To Düsseldorf and Back Again

I am fully aware that the current season is, in fact, winter.

So painfully aware of it that I don't believe I'm going to completely thaw out unless I spend a summer in Death Valley over in California.

We've received at least a good foot of snow, and whereas I'm in a constant state of freezing-my-ass-off and wanting to be home with a cup of black tea and five blankets, my fellow Germans are sturdily plowing through and going on with day-to-day life. 

Whining, I told them about how our school back in Washington was let out for an entire week, after not even receiving half as much snow as there is here now.

They lauuughed.

[Oh Seattle, I want my rain back ):]

Nonetheless, I manned up and braved the weather, jumping on a train Saturday to see where it would take me.

Destination? Düsseldorf!

Then and now.

The last time I went there was a sunny afternoon way back in August, and only long enough to grab Nutella crêpes near the main train station with a couple other exchange students.
This time around, I actually got to check out the city-- and it did not disappoint.

So schön ist diese Stadt.

Allées überall.

Farmers' market- a Pike Place mini-me!

Ridiculously European

Quaint nooks and crannies

Basically, the city is gorgeous. Little nooks and alleyways diverging from streets lined with the most ridiculously gorgeous European storefronts make up Düsseldorf's extensive shopping district. Branching out from the city's center are tree-lined walkways and pedestrian zones leading to the Rhein river, all covered in powdered-sugar snow. 

But what really made my day was, just as I started to get hungry, turning a corner and finding a Lebanese restaurant sign right above my head.

:D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D

And so ended my almost six-month dry spell from my favorite food on the planet [other than Taco Bell. Of course.] Pita! Baklava! Rose-water tinged pastry dough! Ah! Simply a pleasant surprise that made my day:)
----------------
However, it was on the way back that things got interesting.
Being the responsible exchange student that I am, I opted for a different route back to the train station when I found myself alone on a street with a man so drunk he could barely walk in a curved line, let alone a straight one. Ducking into an adjacent road, what should have been a simple detour turned into an I-have-no-clue-where-in-Germany-I-am situation.
And since I was already lost, I decided, why not try to find that crêpe shop from way back when?
The one I visited only once, five months ago?

Reza's crêpe shop!

To make a long story short: I found it.
To make a short story interesting: The owner recognized me.
To make an interesting story interesting-er: As I was there, none other than a guy from our troupe back in August showed up. With his family being near the city, it turns out he's been frequenting the crepe shop ever since, having befriended Reza, the owner. Crêpes and tea and good conversations; I had definitely not foreseen this chance encounter.

And then when I'd just called it a day and was getting on the train, I was asked for help in broken English [and nonexistent German] from the sweetest Japanese lady ever. Foreigners have to stick together, so I steered the Gelsenkirchen-bound lady towards the right train [coincidentally, mine], and Naoko and I spent the ride exchanging stories in elementary English, and the fragments of Japanese from remnants of memories of studying that language back in sophomore year(:  
 ---------
After such a day, I didn't expect to find myself back in the city so soon, but there I was- with half the students in my grade- on an art field trip to an exhibit featuring the renowned photographer Andreas Gursky today.

Gursky

The exhibit was extremely tastefully put together, with his most famous works being highlighted, as well as new pieces, and although photography exhibits don't generally appeal to me, I found this one to be interesting and quite out of the ordinary.

The Düsseldorf T.V. tower

A double dose of Düsseldorf in one week, and this city has also managed to stake a claim to my heart. The list grows as Germany grows on me, and I can't wait to see what city holds adventures for me next:)