Düsseldorf - Auf wiedersehen Duitsland

The last place I visited before coming back to South Africa, was Düsseldorf in Germany, I flew from Stuttgart to Düsseldorf early in the morning and my connecting flight was only later that evening. I thus spent the day there before flying via Dubai back to South Africa.

I’ll be honest, I was tired (with no sleep the night before) and not really looking forward to roaming around a city all day. But I was pleasantly surprised by pretty Düsseldorf and I actually think it may be one of my favourite cities.

This city of two rivers, the Düssel and the Rhine, is well known for its fashion and architecture and seems to be the perfect balance between old and new. Everything to see and do is in one area of Düsseldorf which makes seeing it in a limited time relatively easy.

Whether it is moseying along the canal in the Königsalle, sauntering around the Altstadt (old town), or taking a stroll along the Rheinuferpromenade… Düsseldorf is beautiful. See the whole of Düsseldorf from atop the Rheinturm (TV-tower) or see Jan-Wellem-Denkmal in the Marktplatz. See the incredible architecture of the Stadterheburgsmonument, Wilhelm-Marx-Haus, or Gehry’s “Dancing towers”. Düsseldorf also has a number of beautiful old churches, such as St Andreas, Lambertus-Basilika, Neadnderkirche, St Maximilian, Bergerkirche and one of my favourite Johanneskirche (found in Martin-Luther-Platz.)

I had three favourite in Düsseldorf. All the beautiful fountains, such as the Jrönger Jong, Radschlӓgerbrunnen and my favourite the Tritonenbrunnen in the Konigsalle. This incredible old boat in this body of water in the middle of a busy restaurant area. To this day I cannot for the life of me remember where exactly. So if you find it… let me know. And finally mu absolute favourite, the most stunning old Carsh-Haus (basically like a bandstand) in the Heinrich-Heine Platz.

Düsseldorf was beautiful and I am so happy that I took the time to experience it instead of just sitting around in the airport. I was sad to leave Europe, and end my adventure, but I look forward to more in the future.

  

Helpful tip #10

Dealing with post-travel blues/depression

When you first get back from your trip (especially your first one), you are completely filled with excitement and spend at least the first week back sharing all your stories, memories and photos with anyone you see. But soon people get tired of being forced to see your photo's over and over again or begin resenting the fact that every conversation somehow leads to a story of "When I was in..."or "the food in wherever was just amazing". It is difficult to not do these things and even more difficult to acknowledge that nobody else will experience exactly what you experienced, in exactly the same way. That coupled with the realisation that your adventure is over and the uncertainty of whether or not you will ever get such an opportunity again, can be daunting. When you are travelling, you constantly have new exciting experiences waiting for you and every day is a new adventure. It is difficult to return to your normal life. As a result you may, as I did, experience some post travel-blues.

Here are some tips I picked up on how to deal with post-travel blues/depression;
- Keep busy. If you are too busy with other things, you won't think about it as much.
- Find exciting new activities/ adventures in or near your home.
- Plan your next trip. Even if it may only be in the distant future, or even if it changes ten times before you actually travel again... plan it anyway.
- Stay in touch with people you met on your trip. They will probably also be experiencing what you are experiencing, so sharing stories etc. helps. Plus, they will probably never get tired of reliving the memories and adventures.
- Incorporate the cultures you experienced into your life at home. Be it learning to cook a meal you enjoyed on your travels, or celebrating a holiday that you would not normally celebrate in your country.
- Read travel blogs (like this), articles about travel and other countries or watch the travel channel. This might make you nostalgic, but it will also keep your desire to travel alive.
- Start your own blog. This has perhaps been the thing that has helped me most. Writing about my trip (now a year and a half later) is a way for me to put down on paper (so to speak) all the wonderful experiences I had, and gives me the opportunity to recall all these incredible memories. It also sustains my desire to travel more.
- When you meet new people and need a conversation starter, use things like "What is your dream destination?" or "What is your favourite country to visit?" etc. People will find it quirky and it will give you an opportunity to both reminisce about your travels as well as learn about places that they have been to or want to visit.
- And perhaps most importantly... remember the experience for what it was, but do not let it take away from what could be or what is still to come.

It is important to point out that I am certainly not an authority on dealing with depression, nor am I a seasoned traveller, psychologist or counsellor. These are just a few things that helped me to deal with my post-travel blues.

Much love, laughter and safe travels.

Helpful tip #9

Culture shock - embrace it!

Culture shock is a real thing, although I actually felt it more when I came back to S.A. than when arriving in Germany. My suggestion... Embrace it. It can be a little scary at first, but as Susan Jeffers said; "feel the fear and do it anyway". Before leaving for my study programme, I was told by my coordinator that one would go through different phases when in a new country. First; excitement and positivity, then an extreme low where you struggle with the differences in culture, language etc. (culture shock at its prime) and then finally you adjust, love the place and don't want to leave. When you return home it begins again and you end up experiencing culture shock in your own country.

While I may have struggled at times regarding language and norms in Germany, I never hit a low and loved every moment. However, upon my return to S.A I experienced major culture shock and serious post-travel blues. It is difficult to come back to a place where the culture, norms and traditions are so different to what you have now become accustomed to. Not to mention trying to adjust to something simple, like the lack of public transport. This seems odd, considering I have lived in South Africa my whole life, and only lived in Germany for a month... but it really happens. I think even more so if you get to experience a country that is so incredibly efficient.

Soon people get tired of hearing your stories and being forced to see ALL your photos for the 10th time. You however, do not want the memories to fade or the experience to end. It is difficult, but if you embrace it and think of your home as the new adventure... it helps. It also helps to try not compare your life back home to what you had overseas. They are incomparable.

I will be doing a blog post soon on how I handled the post-travel blues. So be sure to check that out.

Much love, laughter and safe travels.

Ludwigsburg and real life fairy-tales

Ludwigsburg is about 12 kilometers away from the Stuttgart City Center, and is known for the Residential Palace and Mӓrchengarten (Fairy-tale Garden). It is a lovely city and the Palace is beautiful.

I highly recommend a visit to the Mӓrchengarten. It may sound like something suited for children, but it is exciting for people of all ages. Seeing your childhood fairy-tales come to life and the characters in larger than life form is wonderful and exciting. Take a boat ride through Geppetto’s workshop, and see Pinocchio come to life. Climb up Rupunzels tower or visit the Frog Prince’s residence. A wonderful morning or afternoon activity for young and old that will have you reminiscing about your childhood.

The Palace is massive and breathtakingly beautiful. It is also one of Germany’s largest Baroque Palaces. It is surrounded by the most stunning gardens as well as the Mӓrchengarten. Just a few minutes’ walk away you will also discover the Hunting Lodge and Summer Residence Favourite, which Duke Ludwig built for his mistress. It is lovely to look at, but pales in comparison to the giant Residential Palace.

Ludwigsburg makes for a perfect morning or afternoon adventure and is only a short train trip from Stuttgart. It was also covered in beautiful street art at the time of my visit. One can easily walk from the station to the Mӓrchengarten and Palaces, so transport is not a problem.

I recommend you visit this lovely place and relive your childhood fairy-tales.