The Rhine River et al

Slowly but surely, a daily routine is emerging. Working from the home office continues to be a real plus, however, the challenge is often “shutting down” work rather than to trying to stay focused.

So far, I am finding that an early morning run along the Rhine is the best time to get my exercise in, and then it is done for the day. Lunchtime is often reserved for errands (i.e. post office, cleaners, market) since those businesses close as early as 7 pm. Kind of a challenge for worker bees like me. The best part (at least right now) is that it is still light at 10:00 pm. I don't quite understand how that can be scientifically.



Our apartment is directly across from the Rhine River. Don’t let the Soviet Bloc style construction fool you. The area of Oberkassel where we live is full of old German brownstones. Unfortunately, there are also several of these “1970’s” monstrosities that are not the most picturesque of apartment buildings. A tight housing market has resulted in very few of these old buildings being available for lease. I’ll send pictures of the neighborhood at a later date, as well as some interior apartment shots.



One of the perks of the area is that there are lots of green spaces in our neighborhood, as seen below. Tonight, on my walk in the neighborhood, I counted 67 rabbits; towards dusk, the only way you know they are there is that you see their white tails bobbing up and down. Five bridges connect the old and new parts of Düsseldorf across the Rhine River. Our district, known as Oberkassel, is a very charming area, but fodder for another day.



In literally 2 minutes walking time, I can be on the jogging path, bike trail, and river grounds. It is not uncommon to see a herd of sheep at some part of the river bank, serving as a “lawn-mower” for the grass.

One thing I learned quickly…walk defensively. Bikers have the right of way, so make certain you are not walking or running in a bike lane. If there is a collision between a biker and a pedestrian in a sanctioned bike lane, the pedestrian is at fault.



The Rhine River does not belong to Germany alone, but the section of river in Germany has the most spectacular scenery. Tours along the Rhine are available in almost every area that the river flows through, with some being more scenic than others. While still quite lovely, the river flow through Düsseldorf is not quite as picturesque as the sections with Germans castles peering down from steep cliffs. Still, after a hard day’s work, a run along the Rhine is the perfect way to unwind…..