Octoberfest (but not Oktoberfest): Münsterland and Düsseldorf

In October we found ourselves traveling to Germany three weeks in a row. We didn't make it all the way to Munich for Oktoberfest, but that's not a problem in Germany because they don't seem to have a problem enjoying themselves no matter where or when you are there.


The first trip was a quick journey over the border into the Münsterland area. It's known for the many moated castles/estates that dot the area. Here are a few shots from our visit.



Pictured Above: Schloss Lembeck has nicely landscaped grounds including a rhododendron garden.




Pictured above: Schlosspark Nordkirchen is called "the Versailles of Westphalia." It now operates as a business school, but the grounds are open and include a large formal sculpture garden.




Haus Havixbeck is still a private home.




Above: The Kreislehrgarten in Steinfurt. We featured it on our daily blog.


Our final stop was in the town of Xanten, known for its medieval town center and roman ruins. The town center was very active for a Sunday (many stores were open, so they have the tourism thing down pat).


Above: Xanten town center, and inside the St. Viktor Dom (construction started in 1263).

The next weekend we were off to Düsseldorf. We planned this weekend back in May, when tickets to the Police concert went on sale. Were it not for our stop in the tourist office on Saturday, we wouldn't have known that the concert was cancelled. It seems that Sting developed a sore throat ... wimp! At any rate, that gave us more time to enjoy the town. We were pleasantly surprised ... knowing that the town was heavily damaged during WWII, we didn't expect much. But it is a vibrant town, with an intriguing mix of old and new.



Above: looking back at the Altstadt (old town), and the old Town Hall.



Above: around the TV tower and "media harbor," home to some unique modern architecture

Above: one of the streets in the old town--this one packed with tapas restaurants, and fall goods at the market


Above: from the Düsseldorf city monument; we featured it on our daily blog.


During our stay we saw a wedding in the old town (above), and some characters on the street (below, street performers and a stag party).




Perhaps the thing we'll remember most is our stop in a tiny little bar in the old town (pictured above). It was packed, but a woman sitting on the bench moved over enough for us to squeeze in. She was drinking the local liquor called Killepitsch. We ordered a round, including one for the nice lady, and managed to get by with broken german and gestures (we know how to say "cheers" in many languages now).

She started to tell us a story, and a guy standing at the bar was kind enough to translate. Her story was about how the Americans bombed the city after the fighting had stopped. And there were two guys that were buried beneath the rubble but survived. And to celebrate their survival they made a special liqueur and called it Killepitsch, which meant something about being killed.

Now, you have to understand that this woman looked like she was old enough to have lived through the war. And we all had a good laugh ... it didn't seem like she was telling us this story to make us feel bad. But frankly, we thought that she was either making it up or maybe the 7 or 8 shots she had before ours had taken their toll. After all, the drink is a really dark red color, and it's 84 proof!

However, the makers of Killepitsch are nice enough to have translated their story into english, and darn if it isn't pretty close to the story we were told. So if you're ever around Düsseldorf, be sure to stop into the tiny pub in the Altstadt and see if you get told the same tale.