Fair

Yesterday at lunch time, I thought I wouldn’t go. Last night I still had my doubts. But then, late at night, we decided that I would get up at 4:45 and get that train to Düsseldorf to visit REHAB-CARE, according to the organisers the world’s largest fair on rehabilitation. So I went, a bit reluctantly.

German trains being what they are, fast and reliable (mostly), I got there so early that the fair was still closed. You could see what was going on even at the central station, and certainly on the tram going out to the congress center where the fair was taking place. I had not see as many wheelchairs in one place in my life.

There were long queues at the entrance and when the gates opened hundreds of people poured into the six huge exhibition halls. It was incredible. Everything from electronic eye trackers to bathroom equipment, from architects and specialised builders, to car conversion engineers, from accounting software to rehab furniture, from facilities to interest groups, stand-up beds, stand-up wheelchairs, racing wheelchairs, holiday homes and boats for people who need special furniture and access – you name it.

Here is a short video of just one corner of one hall to give you an idea of what I am talking about.

In between, I was talking to Pat who had staid back with Pádraig. He has been doing ok and has almost recovered from whatever happened to him yesterday. He is still in the hospital’s main ICU, most likely because they don’t move people around the hospital over the weekend, unless they really have to. He’s ok in the ICU but it’s deja vu all over again. Staff don’t know him (so they suction him for no reason, just because they do), they don’t know us so some are quite officious, play it all by the book, don’t account for the fact that we have been there for the best part of a year. What can you do? – Hopefully, it’ll be back to 2L on Monday morning.

I’ve put together a few pictures from today. The first one has nothing got to do with the fair, it’s of the main door of Starbuck’s in Düsseldorf’s Central Train Station. It’s really funny: they don’t really open, except for one day a week (!) – but then really long hours, as one coffee-seeking by-passer remarked.

Here is a small selection of the incredible amount and variety of stuff available. Cars, wheelchairs, gadgets. There doesn’t seem to be anything, good German engineering wouldn’t be able to make.