Cologne - Days 5, 6

Using my brand new Garmin GPS, we navigated to Cologne. Along the way, we all discussed a name for the Garmin throwing out all kinds of names. By the time we got to Leverkusen, about 20 miles from Cologne, we had a name - Dumbhead Jacob. Dummkopf took us off the Autobahn and drove us all over the WRONG side of the Rhine. Once we ignored him and found our way to the correct side of the river, we made our way to Uschi's home for a lovely lunch, arriving over half an hour late.


Uschi's Peeping Tom the Weather Rooster kept us company while we dined on her lovely terrace.

The meal Uschi prepared was delicious! We ate so much lunch that none of us had room for the cheesecake she had baked for our dessert. After we finished pigging out, Uschi lead the way to our little hotel/apartment. The view from the balcony was great!

The accomodations were not. There was no window, it was about 100 degrees, and, as is the norm in Germany, the place had no air conditioning. To make matters worse, there wasn't even a coffee maker in the "fully equipped kitchen". We headed out to the store for ice and booze while Uschi rustled up a coffee maker and a fan for us to use during our stay. (Travel Tip: Do NOT stay at the Rheinblick Hotel & Apartments in Rodenkirchen.)

To be honest, the heat was so unbearable that our brains got baked and we have no recollection of what we did that evening except swelter.

The next morning we headed out to the Rodenkirchen market, poked around a bit and had some yummy coffee at a cafe while we waited for Uschi to join us.

We then took the streetcar into Cologne and as we exited the train station, our first view was of the Dom, the Cathedral.

The second thing we saw was this adorable bulldog poster in a shop window as we walked to the entrance of the Dom.

We walked through the Dom and saw the amazing stained glass, the gigantic pipe organ, and the Shrine of the Holy Magi which contains the bones of Gaspar, Balthasar, and Melchior, better known as the Three Wise Men.

Near the Dom, we saw the ancient Roman Road from 38BC and the beautiful Roman mosaic floor from 220AD.

We did a bit of shopping, stopped for cake and coffee in the Altstadt,


and met some interesting men along the way.

From there we walked to one of the bridges that spans the Rhine River and hunted (in vain) for the lock that Hunter and Kim attached to the fence on the bridge. Lovers write their name on a lock, attach and lock it to the bridge and then toss the key into the river. Ah, romance.

We took the streetcar back to Rodenkirchen and had dinner at one of the little Kneipe (pub) on the Rhine. Nice dinner, nice view and great company.

Thursday morning we went to Uschi's to finally eat her wonderful cake, enjoy some coffee, and spend some time at her bar before we headed to the airport for Rome.

Thank you for everything, Uschi!

Munster - Days 2, 3, 4

August 20, Day 2

The flight went fairly well, both girls arrived safely though a bit sleepy after flying all night long. There were lots of squeals, excitement, hugs, and happiness as we all drove from the airport to our home in Albachten. G's driving was nearly as fast as the pilot of the plane.




After some coffee, some chatting, and some rest, we all walked to the train station for the 7 minute trip to the big city, Münster. Before the train arrived, G ran home and changed into a short sleeved shirt because summer had surprisingly come to Germany that day!


We saw the bike garage,


St. Ludgeri Church (where the 3 cages that held the prisoners are still visible on the steeple),


and enjoyed the sights and smells of Münster and her bakeries.

We did some walking around the city and then decided to head to the town of Nottuln for a Bluesfest.


We drank beer, ate brats, and finished the night singing "I Saw the Light" at the top of our lungs with several hundred rowdy Germans.

August 21, Day 3

On Sunday the weather called for rain, but we ventured out to Telgte for the Medieval Festival anyway. It is the largest one in all of Europe and we enjoyed the craftsmen, the events, and, of course, the beer.

Sam wanted to hop in the hot tub,


Q wanted to hop on the horse,


and I wanted to hop in what I thought was a Medieval Conga Line but I opted out whan I learned it was a gaggle of plague ridden villagers being escorted out of town. The rains did come so we left without seeing all there was to see.

We went home, admired the gorgeous flowers G picked for us after his morning run, and when the rain stopped we decided to head back into the city to our little waterfront, Portside.


We started at Coconut Beach with some beer and wine from the Tiki Bar.


Sam made friends with a great Rhodesian Ridgeback.


Then we headed down the promenade to Freiheit 26 for some pretty good food. We ended the night like good little Germans - sitting around the kitchen table drinking schnapps.

August 22, Day 4

No pictures from the day, but we did go to the grocery store. I packed for the trip, and Sam and Q repacked adding some sweatshirts since the forecast for Paris was cold temps and rainy skies. We had a supper of antipasti, octopus & squid salad, baguettes, cheese, meat, and wine. Lots of wine. We went to bed fairly early in preparation for our early drive to Cologne to visit Uschi.

