Guys, I don't even know what to call this post. My friend Stef at MommyMusings.com was invited to Carnival in Germany was all like, Jenn...come crash in my hotel and party in Germany, because I know you love Germany. So I did. CLEARLY. It's GERMANY.
Land of handsome men, curry wurst, cheap brews and um, fries with mayo and ketchup and the stuff dreams are made of. But did I mention the handsome men? There are more than a few there.
I packed a bag, booked a ticket, and set off for Dusseldorf on Air Berlin. Hell yeah to a nonstop flight, I slept the entire way and woke up ready to go!
So, my gal pal had nonstop events every single day, but her host was so incredibly kind, she knew I was tagging along on my own and she included me in their transportation to each hotel and the airport as well. SO NICE!
On day one, my friend had to work and I ran off in search of curry wurst and mulled wine, also known as Gluhwein. It's so good, guys. WARM WINE. With spices and stuff.
I knew exactly what I was looking for, because I'd had about a thousand of them across Germany in 2015 when I was there for the Christmas markets in 2015.
On day one, I wandered into a small market. I ate a lot of curry wurst and fries.
I drank a lot of Gluhwein...
Then somehow I ended up at the children's parade, which was clearly not very fun for me, but very cute and endearing and all of that stuff.
There was candy.
p.s. I caught candy and ate it. I am not above catching candy from random strangers and eating it. CANDY IS CANDY.
Then, I was bored and hungry and set off in search of a pub. Everyone kept saying, "there are no pubs in this area, it's not that kind of neighborhood. It's so industrial."
WHATEVER. I started walking and lo and behold, BOOM: pub.
Dude, when this chick wants to find a pub...she FINDS A PUB.
I sat for a while and listened to the old timers talking shit and sipped my Riesling - German Riesling is the best, y'all - and wrote. Then the manager took notice of the American girl quietly getting drunk in the corner, and we became fast friends, and then he told me absolutely everything I needed to know about Dusseldorf.
Guys, make friends with your bartenders. If you haven't learned this by now, you either aren't a drinker or you don't know the first thing about traveling solo. Bartenders are like tour guides without the tours or fees. My bartender told me about the different types of alt beer available in Dusseldorf, as well as all of the breweries and the best tours. He was so kind!
I had dinner at a Greek restaurant that night, then somehow found my way back to my hotel...and I came across the cutest thing EVER while wandering those streets in Dusseldorf.
And then I found a corner store with Reisling for FOUR EUROS.
The next day was the BIG DAY, the day of the parade. My friend went off to sit on her float, and I found a store and picked up as many canned beverages as my purse would hold.
Which was quite a bit, as it turns out.
I will never be as happy as I was the day I found canned Bacardi Mojitos, which I have yet to find anywhere else in the world. Le Sigh.
I found a street where people were gathering, and found a spot and settled in, mistakenly thinking that the parade would come through this major street.
It did not.
However, I quickly made friends with a group of 20-something Germans who were very excited to be partying with an older American woman.
Apparently we have a reputation for partying...
After I shared my beverages with the ladies, they wandered off, and my new German friends and I began hitting it hard.
Germans really know how to drink. I MEAN, THEY CAN REALLY DRINK.
I eventually made a special friend, who I spent quite a bit of time with that day, and eventually even went to dinner with. You can read all about my experience with those German guys here...
I ate some really good food, saw a lot of fun stuff, and drank really great wine and beer at Carnival in Germany. Would I go back?
YES. Why, yes I would! And you should go too! Whether it's a lively street party, excellent German food, wine or Alt beer, or even just a bunch of really hardy partiers you're looking for, Dusseldorf has it all!
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