Marthese here. Yesterday we arrived in Duesseldorf at about 6pm, after having spent the previous 9 hours commuting from the other side of the country (on another FlixBus). We arrived tired and hungry, and didn’t feel particularly cheered by the slightly dodgy area we are staying in.

That all changed as soon as we got on a tram to visit Wiebke, who I first met as part of an exchange program 15 years ago – making her one of my oldest friends. We were warmly welcomed by Wiebke, her lovely partner Julian, and their very handsome three month old son Clemens. Wiebke and Julian were keen for us to enjoy the uncharaceristically warm Duesseldorf weather, so they took us out for a meal and a great catch up, followed by an introduction to one of Duesseldorfs famous beers. (Elias was immediately a fan!) All of this while juggling a three month old – impressive!

This morning, Elias and I took a stroll to another hipster area – Flingern – where we enjoyed coffees and some people/dog watching. After lunch, we met up with Wiebke and Julian and another friend from the exchange program, Marleen. We spent an absolutely delightful afternoon wandering around the harbour and the old town, tasting more beers, laughing, and learning about some Duesseldorf traditions. Apparently in one of the breweries, unless you put your beer coaster on top of your beer, you will receive endless top ups!