Cologne

Here is a good overall video about Cologne. It's only about 4 minutes long and is in English!


The first thing we'll see is the Cathedral. It's hard to miss it.


Then maybe we can take a walk on the Roman Road, built around 38BC. Yeah, that's BC.


We can head down to Old Town for a while.


And then go to the Antique Shop Coffee House for some cake and coffee. We love this little place, it is even mentioned in the video.


Maybe we'll shop for a bit.


Then we will have a great dinner. We might even have to have a beer or two.

Please, Sir...

may we have some more...

Rheinische Sauerbraten mit Rotkohl und Klöße (Sauerbraten with red cabbage and dumplings)?


Käsespätzle (German Mac & Cheese)?


Hämmchen (Boiled ham with sauerkraut and potato dumplings)?



Kölsch?


Rheinische Muscheln (Rhineland- style mussels)?


Dampfnudeln (Sweet steamed dumplings with various sauces)?


Rote Grütze (Red Grits - Red berries with vanilla sauce or pudding)?

What is Münster like?

5 Things You Will Love and Hate about Germany

Andere Länder, andere Sitten*

Germans, as a rule, are not grouchy, but they can be quite serious. But once you get to know them, they are warm, friendly and fun people. However, some of their customs and manners might take some getting used to...


Everything is bigger in the US than it is in Germany: people, meal portions, refrigerators, washing machines, coffee cups, cars, houses, beds, even squirrels.

In Germany you count with the fingers like this: 1-thumb, 2-index finger, 3-middle finger, 4-ring finger, 5-pinky.

What is called "erstes Obergeschoss" (abbreviated OG) in Germany is called "second floor" in the US. Zweites Obergeschoss (2OG) is the third floor. The US ground or "first floor" is das Erdgeschoss (EG), translated means Earth Floor.

In the US, when you enter a restaurant, you have to wait for a hostess/host to seat you; generally you cannot freely choose your table. In Germany, you just sit down wherever you want. Sometimes you find yourself sharing a large table with people you have never met.

In Germany, TV shows start at varying, strange times, 8:13PM for example. In the US, shows start on the full or half hour. Primetime shows are often shown without commercial interruption in Germany. The commercials are played between shows.

In the US, prices are always stated without sales tax. In Europe the posted price includes tax.


German highway signs are unusable for foreigners. They ignore points of the compass entirely. In order to navigate on German Autobahnen, you need to know the relative locations of all cities in Germany. The signs won't say "B1 East" and "B1 West", but instead "B1 Richtung Bochum" and "B1 Richtung Unna" and you are supposed to know that Unna is East of Bochum.

Water ordered in a European restaurant is bottled, and the default is fizzy. You must ask for still water. Also, drinks such as cola, tea, etc. are served without ice. If you ask for ice be prepared for the server to arrive at the table with a small cup of ice and then proudly and delicately spoon 1 or 2 cubes into your glass. Until just recently, icy cold drinks were thought to be unhealthy.

There are no doggie bags in German restaurants. Asking to take leftovers is frowned upon. However, many bars and restaurants allow dogs inside.

Napkins are often available at your place at the table, but Germans rarely use them. They almost never eat foods without utensils. Even street vendors serve french fries with little wooden forks. It’s more common for a German to go to the washroom to wash hands then for them to wipe them off with a napkin.

In the US the left hand is in the lap while eating. This is bad manners in Gemany where one must keep the hand (but not the elbows) on the table.

Europeans wait until everyone has their plate and the host says Guten Appetit before anyone begins to eat. However, in restaurants, food is often served as each plate is ready. In this case, if one person has a meal while the others do not, the host of the table will insist the person go ahead and eat since the food will get cold. Meals for the entire table are not saved under heat lamps until all can be served at once.

Europeans remain seated at the dining table until everyone is finished eating. It is considered very rude to get up while someone is still eating their meal.

In Germany, you must ask for your bill at a restaurant. Waiters do not try to rush you from the table - it is yours for the evening.


Restrooms have attendants and tips are expected, even in highway rest areas. Fifty eurocents is the usual tip so be sure to have some coins in your pocket. A few locations have a coin operated turnstile so you must pay to enter the restroom.



Men are requested to sit when peeing - Das Sitzpinkler Manifest, if you will.

Unless you are given permission to address someone by their first name, always call a person Herr [Smith] or Frau [Smith] in Germany.

German houses are compartmentalized. Every room has a door and the doors are often kept closed. There are no “open plan” houses in Germany. Whether this comes from Germans fear of drafts, fear of open spaces, or simply to conserve heat is a matter of debate.

Window screens are extremely rare in Germany, as is air conditioning. Few homes, public buildings, shops, or department stores are air conditioned.


Recycling is very important in Germany. Even bins at the airport are divided for recycling. But they do some amazing things with recycled items!



Contrary to popular belief, Germans DO have a sense of humor.



*Different countries, different manners