Duesseldorf Sojourn

We're living like refugees. Becky, Alfie and I are holed up in a small room in the HolidayInn in Düsseldorf. Those of you who've stayed there, and who are not 'platinum' members, will be able to imagine the box they've put us in.

Of course work's hectic. Because I'm 'living' just around the corner from the office, I'm at the coalface about 11hours a day. Actually the time I leave for work, and the time i get back are about the same as they were in London - only I don't get the pleasure of riding a bike ride in and out. There's no doubt though that sitting here in the Berensbau I'm more productive (as opposed to Paddington); so maybe, from a job perspective it's worthwhile. That, and the fact that i'm building a smoother relationship with the odd wo^H^HItalian that i have to work with here.

I was fearing what we'd do this past weekend, but it turned out to be okay. On Saturday we met up with Mike Piperakis and his family in the Koeningsallee. We went to a lovely 'art' cafe' in a pedestrianized square which the children tore around in. There were other German kids there, but they sat spookily politely with their parents at the table. We got a 'leave-pass', meaning Alfie fell asleep, allowing us to head to the local Uerige Alt brewery for a cheeky Altbier or two. Mike's 2year old then fell asleep too, allowing us to enjoy a good meal at a Lebanese restaurant.

Sunday I decided that we couldn't spend in Düsseldorf - you can only walk around the Aldstad so many times. So we caught the InterCityExpress train to Cologne. This was mildly stressful, as the tickets cost a bomb, and we weren't sure which station we'd end up in. As it happened we saw the cathedral on the way in, so could get our bearings. On the walk from the station over the Rhine to the cathedral side of town, Lord Tennyson promptly fell asleep, so he missed the view. Nonetheless, Becky & I wandered around the lovely old-town near the cathedral; whereupon we discovered an old Koelsch brewery that we'd been to before, years ago for the Christmas market. Seeing as Alfie was asleep, we took the chance to enjoy the local brew. For those that don't know, the rivalry between Cologne and Düsseldorf extends to their very different traditional beers. Alt from Düsseldorf is a dark beer a bit like some British 'real' ales. Koelsch on the other hand is a crisp light beer, more like a lager. (FWIW Becky prefers Koelsch, but i like both :-).

So now i'm back at work, trying to madly fix bugs for a release tomorrow. Bex & I a living in dread at the though of the flight on Friday from here to Heath Row, and from Heath Row to KL. I'm living in dread at the though of all the work I'll have to do in KL. And we're all desperately looking forward to being settled.