner!
|
It was so nice to have visitors while Jeff was gone, but of course it would have been better with him around (and we would have avoided a couple bumps with the trains...), but what do you do. Instead of playing with us in Düsseldorf, Jeff enjoyed his time with friends and family in Denver including going to a Rockies’ game, watching the Aves play and enjoying the Master’s live versus relying on app updates. Thankfully he’ll be back soon and we’ll be able to continue our Europe adventures together!
Comments
Post a Comment