I have fond memories of wandering around Düsseldorf in the fall of 1986, which is one of the reasons we decided to stay here.

We only have an afternoon and evening to explore Düsseldorf, so we decide to walk to Altstadt (Old Town) from our hotel, skipping the recommended tourist sites in favor of a relaxing stroll. The scenery from the train station to Königsallee is mostly mundane and sometimes downright ugly.

But when we reach the tree-shaded Königsallee or "Kö" to local people, the Rodeo Drive or Champs-Elysées of Düsseldorf, we slow down and start to enjoy ourselves. The weather is sunny but cool and we take in not only the shops but also the people who are enjoying a late summer afternoon, strolling as we are - lovers, parents with children, matrons shopping, business people, and tourists, both backpackers and middle aged folks like us.

From Königsallee we hang a left and head for the river. We stroll along the bank, watching the barges moving slowly up and down the mighty Rhine. We take the opportunity to check the schedule for K-D Line boats as we plan to cruise the river later in the week.

We circle back into Altstadt looking for a restaurant. I want to go to the same brewery I had visited in 1986, Braueri Uerige. I was working in Saudi Arabia at the time and was starved for beer and atmosphere. I fell in love with the place. We find it and sit outside not only enjoying our beer but also the gemütlichkeit (genial atmosphere). Pam resists eating here because the menu shows only heavy German dishes.

We eventually choose the Altstadt Restaurant which serves solid German food and an extensive selection of Pam-like items, mainly green stuff. We can sit outside and people watch while drinking and eating. I order the specialty of the house, roast pork knuckle, and wash it down with a liter and a half of beer. We josh with our waiter who is working hard to get an American family at the next table to order something other than roast beef.

We need a walk to create room for dessert. We return to the "Kö" and find an Italian cafe where we can sit under the trees, eat tiramisu, drink cappuccino and watch the people parade by. Düsseldorf is not that popular a tourist destination so most of the passers-by are locals. After re-acquainting myself with it, I don't understand why Düsseldorf isn't more popular. The town has a number of solid tourist attractions and, in my opinion; Altstadt is one of the nicest, pedestrian-friendly eating and shopping areas in Europe.

I can’t think of how we might have spent a more pleasant afternoon and evening.