Here I am again. Good to hear from Ham and Ang today. Always helps to know I’m not floating out here disconnected.
Yesterday afternoon I went on a mission to get myself a German phone. It was a bloody hassle to get one way and another but finally I’m up and running.
Then I went off and wandered around the Dom. Very lovely inside but a rather black mass on the outside I think. Anyway I saw there was a tour in English in the morning and decided I’d go back for that as the Dom was my main reason for coming to Cologne.
I wandered about some more and agonised over my options for dinner. Very scary when the Germans eat in these big beer halls where they just come around dropping off beers as soon as your glass is empty. And the food…fuck me, I definitely fail German food 101. Fortunately I happened to get a nice waiter. There were these pork hocks coming out one after the other. I must say I was wishing I had you all with me. You’d all have loved the pork as would I but it was HUGE…I needed a share partner. And Rose you would be in beer heaven too, it would suit you to the ground. So I ordered (guess what !!) a pasta dish. The waiter told me it wasn’t German!! And I drank the beer…what else can you do?? Then I did timidly ask if I could get a glass of wine, which I did…phew!!
This morning it was raining and rather bleak. Nothing opens before 10am and I had trouble even getting a coffee. I headed back to the Dom (my hotel is just next to it which is perfect) for my guided tour. It was definitely worth it and the Dom really is superb with stained glass that would rival any in the world. Then after a short toilet break at the hotel I headed down to the Rhine and the old part of town (except that the war has ensured that everything old is new again). That was nice, I wondered around in the rain up the little streets and down again. I stopped for a soup lunch and a beer, you can’t get anything without a beer and I don’t think I’ll ever really like it. But when in Rome…… The soup was very creamy and full of sausage, oh dear this is an adjustment.
I decided not to do any museums here so I just had a relaxed afternoon wandering around. Then it was once again time for dinner so I took a deep breath and I went to a different bloody great beer hall. This one wasn’t such a good choice, it was busier, noisier and my waiter wasn’t particularly nice. I felt really odd as a single person and he made me move tables once so he could fit more people. Again, what to eat?? The beer was already in front of me of course. This time I found potato fritters with applesauce…very weird!! I ate half of it and gave up! Now I’m back at the hotel and think I’ll go down and get myself a glass of wine.
Tomorrow morning I’m off to Hamburg which I’m hopeful will be great.