arriving in Dusseldorf

     Once i battle through the throngs of people and got into the centre of town i grabbed a cash-line it can be a stress with a fully laden bike getting cash from a cash machine especially when there`s shady looking characters about, but it was all fine it always surprises me how much money the cash line is offering abroad they dont  ask if you want 20 40 or 80 euro they ask if you want 200 400 or 600 and then gives you your cash in 50 and 100 euro notes, nobody would except these sized notes at home but i had no problem at even small shops handing over a 100euro note

    fortune would have it i spotted an Irish bar from the cash-line a good birthday omen i shoved my bike in the corner of the mobbed bar and ordered two pints of Guinness i knew the first wouldnt last long and it would save me going back to the bar i got a seat where i could see my bike with my beers and started surfing the net for somewhere to stay, I soon got bored surfing for somewhere and had a look at this street the Irish bar i was in was also a hotel i tried getting booked in their but couldn't find a reception it turned out fate had found me in a street with three Irish bars i had to stay on this street as a birthday treat there was a hotel called the George over the street my fathers name! i went in left my bike downstairs and asked at reception 82 euro she said i had a look around the hotel i said that is a lot for here she said its Saturday the town is busy you are lucky we have a room! AYE ok then if it includes breakfast and i have somewhere for my bike, i was on the third floor but the ground floor was just a lobby i had to carry my laden bike up two flights of stairs and lock it in their tiny kitchen area

       once out i visited all the Irish bars and had a walk round town i had a sit down Chinese for dinner, the town was heaving a real party atmosphere what a great city it was, i decided i would treat myself to my favourite whisky whilst back at the irish bar i had been texting the HEBway crew and bob had said he wished he was there to buy me a birthday whisky. ordered a balvennie 9 euro 60 holy co-molly bob you would have boaked lol, i had a good night out though a good birthday was had