Things get very industrial in this part of Germany and I bypassed a huge chemical plant on my way up to Dusseldorf as I strolled up the banks of the Rhine. Handy things, cycle paths.

When I said I was going to Dusseldorf, people in Cologne asked why I was bothering. There’s a bit of a rivalry between the two cities going back quite some years! I met my host, Chris, and he drove me around the city for a while before we stopped at his flat for me to ditch my stuff and get some food. Then we went for a walking tour around the place.

Chris showed me some of the nicer buildings in the old town as well as a great traditional bar and a beer hall where we had beer brewed on the premises. This helped relieve the pain from the shot he had bought me in the old pub – chili schnapps! Yowsers, it was hot!

I slept well and in the morning took a stroll myself up along the river bank into the Media Dock and around through the old town again. The dock area is full of new buildings, most belonging to new media companies. As a result, some of the architecture is a little… strange. My favourite was a group of three buildings, each looking like a handful of off-kilter flowerpots that had melted into each other. One was made of red brick, one white stone and the other… metal plates. Shiny, silver metal plates. Mad.

Just north of there is the local tower, sponsored by Seiko. As well as being a viewing point, it’s some bizarre kind of clock. I took the lift up for the view which is pretty cool, and not too expensive at a shade over three Euros.

Back on terra firma, I kept going north and admired the twisted steeple on a chapel near one of the bridges. It seems it was designed that way and it looks very unique!

In the evening, I waited for Chris to come in before heading back into town to an Irish pub I’d spotted earlier which was showing the Newcastle game. There I got talking to John and his wife who now live in Leeds but hail from the Toon. So good to hear the accent again! Sadly, the cable feed to the pub was broken so they recommended another place to go and see the game. Even more sadly, we got there and watched us flipping lose to Derby County.

And it rained as I walked back to Chris’ place.

Yet I still enjoyed Dusseldorf!