Dusseldorf was very nice. We walked through a beautiful park with swans, ducks, geese...We met three of my future inlaws from Ukraine. One was a girl our age named Lena. She spoke some English and was very friendly. They all were. On our way home we changed trains in Frankfurt Am Main--where Anne Frank grew up.

Unfortunately, I think I am allergic to Germany. The day I got there I got in the habit of sneezing and sniffling. My tongue became sore and swollen and I once threw up all night after having the worst stomach ache of my life. Besides my allergies to Germany, the language is intensely annoying. The doors are heavy and the air smells of paint and sulphur in Cologne. I think my negativity and nonstop thinking about war clouded my ability to enjoy myself.

departure - arrival