Lunches on the Rhine

This past week was not as exciting as some have been during my stay here. Most of my time was spent in anticipation of my girlfriend’s arrival here in Germany during her Spring break. On Friday night I enjoyed telling Caroline over Skype that I couldn’t wait to see her instead of the usual “talk to you later.” When I went to bed she had just boarded her plane and was en-route to Düsseldorf where we met on Saturday morning at the train station before heading back to Cologne together.

That Saturday I was an under-qualified tour guide of the city but I think I managed to impress Caroline with the background information I have picked up from Evelin’s tour and other occasions. Caroline’s first real sight was the Dom Cathedral which will leave an impression on everyone who sees it. The Cathedral is located right beside the main train station and you have to walk right by it in order to get to Kolpinghaus. After dropping off her things in my room we took the long way back to the Cathedral so she could get her bearings in the city that she has had to navigate on her own while I am at school. We went by Tünis and Schal the famous statues in the old part of the city that represent two characters in traditional Cologne folk literature and saw the Gross St. Martin Cathedral nearby. For lunch we found a nice pizza restaurant on the Rhine River and enjoyed the lovely weather that we were given. After lunch we walked across the train bridge and took pictures of the beautiful view of the Cathedral that you can see from that vantage point. We continued walking around Cologne and ended up exploring more of the city than I have done by myself so far. After resting at my room for a little while we went out to a traditional Kölsch bierhaus. I had sauerbraten for the third time and enjoyed it thoroughly while Caroline had great potato soup. The dinner was wonderfully German and the Kölsh beer, Päffgen, was delicious.

On Sunday we took a train back to Düsseldorf to see the city outside of the airport and train station. We enjoyed walking along the Rhine and another German meal in the old part of the city. The meal was equally as good as the one Saturday night and the beer, Altbier, as Kölsch is not served in Cologne, was very good. Most shops are closed on Sundays in Germany but we did find an antique market, actually the same one that I have been to twice in Cologne, that we enjoyed browsing. We did not find anything we couldn’t live without at the antique market except for the ice cream cones that several people were walking around with. After leaving the antique market, with ice cream in hand, we had around an hour and half before the next train and spent it relaxing in a beautiful park that was quite popular.

Back in Cologne I have enjoyed a few breaks in my normal routine to spend time with Caroline. We met for lunch on Monday during a break in my schedule and have gone out to eat a few times when I would normally eat at Kolpinghaus. Caroline has been very understanding of the work I have to do with school but it is fun doing that work with her by my side.