Local Exploration & Favorite Places

On my weekends I spend a lot of time working on my side project LexGrip, but here and there I enjoy exploring unique places with friends I have met here. I probably have not explored as much as I could have, but the times I have gone out have been really memorable. A lot of my favorite moments have come from simple things like trying local restaurants, exploring cities with friends, or finding nice scenery during long runs outside of town.

Biking and running have also been how I stay in shape while seeing more of the area. Some of my longer runs take me well outside of town, and that's where I've found some genuinely beautiful scenery mostly long winding hills of farm land. A couple of the pictures above are from those runs, and they don't really do it justice.

As for favorite spots, there's a burger place nearby called Cafe Extrablatt that I keep going back to. My friends and I head there for burgers and a Kölsch, it's become our regular spot.

I've also spent time in Köln and Düsseldorf, which are both beautiful in their own way. Köln has that old, historic feel with the cathedral, while Düsseldorf is a bit more modern. And I've been able to visit family while I'm out here, which has been a nice bonus.

My take on public transportation has in some instances made me miss my car and in others glad not to have it.

The main downside is that the small town I'm in doesn't have trains running late or early during the week, and weekends are little better. So anytime we want to explore somewhere farther out, we're stuck planning around the train schedule. Miss the last one back and your only real option is staying out all night until the morning trains start again. The trains though while be delayed will let you know when their going to be there

The buses are their own thing. The schedule says the bus comes at 8:02, but I've learned to leave the house around 8:08, because in reality it shows up anywhere from 8:10 to 8:35, usually closer to 8:35. However this is normally just my morning bus to work the other buses are within 5 minutes of their posted times I just take this one everyday and feel it a bit more.

Workaholic tendencies aside, getting out to explore has been one of the best parts of living here, even if half the adventure is just figuring out how to make it home in time.