Skip to main content

Cologne

(Oct 18 - 21) 

Cologne, Germany was added to the travel list since I wanted to see a band that was playing there.  This will be our first trip outside of the Netherlands for just a weekend.  

More Cologne photos here: https://photos.app.goo.gl/d1ucCkH3R7MMx2cHA

First, I will say that I have now vowed never to take a train in Germany again. This will be our 2nd time taking a train from Amsterdam to Germany (first time to Dusseldorf before we moved here). Both times were fraught with issues. I went by myself ahead of Ryan and Sam and almost seconds within entering Germany when there was an announcement stating that the train would not be going further (same thing happened coming back from Dusseldorf). You might be wondering how I know this given the German trains only make announcements in German. Luckily I encountered some friendly Germans that translated for me. Once I got on to a new train (using my evolving train navigating skills!), there was another announcement. Then many people got off the train so I took that as a sign that the train wasn't going anywhere anytime soon. After a significant delay and being on about 5 different trains, I made it to Cologne a little crankier than expected. 

Other than the train fiasco, Cologne is a lovely city.  There's a river, bridges, a huge cathedral and typical European squares and cobblestone streets.  



The Strumbellas played in a night club and I was able to get a spot close to the stage and a little elevated. However, on the way there the app to buy train tickets was not working so I just got on the train.  Of course that is the one time that they checked tickets so in dealing with that (along with a lecture from the German train staff) I missed my stop and had to walk 30 minutes in what I might consider not the best part of Cologne.  On the way home the train was delayed as well. Again, more data points to show that German trains are no longer an option for me.  But the concert was excellent and all worth it!







Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Morocco

For Sam's February school break we went to Morocco.  We were looking for warmth and also ready to explore beyond Europe. We stayed at the Hyatt Regency (amazing resort) in Taghazout, a small fishing village that is south of Marrakesh and north of Agadir.  More Morocco photos here:  https://photos.app.goo.gl/eATCUb6Cc4rRoyLYA February 17:  As per usual we opted for a flight that was not ideal so we could save money.  It was a later flight with a connection through Casablanca, arriving in Agadir airport close to midnight.   Sam slept on the car ride from the airport to the hotel but perked up when we found out we had been upgraded to a room with an ocean view (thanks to friend Jasper!!).  This kid continues in his quest for only the finer things. Very elaborate towel and curtain art! View from our balcony at night: View from our balcony during the day: February 18:  Today was dedicated to nothing except explo...
Post a Comment
Read more

Norway

  Our final leg of the Scandinavia journey was Norway. We started and ended in Oslo but much of our time was spent exploring the fjords and smaller towns.  More Norway photos here:   https://photos.app.goo.gl/9Lo5sFgQF2ScPYkV8 Wed, 8/20 – Stockholm → Oslo We flew into Oslo later in the day so only enough time for a little exploration and dinner.  One impression I have of Oslo is the social activism, not just with this small protest about fossil fuels, but the general vibe (i.e. graffiti).  All very calm but lots of opinions! The Tiger statue outside the train station. Thu, 8/21 – Oslo → Bergen Not much time in Oslo before we began our exploration of Norway.  This was the most stressful part of planning the trip and why I delegated it to Ryan. It involved piecing together various transportation modes and he thrives in planning trains, buses and water-related transportation.  It was a complex puzzle that mirrored the popular "Norway in a Nutshell" ...
1 comment
Read more

Rotterdam

  (March 1 - 2) Rotterdam (Netherlands) was added to the travel schedule primarily because Ryan had a free Marriott night that needed to be used before it expired and we all know he won't let that go to waste ($).  It was also our last free weekend before Sam started back with his activities after his collarbone break (see separate blog entry ), mainly Sunday football.  More Rotterdam photos here:  https://photos.app.goo.gl/vA3er7NEqDfAKzzm7 We continued our commitment to food tours in every city we go to.  We had a fear that we might be the only ones on this tour and that fear was realized. That's a lot of pressure to interact with the tour guide. It was supposed to be a 4 hour tour with 6 stops and this tour lasted 5 hours with 7 stops. 😬  I thought the tour guide was going to invite us to his house by the end. But overall it was good with some typical Dutch foods but because Rotterdam is a very international city, there were some unexpected items l...
Post a Comment
Read more