For some, the bleached car tyres, the rusty shopping trolleys, the mildewed bicycle parts and other barely identifiable remnants of our modern age are pretty photo motifs. For others, it is simply what it is: rubbish. While in Bonn a conflict of competence between the authorities means that all the rubbish is left lying around and will probably be flushed towards the North Sea when the water level rises again, the town of Niederkassel is dealing with the situation pragmatically: "We treat it as illegal rubbish, collect it and dispose of it," says town spokesperson Markus Thüren. They have to deal with completely different problems. But more on that later.