So a sucker for punishment I agreed to go again...this time to the gigantic Reptile Fair....this time on the condition that we had a holiday and actually saw something of Germany!
We set off from home...leaving our car behind...no car parking problems...to use our free public transport pass as much a possible. Of course this added considerably to the length of the journey...well maybe not as we didn't have all that waiting around at another airport. We counted off the stages we had successfully maneuvered....wait for the bus with the luggage in the pouring rain as expected while hubby took the car back and ran back down to the bus stop. Bus on time, train to Dublin on time (trains are great for tatting on), airport bus on time, flight on time and our hire car was waiting...phew.
Sat-nav-lady located the hotel in Dusseldorf.... well near enough...she thought. Given key to the underground parking but incapable of understanding instructions to find it somewhere along a side street,and unlock the entrance due to our lack of German and receptionists lack of English!!!
Several hours (well it seemed like it), aha! found it. Parked car and attempted to exit said underground car park.....but the mesh grid refused to go up and we were trapped...maybe for the night!!
Shouted loudly ..'can anybody hear me!!', didn't expect anyone would but a lady did and trotted off to the hotel to bring back the receptionist who couldn't open it either and didn't really know what to do. Off she went to get more help and while she was gone suddenly it worked and we escaped to have a comfy bed for the night.
Dusseldorf we liked a lot, especially the wonky architecture near the Rhein Tower....
and this delightful scene.
I did spend a lot of time peering up into the rows, and rows of Plane trees taking photos of the autumn leaves but that's for another time.
We found it hard to find out the delights of the Rhur that we should see, spent a day in Essen with another fabulous shopping mall...and then had to trick the sat-nav-lady into taking us on country roads not motorways to see rural Germany.
Finally we arrived at the Reptile Show. Stallholders were setting up at 7am and by the time we found the place at 9am the car parks were full and the queues were horrendous. This photo doesn't really give you much idea as the queues went off in all directions.
Finally at 10am we were in..together with the rest of the world it seemed...a very popular place to be.
Really wouldn't want to be claustrophobic!! I don't know how the Repltiles stood it!
Wow! was there some stuff, snakes by the million, lizards, geckos, chamaeleons, frogs by the score, lovely lovely tree frogs...some so so tiny. They were my favourite this year.
These little fellas were only about an inch long.
The photos are not all that great as they were taken through the lid of a plastic box!
Never two the same.
This has to be my favourite....
....isn't he just something else! He is like a little tatted frog!
When we were exhausted after walking past every table in the big hall there was yet more, there were stalls in every available space. This was a great place to take a rest and people watch...never two the same!
The geckos were a delight, these two were coming home with us....
to be partners for lonely geckos!
Not this one though...
......isn't he gorgeous, now you see why I like to tat geckos.
I could go on showing you photos all day.....the chamealeons....my favourite reptile, tortoises, turtles...and then there were insects....mantids, stick insects,leaf insects...arachnids....shudder!
To my surprise also small mammals...tenrecs, african hedgehogs, striped mice, shiny mice.....
....this may all sound gross to you, but never underestimate the huge role these enthusiasts play in the conservation of so many species.
We made it back home despite being unable to find the return hire car park at the airport...sat-nav-lady did not help enough!! The flight was delayed by nearly two hours along with 25 other flights all wanting a take off spot. Missed our train by 10 minutes, but thankfully the next one was a fast train and we caught the bus home ok.
Public transport gets a big thumbs up!
Unfortunately I went down with flu within a day of arriving home...so all tatting and dyeing are only just coming back into focus!
Would ya believe that while we were away the old fridge/freezer that I keep all my dyes in had died/dyed! I don't know if I really need to keep my dyes cold, but it's a good place to keep them anyway. Oh! and the weather was so warm in Germany...it was bliss...turned out that summer came here while we were away too...typical!
Wow, that little blue frog is wonderful! I am sure he will re-emerge in thread, when you are better.
ReplyDeleteOur neighbour, in this new estate, is a herpetologist - no room for the car is the airconditioned garage! I am yet to venture over the road to meet them....but his father assured me that none of them are poisonous!
I enjoyed your pictures of Dusseldorf, my knowledge of the city is limited to that gleaned from Auf Wiedersehn Pet!
For a second there, I though my eyes went all wonky when I looked at the picture of the building! The building with the spidermen all over it is just the kind of apartment building I would like to live in. That is, if it's an apartment building...
ReplyDeleteThe Reptile Fair sounded like fun. All those little, bitty rainbow colored tree frogs and geckos are fascinating. I hope your new additions live long healthy lives.
Oh, I would have sat down and cried if I missed a train. Never mind that the next one was coming along in 10 minutes!
I love the look of the buildings it is so nice to see buildings that are not the norm and that would be interesting to have in your own city. I love the pictures of the reptiles and I think you picked out two fantastic ghecko friends, but how did you ever choose. I would love to see all of your reptile photo's matbe you ould put them in a slide show. The one program that I used to do the Garden slide show for my blog was very easy and free and there is a link to it at the bottom of it. you can find my blog at
ReplyDeletehttp://clydep-themadtatter.blogspot.com/
What a wonderful trip, I really enjoyed looking at the photos and imagining how it must have been.
ReplyDeleteThe frogs are like tiny jewels, I can't believe the colours, except they must be true.
Thank you for sharing, and like Clyde, I can't get enough reptile pics!
Really enjoyed seeing all the snapshots from your Germany trip. The wonky architecture is a hoot! But the tree frogs and geckos really caught my eye. Thanks so much for posting. Hope you are feeling better!
ReplyDeleteWaiting with baited breath for more...
Hi Maureen, the story of the Herpetologist sounds all too familar!
ReplyDeleteI bet they are lovely people! Herpetologists are!
Hi Steph,the spidermen are just fab, what a sense of humour. I guess its appartments.
Hi Clyde, Thanks for the slide show idea. I will remember it , but at the moment ...not enough time! Glad you liked the photos. The new geckos were already ordered to be partners. he tries his best not to get anything new!
Hi Snowy, yup just like little jewels, glad you enjoyed.
Hi IsDihara, the architecture was just wonderful, glad you enjoyed it with me. No Time , no time! Life is way too short.