After a pretty crap week which included having to work on my birthday (something I promised myself I would never do), I decided to try to make the most of it, use my chipkaart and get the hell out of Dodge.
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RFID card with an electronic purse.
You add money to the card and pay as you go.
Much easier than paper ticket cards (strippenkaart) |
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Leaving Eindhoven |
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Here are the rules. |
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Eindhoven is a transit hub but not an international one.
You need to go to Utrecht or Venlo to get out of Holland. |
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Just past Helmond |
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QR-based ads are all over the place here |
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Halfway there |
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Are you reading this sign without valid fare?
It'll cost you €40! |
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A very German way to travel. Yes, it's totally fine.
They drink beer like soda; it's normal to see someone walking down the street with a beer in hand. |
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Transfer point. I decided to wander around here for a bit.
Big. Mistake. (more later) |
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Scare-crow |
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inside the train station |
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I wasn't joking about the beer thing. |
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Not sure what this building is but I liked it |
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This is what I was on a mission for.
In the German version, Sally is voiced by Nina Hagen.
As I said, it was a mistake. I went to Media Markt for this... |
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...and left with this. |
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Old rail bridge |
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Almost there... |
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Made it! |
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HBF Düsseldorf |
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here's the rest of it |
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Local wildlife |
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DFR sign outside the train station |
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"Place of German Unity" |
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Fountain on Friedrich-Ebert-Straße |
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From the front |
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Church at Martin Luther Platz |
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Statue in Martin Luther Platz |
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Statue in Martin Luther Platz |
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The same, from the front |
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Closer shot of the church. |
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The whole thing |
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Main statue facing the church |
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Well, I thought it was interesting. |
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Köningsallee |
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Statue at the end of the canal |
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Light posts on the bridge over the canal |
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This guy tried to muscle his way in but they weren't having any of that. |
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It's nice to see little bit of home |
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...sometimes. |
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Horsey |
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The 20th anniversary of the Reunification is coming up. |
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There is a national tour running up to the actual anniversary (3 October)
Bands, displays, speeches, etc. |
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It's also the 400th birthday of Düsseldorf |
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Sculpture and art around every corner, almost literally |
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...as well as churches |
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Museum |
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Many of the streets are cobblestone |
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One of the best bands you've probably never heard. |
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The More You Know. |
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I couldn't work out why it had a power cord. |
I will definitely be back. So far it's the European city I like most. And I can't tell you how nice it was to actually understand everyone (and be understood myself!).
Tot ziens!