To Cologne

When we arrived in Cologne, we were a bit surprised as we weren't expecting the city to be so modern. If we just would have researched it a bit more, we would have known that most of the city was majorly bombed during WW2, so much so that 72% of the city was completely destroyed. It was in fact the target of the 'Operation Millennium', in which Cologne was bombed in 262  separate air raids. That's a hell of a lot of bombing. Most of the city was rebuild anew after the war, and the few historical landmarks that were left standing have been preserved, the old town painstakingly rebuilt.

The only building that was virtually unaffected was the Cathedral. The big stained glass windows were dismounted at the beginning of the war and hidden for safekeeping, so the one that are now displayed are the original. The fact that the cathedral wasn't destroyed unfortunately was far from being a miracle: it was simply left standing because it was so clearly visible from the sky that made Cologne easier to target. The Cathedral is now the most beloved building by the locals, the biggest landmark of the city and it's easily reached from any direction in Cologne.

This postbox is located near the cathedral :)

The first impression of the city and its inhabitants wasn't the most pleasant. Maybe it was the bad weather, maybe it was the horrible tiny hotel room on the third floor (with no lift), or maybe it was the nastiest hotel owner I ever came across. We quickly got used to the fact that in Cologne people don't smile unless they want to, and certainly not because they are supposed to. Their methodical nature reflects in their language -  for example, at the question 'Could you tell me time?' their reply would be 'Yes I can'. They are not being cold, they are being logical. In general, I wouldn't go as far as to say that they are rude, though they definitely aren't friendly. Maybe they act more like cats than like dogs. Dogs will always act as though they are pleased to see you, and cats simply won't unless they know you. Joey and I are southern Europeans, so we are definitely used to a more gregarious environment, and also living in the UK probably spoiled with 'politeness', so that we had a tiny culture shock :) 

Horrible Hotel Owner

On our first day in Cologne, after going out for a quick dinner we spent the rest of the evening at the hotel. The weather was awful and we didn't have any internet reception as the 'free wifi' only worked around the reception area at the ground floor. To cheer ourselves up we watched 'Ilsa, the she wolf of the SS' - I know, I know... but we loved it and it definitely cheered us up.

The following day, both the weather and our mood were much better. It was also the day off of the hotel owner. Norman Bates knows nothing on terrifying his guests. We strolled along the Rhine, visited St. Martin Church and the old city, which is here you find the trendiest bars and restaurants and the cutest corners. The old breweries definitely deserve a visit. In the midst of the old town, it is possible to find a lot of free wifi spots, and trust me they do come very handy. 

The old city colourful houses

Brauhaus Sünner im Walfisch

Tünnes and Schäl represent the typical original inhabitants of Cologne: Tünnes is the farmer and Tünnes is the bourgeois

Cologne is of course, the birthplace of Eau De Cologne, which was invented by Giovanni Maria Farina, an Italian immigrant, in the 18th century. He wanted to recreate a perfume that would remind him of his birthplace. Today, the Farina family still produces the original Eau De Cologne and their shop in Cologne is the oldest perfume factory in the world.

The Farina Shop

The Carnival Fountain

The food in Cologne was good, maybe a bit pork heavy. The portions are huge, you really get good value for money. I usually have my reservations on pork, however when one portion can easily be divided in two and it fills you up for forever I can see it has some advantages. It is not what you want to eat if you are watching your weight or be generally healthy, and you won't feel like you have fully digested your food for days after a meal, but it's economical. The beer is also amazing (and cheaper than water!).

Pork fest @ Brauhaus Sion, opened the 1318 which makes it the oldest restaurant in Cologne - worth a trip

Pfifferlinge Mushroom Soup - because after two day of pork you need it!

Overall it was a pleasant city, though we would have rather spent more time in Brussels as we could easily have done Cologne in a day (of course without visiting museum etc). We are glad we saw it, but we don't think we will be visiting a second time in the near future.