Köln nach München - Samstag

Okay, so this wasn't one of our finest travel days. It is always a bit of a roller coaster, tomorrow will be better!

But before I tell the tale of todays adventures let me tell you how great our hotel in Cologne has been. You walk out the door and can take either train or bus and you are where you want to be in 10 minutes, brilliant!

So today we are off to Munich by the ICE. So we left ourselves plenty of time to take the ubahn to the station, which wasn't the big Hauptbahnhof but another station on the other side of the Rhine.

ITS SNOWING…

I have a cold…

(Personally, Dear Readers,  I blame Brussels for that, the cold not the snow).

Took us ages find this jolly station, so ended up wandering around in the snow, then realised we could have gone underground in a subway and out of the snow.

Still got to the station on time.

Found the right spot on the platform as they announced that the train was of a different configuration.

Train arrived and we were at totally the wrong end of the platform. And it wasn't just us stupid tourists. everyone went “Scheisse” and went running down the snowy platform dragging suitcases..

(above: Looking suitably pissed off)

What has gone wrong with the usual German efficiency?

We just got on whatever car we could and then had to drag our cases through the train to find our seats. So much for booking first class seats, you don't get treated very first class!

Then I spilt tea all down my front, and Graham lost his scarf….

Finally, made it to Munich without further mishap. Staying at another Mercure.

And guess what, we just cant seem to avoid the Christmas markets they just turn up now without us looking for them.

This one is in the main square, Marienplatz. Its Saturday night and it is packed! You cant move for crowds, and they shove and push.

It is bitterly cold. We are freezing our bits off. Especially noses and fingertips, despite good gloves.

We wondered out loud why we haven’t met many other Australians on this trip. We usually run into them all over the place, (or at least hear the voices saying something stupid and cringe).

It because they are smart and are at home and are WARM!

 

Well, I’ll try to cheer up and promise to be less negative on the next post.

Positive thoughts!  The Hotel room is warm, my boots are warm dry and comfy, I’ve got Graham to feed me Cold & Flu tablets and we still have some chocolates from Brussels.

Köln - Freitag

Another Christmas Market. This one is Neumarkt. 

It isn't as cold today as the wind has dropped.

And surprise Dear Readers, Santa really did visit baby Jesus in the manger, along with these Hansel & Gretel  lookalikes.

We spent the afternoon at the Chocolate Museum. Schokoladenmuseum.

Above is a huge Chocolate fountain.

And its starting to snow outside.

Dear Reader Children, this is where they keep the Lindt bunnies until they grow large enough to harvest for Easter.

Tonight at another Christmas markets. There are about seven in Cologne.

Being Friday night this one was packed. All the locals down for a Glühwein before heading home for the weekend.

Its still snowing…..

Another meal standing up at a Markets.

There is some great food, and we are always up to trying something we haven't ever heard of and cant pronounce. Although Graham has a bit of basic German I find pointing at something and waving a Euro works rather well.

Not spending a lot of money this trip on food, but I am beginning to crave some veggies.

Tomorrow we head for Munich.

Köln - Donnerstag

Okay, Dear Readers, we can’t possibly visit Cologne and not go into the Dom, their famous cathedral.

I’ve been to Cologne briefly before, most memorably in 2006 when we changed trains at the station, came out for 5 minutes to look at the cathedral and there were thousands of people in funny hats and various levels of inebriation  in the square.

This  was in the middle of the 2006 football World Cup which was hosted by Germany.

Bloody stupid idea, I hear you say Dear Readers, going to Germany in the middle of the world cup! and in hindsight I agree, we must have been bonkers.

 

 

 

We’ve been into most of the worlds most famous cathedrals on our travels, including, St Peters, St Marks, St Pauls, Westminster Abbey, York Minster, Salisbury, Canterbury, Notre Dame, St Georges Chapel and probably some others I cant think of off the top of my head.

We are not religious, but these are historic buildings, and in some cases (especially Canterbury and Salisbury) they are a real reflection of the community that worships there. They also have precious art and I also admire the years of work that communities took to erect these buildings.

 

 

Well,,,,

the Dom is a cold grey unwelcoming building, this is only my personal opinion of course, and others may reflect differently.

However!

A saving grace, there are Christmas Markets in the square next door!

Better not let Miss Lizzy see the doggies in the pram as it might give her ideas.

Today, we also visited the decorative arts Museum.

The Museum für Angewandte Kunst Köln is a decorative arts museum in Cologne, Germany. The collections include jewellery, porcelain, furniture, weaponry and architectural exhibits.

It is bitterly cold, there is an icy wind that chills to the bone and icy rain. It may snow, drat it.

Never too cold for beer, says Graham. (Hear, Hear you say Dear Readers)..

Getting dark early doesn't seem to be the bother that I thought it would,  because life just goes on despite it.

And we have worked out the public transport system which is always a bonus, and are finding it an easy city to get around.

Belgium To Cologne, Germany

Above, Graham and I at the Rheinauhafen Christmas market, on the banks of the Rhine River,  in Cologne.

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However, before we get there we must again say goodbye to Brussels.

…And as promised Dear Readers, we paid a visit to Manneken pis.

I was hoping he would be in his Santa suit, but he seems to be dressed in some sort of rescue workers gear today.

And time for a waffle…

…and like Tin Tin and Snowy his dog, we are running off to catch the Thayls train to Cologne.

And a few hours later, its our first German Christmas Market about 15 minute walk from our Motel. (The Mercure, Severinshof, thank the Goddess it has a lift so no more dragging the suitcases up flights of stairs…)

We had  Glühwein and smoked herrings.

Glühwein (roughly translated as "glow-wine", from the hot irons once used for mulling) is popular in German-speaking countries and in the region of Alsace in France. It is a traditional beverage that is offered during the Christmas holidays.

Glühwein is usually prepared from red wine, heated and spiced with cinnamon sticks, cloves, star aniseed, citrus, sugar and at times vanilla pods.

Lots of folks out and about after work, and its not too cold, about comfortable. (although that's about to change, <<shiver>> )

Well, at least Grahams hard to lose in his yellow Lotus jacket!

Waterloo

Today we took the bus out to the Waterloo battlefield.

A very sad waste of life and I wonder what the world would be like today if Napoleon had won?

Maybe we would all be speaking French.

 

Great museum!

Brilliant and high tech, the paintings actually moved like those in Hogwarts.

There was a blizzard in the one below and the people in it were moving about.

Then dinner tonight with Grahams Nephew Tom and his wife Merrel.

Cologne tomorrow.