I don’t recall what time our train to Koln left but it was only about an hour. We sat across from a guy from Cameroon who had lived in Germany for about a decade. He was really smart and well-spoken in English and we had a great conversation! It helped pass the time, that’s for sure. When we got to Koln, they dumped us at the auxiliary station, not the main, so we had to walk and let me tell you: suitcases are not made for cobblestones. What a pain! But we made it to our airbnb, which we could not check into until a certain time, so we walked, the oh, maybe 1000 feet to the main kolsch drinking area! If you know anything about beer, it’s that it cannot even be called a real kolsch unless it comes FROM Koln. So they have all these little kolsch places that do a service: they serve it to you in .2 ounce glasses until you put your coaster on top to indicate you’re done.

Seeing as how it is one of our (if not the) favorite styles, this was a must on this trip. We started at Gaffel and also ate some food; Ash had a bratwurst and I had a knockwurst with red cabbage. So good! We had some beer and then the lady was able to meet and Ash ran around the corner to drop our bags and get the keys. Once unburdened, we walked around the main area, taking in the “Bones of Koln”, the cathedral, and many other sights. We ended up at Fruh, which is a huge restaurant. Had a few there, then went to a small Irish Pub where they were showing Premier league soccer. That was nice because everyone spoke English. After that, on to Sion, which was a hoot. They had one barrel area from which they served and as it tapped, shipped a new one in on a ceiling pulley system. Very cool to watch.

I believe we went back to the airbnb for a bit to grab something and rest a min before heading back out to the Peters tent around the corner. There, we ended up chatting with two guys from a town about a 30 minute walk. They were very nice and we had a nice time. This was sort of a theme there: the Germans seem very stiff and uptight…until they drink and then they are warm and friendly.

Our next day in Cologne, we went to their major church, then walked around city streets and took in sights. It was Sunday so we had a plan to go to an “American” sports bar to watch football. The food was in the vein of American but not quite. Overall it was a good experience, though not perfect. We did somehow end up sitting at the bar next to a young guy who had once lived where we do for a short time. Small world!