Hallo Deutschland!!!
I had so much fun with my girls in Germany!
Oh, and did I mention this is my first time in Europe? I know, I don't know why I waited so long. But I love that Germany ended up being my first European country, even if it was just a small corner of the country.
This weekend all came about when my friend R realized that there was a Pentatonix concert in Cologne AND our friend H lived near Dusseldorf. We'd been wanting to visit her but you know it's hard to schedule something last minute, especially when it includes 15+ hour transit. But all three of us checked our schedules...and it somehow all worked out!
June was the perfect time to visit, in my opinion. The weather was perfect, with everyone eating outside. Apparently Germans eat outside as much as possible, especially when the weather is nice. I would think that a restaurant was full because all the outdoor seats were be taken, but then when we stepped inside the restaurant there are a whole bunch of seats that were open. I quickly learned that the outdoor seats were the most popular.
We were also there during white asparagus season, and let me tell you, Germans love their spargel. Every restaurant had a special spargel menu to celebrate this joyous season, and we definitely took advantage of it. We had so many types of spargel and they were all delicious.
We also spent a day in Cologne, exploring the city before the concert. The cathedral was massive and there was so much to see. We also walked along the Rhine river and crossed the Hohenzollern Bridge before heading to the concert venue.
As for the concert, Pentatonix blew me away. They were amazing. Also, on the way back to the station after the concert, we were trying to figure out which street to take and a random German girl spoke to us in Japanese! She had studied a year in Tokyo and understood we were trying to get the same station as her so showed us the way. What a night, we had the best time!
We spent a lazy Sunday at a lake near where my friend lives, just relaxing and playing games. The water was super cold but a lot of the locals were jumping in and swimming. I guess when summer is short, you take full advantage of warm weather.
My last day in Dusseldorf, H and I took the Rhine river cruise because I wanted to see the Gehry buildings at Dusseldorf Harbor. We also did a little shopping (souvenirs and these sandals!) and ate here and there before heading to the airport.
All in all, the long weekend in Germany was totally worth the long flight. I love it when a sudden plan comes together so well like this. Germany is such a friendly country. I can't wait to come back to explore other cities some day!
Here are some photos:
