Our Last Night in Dusseldorf: A Verbal Tour of Siberia and a Quick Side Trip to Arabia!

[CaliforniaPeggy]

That night was Mrs. DFW's birthday, plus an old friend of theirs was in town!

We went to the restaurant ArabesQ! And yes, that 's how they spell it.

Their friend is a journalist of many year's standing and very knowledgeable about Europe and the world in general. We talked about the 2016 election, the role Russia played, and like that. I'm not as smart as DFW and his friend, but I greatly enjoyed listening to them.

Group photo: I think you all know who's who!



The setting:











And a couple of photos of the food:





It was a great evening and a fitting end to our visit! Hope you enjoy.

[JohnnyLib2]

1. What fun! Happy for you.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

3. Thanks, JohnnyLib2! It was fun!

[DoBotherMe]

2. You look fantastic, Peggy!

I haven't posted in a while, but I'm lurking. It looks like a vacation of a lifetime! Dana

[CaliforniaPeggy]

5. Thanks so much, dear Dana!

For once I didn't look like a dork!

We've had quite a few vacations but none in the last 4 years or so, since I've been busy getting various joints replaced!

This was the first trip in many years where we didn't go on a tour. It's a lot more work what with planning. But we had a great time!

Glad you stopped by!

[mnhtnbb]

4. What a lovely evening and wonderful end to your trip.

Hope you have uneventful travels getting home.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

6. Thanks so much, my dear mnhtnbb!

Yesterday was fairly bad due to some messed up activities by the airline, but we survived! I may talk about it..........haven't decided.

But we did a fair number of fun things along the way.

And tomorrow we will be home!

I am ready.

[DFW]

7. A fitting last night out, I'd say!

ArabesQ is one of our favorite places in Düsseldorf, and a treat for anyone who likes Middle Eastern food, something Peggy and L.M. are definitely NOT used to! The house belonged to a German diplomat who remodeled it to resemble the residence of a Moroccan nobleman in the early 1920s. It survived mostly intact and has been modernized with decor also brought from Morocco. Because of our schedules, we don't get there much, but for my wife's birthday, we found the time, and made an exception.

Our friend is a long-time (as in nearly 4 decades) friend whom we met on a tiny island in Croatia. He worked for West German Radio (WDR) news for most of his professional life, and part of that was a five year stint as their station chief in Moscow. He has since explored the old Soviet Union from the Ukraine to the Kamchatka peninsula off the Siberian coast. He has made road trips (!!) through the "-stans" of Central Asia, and knows more about the place than anyone else I know. While in Moscow, he acquired a Russian girlfriend whom he sees when he can. She peaks only Russian, and neither of them think she would be happy moving to Germany. He spends his summers in Russia with her in some country cottage she inherited. It has neither electricity nor running water, and to get there, they have to take a train, then a bus, and then walk 6 kilometers. Good thing they are both in good shape! He saw Yeltsin deteriorate and Putin take over, and knows full well what we are up against.

Needless to say, Peggy had a good time listening to his stories. One of the few Germans I know who speaks both decent Russian and decent Dutch (his beat before Russia), he doesn't get to use English much, but I think his English was good enough to entertain Peggy and her husband for an evening.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

8. Thank you, my dear DFW, for supplying the details I couldn't remember!

Indeed, his English was very good and I understood and enjoyed his stories a lot.

And the house! Talk about history and how it impacts us. Thanks so much for chiming in.

[Lionel Mandrake]

9. I agree.

Peter's English was so good that after a while I forgot that it was an effort for him to speak English.

[DFW]

10. I could hear hm struggling, but he managed admirably

Last edited Fri Jun 29, 2018, 10:09 AM - Edit history (1)

Because of his professional and personal life, he would have been more comfortable in Dutch or Russian, but I think he acquitted himself with honor.

In the nearly 40 years I have known him, we have never spoken anything but German together, so these are details I tend to forget to ask about. He has never been to the USA, so I rarely have the occasion to hear him say anything in English at all.

[Solly Mack]

11. Nice!

Happy belated Birthday!

What a great visit y'all had!!

[CaliforniaPeggy]

13. Thank you, my dear Solly Mack!

We did have an amazing time.

[malthaussen]

12. Looks like a real nice spread.

I think I gained ten pounds looking at the picture.

-- Mal

[CaliforniaPeggy]

14. Thanks, my dear malthaussen!

I'm afraid to get on my scale.........I know I gained at least a few pounds. But I figured, what the hell.....I'm on vacation!

There was so much food! And all of it delicious.

[DFW]

15. It's a good thing you weren't at the Turkish place the week before

You would have gained ten pounds just looking at the leftovers!

[smirkymonkey]

16. Looks and sounds wonderful!

Thank you for the photos! I hope you had a marvelous time and it certainly sounds like you did!

[steve2470]

17. Peggy, it looks like a wonderful time with DFW, MrsDFW, his friend and LM

The food and ambiance look great! I just know you and everyone else had a great time!

[CaliforniaPeggy]

18. We really did, Steve!

This was our first trip without being on a tour and it worked out very well, in spite of hiccups along the way. We saw Germany in a new light and it was great.