Journal - Copenhagen and the Ruhrgebiet

Wednesday 11
Among hiding from the occasional rain shower, I explored the city of Copenhagen, an old fortress, an old graveyard (with Hans Christian Anderson inside, or what´s left of him), and a massive coin collection dating back to Roman times.

Thursday 12
On my final day in Copenhagen, I enjoyed a fine view of the city from atop a spiral tower, a museum collections about Danish history, and some Danish pastries. And I successfully avoided being run over by bicycles.

Friday 13
Luckily, this unlucky day didn't turn out as such, and I had a safe flight to Dusseldorf, Germany. From there I went a short distance north to the city of Duisburg, located where the Ruhr River flows into the Rhine River, in the midst of a large industrial region called the Ruhrgebiet. I spent the day and night exploring and climbing about an steel making site that has been preserved in a good state of decay and turned into a cultural and recreational park. The view from atop the blast furnace ("hochofen") was impressive, as was the entire site when lit up at night.

Saturday 14
The following day I caught a train to the nearby town of Oberhausen, and spent a while at a museum describing the industrial history of the area. I then visited what they call a "gasometer," a very large tank that used to store some of the gas products from coal and steel processes. Today this one is an art exhibition space, and has an elevator which took me up to a dizzying view of the region.

Sunday 15
I concluded my Ruhrgebiet sandwich of site-museum-site with a visit to an old coal mine and coke factory site called Zollverein, nearby in Essen (the namesake of the Southwestern Pennsylvania town Monessen, aptly located on the Monongahela River). I took a tour of the "kokerei," including walking through a series of coke ovens. Cool, I mean hot!

I am now in Freiburg, Germany, visiting a high school friend. After a couple of days I will go to London for two more days, before returning to Belfast, then Portland, and finally Pittsburgh.