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Monday, 16 June 2014

18# IDa4 MURAL IN EUROPE: Backpackers-Duesseldorf, Germany‎



About Dusseldorf:

Düsseldorf dazzles with boundary-pushing architecture, good nightlife and an art scene to rival many higher-profile cities.

 It’s a posh and modern city that seems all buttoned-up business at first glance: banking, advertising, fashion and marketing are among the fields that have made North Rhine–Westphalia's capital one of Germany’s wealthiest cities. Yet all it takes is a few hours of bar-hopping around the Altstadt, the historical quarter along the Rhine, to realise that locals have no problem letting their hair down once they shed those Armani jackets.
                                                           
At the hostel:
 
We arrived to be met by Patrick the owner and person behind the idea for the hostel, he got this idea from when the was travelling around South America and when he got back to Germany gave up his management job to pursue his dream of opening a hostel in Dusseldorf. 10+ years later this hostels is going from strength to strength.   It has a good feel to it, not one of those new modern hostels with no atmosphere, here everyone interacts.  Main places to do this is in the lounge area, courtyard and eating area. 
We meet a lot of different people traveling here, in one conversation around a table we had 2 guys from India, a Swiss girl, a Dutch man, an old Canadian gay, a half German half Japanese guy and us two.  It was sometimes hard to get your point across, but mostly we all agreed on the same issues, just goes to show if you’re a good person doesn’t matter where you’re from. I also have to give a mention to Lyndsey who we meet from Lancashire in England, first time traveling alone and we hope it’s going well and you get everything you can get out of it, she liked our art so much she booked herself on a mini Ida4 art tour around Belgium, hoped you liked our art and hoped you liked Gent and Antwerp too.  She’s a real sweet girl and you should check her blog out too……. http://lindseysagar.blogspot.de/

We were quite lucky with arriving when we did, as it was Japan day in Dusseldorf. (Dusseldorf is home to the biggest Japanese community in continental Europe) this is a celebration of all things Japanese, with shows, music, food and exhibitions.  The young people of the city must take this really serious because I have never seen so many people go to so much effort to get dressed up, the detail and imagination was a joy to behold.  The costumes ranged from Manga inspired to Tokyo Street chic.





 The whole celebration comes to an end with one of the best and biggest firework displays I have ever seen.  Literally awesome.




Hostel Art.


So when we arrived Patrick showed us where he wanted us to paint, which was on the 1st floor in the main room’s corridor.   We had a whole wall to paint with four doors adjoined.   I think we are quite inspired by the costumes at the Japan day as we decided to go for a comic book style mural with all the characters interacting.  Some of the images are from Ida4 Newcastle Mural on Hotspur Street. He hadn’t used them since and this seemed like the right place to use them.


We used quite bright colours as this room had no natural sunlight.  We hope the outcome puts a smile on people’s faces as much as our time in Dusseldorf.










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