I’m leaving Oberhausen today.  The city hasn’t touched me.  Not its fault … and not mine.  No doubt there are thousands of people happy to call it home.  As for me, my body hasn’t been well, and that colours everything.

Oberhausen feels dark, even during the day.  The brick buildings are more black than red:

Here’s some colour in the centrum.  I like that.  The photo also shows how rectangular the city is … fewer curves than I prefer:

The other word that comes to mind is empty.  This pic is in the morning but even the afternoon provides only a sprinkling of human beings:

More about emptiness:  Bike paths are everywhere – reddish brick beside the grey ones for pedestrians.  But in my two plus days here, only once did I see a cyclist use one.  And a mere five riders passed within a few metres of me during my visit.

I was the only one in this church:

I found this athletic field.  Very cool.  I was so focused on taking the photo that I don’t know if the keeper made the save:

Right beside was this 100-metre running track.  I resisted the temptation to show my stuff. It’s okay – wouldn’t have been inspiring. But when I was younger …!

There are lots of cultures in Oberhausen, including many folks from Africa I believe. And on a main shopping street, I found Lebanon and Syria side-by-side:

Everywhere I travel, I feel close to the people who live there. In Oberhausen, I came upon this tribute to German soldiers who died or went missing (vermisst) in World War I. I’m used to memorials for Allied soldiers. This German one is just as important. The fear of dying ran through both.

How many folks have sat on this bench, enjoying conversation with friends or family? Many.

Finally, here is a young guy who was with me for minutes on end. A privilege to share eyes …