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BERLIN TO DUSSELDORF
The flight back to Düsseldorf was uneventful. It took 15 minutes and cost €17 (including tip) to get to Tegel Airport from my hotel. The taxi driver didn't speak English so he had me write down the airline and destination so he could bring me to the correct gate. He did. There was no line at the Air Berlin check-in counter; check-in took 30 seconds and I was stoked that the agents didn't weigh my carry-on, which exceeded the limit. Tegel airport is old and depressing. I can't imagine what it's like in the winter but luckily a new airport is being built nearby. The only vending machine I could find was near the gate and offered half-liter bottles of Coke and bottled water for €3.50 each. What a joke! Gas is way cheaper. Flight time was one hour.
MARITIM DUSSELDORF
I've been to Düsseldorf for dinner before but I've never stayed overnight. Downtown is really nice with lots of shops and modern buildings including the Gehry buildings. But I didn't need to be downtown this time as I was really just going to have dinner with my friend Annabel and her boyfriend. Besides, to fly home to the States on Air Berlin, I needed to fly through Düsseldorf anyway so it broke up the trip. I decided to get a room near the airport and luckily, I discovered that the Düsseldorf Airport has one of the best airport hotels in the world. Wow, was I pleasantly surprised! The brand new Maritim Hotel opened in December 2007 and it's literally a two- minute covered walk from the Air Berlin check-in counter. The 533-room hotel is obviously geared toward business travelers as every airport hotel is but this one has everything you could possibly need and more. There's a business center, high-speed Internet access (€15 a day), six restaurants and has the largest conference facilities in North-Rhine Westphalia, enough to accommodate 5,000 people.
MARITIM ROOMS Everything is state-of-the-art, including the elevators, which require guests to scan their room key to gain access. Even the hallways are high-tech; the lights are on a sensor to save energy. I got lucky and got upgraded to a Junior Suite, which was phat. I mean, PHAT! It had one and a half bathrooms. There was a separate tub and shower featuring a rain showerhead and luxurious toiletries. It was the first hotel where the toilet seat goes up or down slowly on its own. The living room and bedroom walls had light wood paneling, flat screen TVs and a comfortable desk to work at. Although I could see the planes taking off I couldn't hear them, which is a key consideration for an airport hotel. The average room rate is €162. Maritim Hotel Dusseldorf, Maritim-Platz 1, 40474 Dusseldorf, Tel: +49 (0) 211 5209-0.
LES HALLES FOR DINNER
By the way, we went to dinner at Les Halles; I don't think it's affiliated with the one in New York City, which Anthony Bourdain made famous. And this one was more Italian than French. I had the bruschetta, which was huge and tasty! The bread was so good I probably gained three pounds from it. I stayed away from the Italian theme (mistake) and went with a Moroccan chicken tajine, which was just okay. Dinner took a good couple of hours like it always seems to in Europe – that's a good thing and they don't rush you unless they are turning the dining room into a dance floor; apparently this place is a popular spot for dancing. FYI: Les Halles was a 15-minute drive from the airport and just 10 minutes from downtown Düsseldorf. Check out Les Halles' website but I hope you speak German because it's not translated. In fact, I didn't see any tourists there so it's a good local place to dine.
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SOME OF LAST WEEK'S READER AIR-eMAIL
Excellent travel notes. You show a good travel attitude….upbeat, but practical, too. Keep the notes coming! Sue G. from Calif Central Coast
I always thoroughly enjoy each newsletter, plus the entire website. They are extremely informative to the inquiring public. Cheers go out to you & your entire staff who makes this operation happen. Who says venturing the world is not fun? Because it is! Best wishes, Richard E - Milpitas, CA
Three years ago you wrote about a trip you took to Germany. Just days later I found out I was being sent there for 3 months. Now several years later you write about another trip to Germany. I have been in Germany for two weeks now. Since I seem to follow you here could you please let me know in advance of any future trips you may be planning to Germany? That way I could get some idea of where I might be going in the next months. Thanks. Jebb S – Germany
This is the coolest travel-info-tips site ever! My friend Chrissy and I started our travel blog 5 months ago, www.twojetsetdivas.com, and we aspire to one day make this our full-time gig! You give us hope! Ebonee - St. Louis, MO
Great story about Margot’s trip to Catalina Island. Some 25 years ago our oldest daughter’s school class spent a week in Catalina at a sleazy hotel. It was an exciting and fun experience. We loved it so much that for the next 10 years or so, our family vacation (one of them) was a week in a Sol Vista condo. Glad to read the Pancake Cottage still makes the Chef’s Mess – that was my favorite breakfast – I tried to eat the entire mess myself – don’t think I ever made it. Geof O’Connor - San Diego
Fabulous story on Catalina! Donna H – Catalina, CA
I have just been on your website looking up info on getting to
Nantucket.
I happen to scroll down and clicked on your heading "My
Mom". Whew - Incredible. Touching. Thoughtful. Moving. Beautiful. I am sitting here sobbing and can almost feel how much
she touched your lives. Jeanette O -
I am not really sure how I came across your web page with the tributes to your dear
mother, the page was just there on my screen… I have read each entry with heartfelt tears as I could feel the intense love and loss of your mother. It has greatly touched my heart. You were blessed to have such a wonderful mother. What an amazing, beautiful, loving woman. And, how I love her smile! I am grieving the loss of my sweet mother. She died on May 9th of this year to cancer. I am 50 years old and have never been without my mom. Once I married, I moved to the house next door to stay close to my best friend. My mom, like yours, was very wise, strong and spiritual. She was the rock in our family. As you have written, “I’m not worried about my Mom, I know her world is so much better, what I’m worried about is us, because our world just got a lot worse.” That sums up how I am feeling. Anyway, the point of this email is to express gratitude for sharing not only your memories, but your love for your dear mother. It has deeply touched my heart. And, it has helped me in my grieving. …Your mom is still touching lives. Sincerely, R. Johnson - Newport, KY
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