On Being a Local Tourist

Precisely a year and a half ago, we would have scorned the concept of exploring the Ruhr area. "Why spend money here when we can save it for a trip to xyz," Chris would have sniffed. "I looove factories," I would have joked. Almost miraculously, our attitude has changed. Although the art museums, musical ensembles, athletic teams, and architecture here are not world-famous, we've settled into the role of being a local tourist.

Perhaps one reason for this switch is the availability of Ruhr guidebooks due to the designation of the Ruhrgebiet (Ruhr area) as a European Cultural Capital this year. Tempted by the notion that other people are actually traveling here on their holidays, I purchased a book and can now easily forage for local adventures. There's also my personality to consider: I like getting out and about on the weekends, using the perks of our public transit card. If you think about it, we are really getting a taste of Europe that most tourists try hard to see: it's - ahem - "off the beaten track." Considering our home-bound status these next few months as Chris prepares his professorial research proposals, it makes sense that we'd start seriously seeking local joy. More likely, though, the reason that we are now embracing life here is simply a matter of timing. After a year, a new place actually starts to feel like home. I have personally proved this rule of thumb three times now in my moves from California to Illinois to Wisconsin and now to Germany.

Whatever the reason may be, we spent some money locally instead of saving it for Prague and planned a day trip, avoiding old factories, incidentally. We began by floating for an hour down the Ruhr river from Mülheim to Kettwig on the "White Fleet," or Weiße Flotte.

Like always, I felt immediately rewarded for taking those heavy steps out of the house on an early Saturday morning.

We saw plenty of geese and swans, campers and paddlers, and dogs and cows to entertain Daisy along the way.


We had heard of the medieval village of Kettwig the day we got here, but it took us this long to make the journey.

We trotted over the cobbles and paused to photograph the half-timbered homes and ornate doors.

This man with a lantern is a symbol of the town, hovering over the steep steps up to the church.

After lunch and cakes, we took a train to Villa Hugel.

This mansion was home to the Krupp family, a 400-year-old steel manufacturing dynasty. Their steel company was the largest company in Europe at the beginning of the 20th century. They, not surprisingly, bowed to Hitler and basically enslaved conscripted workers from occupied countries at the end of the war. At the Nürnberg war crimes trials, the owners were convicted but ultimately came back to run the company, though they realized that they could no longer enjoy this mansion and thus they donated it to the public.

The library stretched on for the whole length of the villa. It was fascinating to see the mix of history and war, religion, and literature, all in different languages.

In the heart of the city of Essen, the Flying Grass Carpet has landed! Here's a shot of Daisy standing on it after it flew here from Hungary. Next stop: Istanbul!
We really believe in this lifestyle of happily getting out and exploring things around home. Here's hoping that our next home offers something enriching and different - ideally without factories.