American Imports

I often wonder what the security people in customs think when they search my luggage coming back from the U.S. I'm positive that I can't be the only American who flys with 5 lb. of Hershey's Chocolate Chips, pistachio jello, Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, liquid vanilla, liquid smoke, and canned pumpkin. One would think that chocolate chips are an international necessity, however that is not the case in Germany. The good stuff simply has to be flown over by hand. No exceptions! This year I even planned ahead for Thanksgiving by buying 2 cans of pumpkin, just in case I don't make it back before then. As you can see in the below picture it is quite the assortment of goods. After living 9 months without spray oil I broke down at Walmart and brought a can back with me. It makes such a difference when scrubbing difficult pans.



These are just a quarter of the items that Ben and I loaded up on before flying back to Germany. The box of Lucky Charms and my favorite Maxwell House French Vanilla cappuccino mix are already gone. The funny thing is that if I picked up and moved out of Germany right now I am sure there are things that I would buy to take with me. For example, Haribo gummies, Kaba vanilla milk drink mix, Winterzeit Tea, Salad dressing packets, and Maggi Spaghetti Bolognese seasoning mix. Every country has something to offer!

BEAUTIFUL DÜSSELDORF

January 28th and 29th we visited the beautiful city of Düsseldorf Germany along the world famous Rhine River. It was actually Ben's Christmas present from me a "Romantic Weekend in Düsseldorf." I think I picked it because I love the name. We lucked out and had sunny weather with bearable temperatures. Königsallee is the main shopping street in Düsseldorf and breathtaking in winter. I would love to see it in summer when everything is green. The shops are all upscale to accommodate the wealthy folks of the area. We took the train down and enjoyed romantic strolls through the city and the majestic overview from the Rhine Tower that gives a 360 degree view of the city at 789 feet.






It was really refreshing to be back in a city again and enjoy the luxuries of city dining and transportation. We ate lunch at an amazing Japanese Restaurant and found a really fun cocktail bar called Mai Tai to end our Saturday evening. The big difference between Düsseldorf and other cities in Germany is the unique architecture. It is a very modern style that uses glass as a centerpiece. Despite the fact that I am sure the cost of living would be double Ankum, I would move to Düsseldorf in a heartbeat just to be around the international culture and city life. The longer we live in our little village of 7,000 the more I realize how much I miss city life.

Facts on the city:
1) The Düsseldorf convention center organizes 1/5 of the world's premier trade shows.
2) It is the 7th most populated city in Germany with 589,682 people.
3) It is the capital city of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia.
4) It ranked 6th worldwide in 2009 in Mercer's Quality City's to Live.
5) It is home to the largest Japanese population in Germany with over 11,000 people.