(2 Votes)

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Planning
Going to Düsseldorf by car was my idea. Gwen^[1] was telling me about visiting a friend in Düsseldorf, by train. As I had a similar experience two years ago, I proposed to rent a car and have some fun together. The best part is that I came only with the idea. Martin and Gwen handled the rest (renting a car, checking gas prices, mapping routes).

Issues
Till Friday all was done, except a little thing that slipped our mind: Gwen doesn’t know to drive a stick-shift. Imagine: in the U.S., they actually give you the driver license on an automatic shift.

So, I^[2] was teaching Gwen about the “extra” pedal called the clutch. Things started OK, on the first try Gwen actually started the windshield wipers^[3]. After a nice test ride in the city all was prepared. We went home to pack and started our journey.

Well … not quite, a few meters of the parking lot Gwen managed to place the car in the middle of the road and because being stressed and all she couldn’t manage the fine moves of the clutch and gas pedal required to get the car moving forwards. OK, we moved … in small steps, hick-ups, engine dying, engine start, car shaking, hick-ups engine dying. As this kind of movement was killing the engine, building a long queue behind us and was not getting measurable results, I^[2] had to take over and drive a few blocks to a parking area.

After refining my training techniques we managed to get the car moving and circled around the city for about 25 minutes trying to find our way to the Highway circles around Rotterdam. The trip was a nice one, I love Dutch highways … they are among the best in the world. At around 11 pm we arrived in Düsseldorf and Gwen’s friend was waiting for us with dinner laid on the table in the nice little garden behind their house.

The city
In the following 2 days we made extensive walks around the city and alongside of the Rhine. Düsseldorf has about 600.000 inhabitants but in a normal day, the city seems really small. I loved the old castle, the small houses and statues, the fountains, the city parks, the small river harbors, the seamless merge between old and new. The city host many cafes and restaurants blended into the old part of the city that gives them a special flavor and the Rhine completes the picture. It’s nice, everyone wants you as a customer and the chill atmosphere makes gives you complete relaxation.

We bought souvenirs, natural gummy candies, very good ice cream and of course the traditional bratwurst :)

As we walked on the other side of the Rhine, in some remote places small real sand beaches were available. We spent some time dipping our feet in water gathering sea shells and small rocks :).

Amusement park
On the other side of the Rhine a huge amusement park was built just for this summer, so we couldn’t resist the temptation :D.

I went on just 2 rides. The first ride was … ahem … interesting. As I was strapping myself in the seat, and the safety bar coming down I thought: “I won’t scream! I’ve already done this in an airplane.”. No sh*t! I nearly wet my pants and I screamed my head off. These people are crazy! My hands still hurt from the strong grip of the safety bar.

The Second ride was more gentle, but still stirring my insides out. I just wanted to know how it feels. Now I know. I’m not sure I will do it again.

After saying our goodbyes we were on the road again … the wrong one :D. Some turns later, we got onto the highway and the rest of the ride was smooth with no major incidents. I guess we have to thank Gwen that she didn’t manage to kill us in the process. When I look back I say to myself: “That was really stupid … and bold”^[4]. :D.

Over and out,
The Lion.^[5]

1. Annual Report CEEDer. [»]
2. No driver license, failed my driving written exam 3 times. [»] [»]
3. In the U.S. some cars have gear shifting on the wheel. [»]
4. Thanks for letting me coin this term Gwen. [»]
5. The song to this post is: The Postal Service – Such Great Heights. Open “Lion’s Radio” and scroll down to listen to it. [»]