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Rhine Flooding in Kaiserswerth

Well the huge amount so snow we had over Christmas had to melt sometime. Not only did the volume of snow bend the gutters on the house so they no longer hold water, but the Rhine flooded too.

So I had to get some photo’s. The road into the picturesque Kaiserswerth was blocked to the river, so parked up and wandered down to the water, where the water level was over the top of the flood wall, and just about starting to enter the village.

Kaiserswerth Rhine Flood

Kaiserswerth Rhine Flood

Flooding didn’t go any higher, and subsided over the next few days. I gather the local authorities were debating whether to close the flood barriers to the village, another 30cm and they would have had to. Kaiserswerth Rhine Flood

Snow – Again

Seems like most of the UK it never stops snowing at present. Snowed about 15cm a few weeks ago, topped up daily and then went over a couple of days before reappearing with a vengeance 2 days ago. Snowed every day since.
Angermund Snow 2010

But, like most of Germany they seem to just get on with things. Schools stayed open, people went to work, drives and pathways were cleared and occasionally you see a gritter on the roads but most people have their winter tyres by now so the snow doesn’t become much of an issue. It’s a legal requirement now by the way to have winter tyres on your car. Why the UK doesn’t have such a rule I don’t know, makes the ‘British’ look pathetic when it snow and nothing moves. And it’s not like this part of Germany gets snow usually. Speaking with the locals they say it very rarely snows, but they are prepared for it.
Angermund Snow 2010

So, camera in hand, of I went to take some photos of the street where out house is, and the forest at the back where we walk the dog. Very nice it was too, even if it was a bit nippy.

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Bottrop

Kids were off school so we took a day to go and see a few things we had spotted whilst out and about. In particular, on top of this hill we could see what looked like a metal pyramid. Found more about it on the internet, and it’s known as the Tetraeder, and is made of steel pipes built on a former mining heap. It’s around 50 metres tall, and you can walk to the top of it, great views from there and a decent walk to the top of the hill too. And free, what could be better. Tetraeder Bottrop, Germany

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Düsseldorf

Decided to take a trip into Düsseldorf to take some photos of some of the popular landmark building there. Didn’t stay too long but had a little potter around the media harbour and took some shots of the Gehry Building, below.

Düsseldorf Media Hafen Gehry Building

Funky looking, cladded with very shiny aluminium I guess. Can’t seem to figure out why the reflections of the sun don’t blind the passing motorist though. Düsseldorf Rheinturm

Also took a few shots of the Rheinturm, basically a tall tower with the obligatory rotating restaurant at the top. Quite expensive I recall to get to the top, but a great view of Düsseldorf and the surrounding areas.

Finally I saw some old shack, wooden hut just stuck in the middle of a well kept piece of grass by the Rhine, with graffiti all over it so took the opportunity to take some photos and merge them together with a great photo tool to bring out the colours. Reckon it looks pretty cool. Düsseldorf Media Hafen Old Shack

Kaiserswerth Kartoffelfest

I think only in Germany can you have a festival about potatoes and at the same time only sell the smallest, spongiest, oldest, cast-off potatoes in the supermarkets. But, they do have such a festival so off we went to see what it’s all about.

There were a few stalls selling baked potatatoes, another with actually quite nice fried ones. See photo.

Potatoes on the go

Of course beer and sausages were also on sale, along with lots of second hand book stalls, jewellery, and the obligatory roast pig. Well, Germany wouldn’t be Germany without pork.

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