Slept all the way through until 9:50am. I can't believe it. That was the easiest euro sleep transition I've ever had. Maybe it's because I came direct from the east coast and not AZ, with less of a time change, a little sleep on the plane and a nap late in the afternoon sufficiently confused my insides. Screw you insides! You can't hold me back!
Modest spread at the hotel for breakfast. Bread rolls, sliced meats, cheese, rich cherry yogurt, granola mixed with oats, hot coffee... Everything the body needs, time tested by generations of Germans. I kept it vegetarian and enjoyed the wifi.
Walked around Ehrenfeld a bit after breakfast. Loads of cafes and ethnic restaurants; Japanese, Chinese, and the standard Turkish kebab joints. There is a rather large foreign presence in this neighborhood; I'm guessing they are west Africa Muslims. I walked by as services were letting out. Young men and families filled the street chatting happily. Women with headdresses. I wonder if the Turks are psyched, they are no longer the token foreigner in a new country. They have, at least aesthetically, fully integrated into western culture. Immigration is a hot topic here, as it is in the states. European immigration is all over the news in the states; refugees from Syria literally washing ashore in Greece, making the treacherous journey North through not so welcoming countries (see Hungary) to Germany and beyond. Everyone I've spoken with here understands the need to help. It's a refreshing twist to the common American narrative that tends to point fingers. I have yet to hear of a looney who wants to build a wall. Rather, Germans are busy housing immigrants wherever they can. Apparently, they don't suffer from short term memory loss. Immigrants helped rebuild this country, as they did in the states.
Hopped a taxi from the hotel to downtown and made the executive decision to make a quick stop by my favorite brewery and one of my favorite beers, Früh, which is situated right next to the train station and Dom.
Früh Kölsch is a light beer, perfect for summer months and is served in slender 0,2 Liter glasses. Three sips and it's gone. Waiters basically walk around with trays full of beers and put down a new one when your almost done. You have to put your napkin on top of your beer if you don't want another one. It's almost a perfect system... I sat down on the already packed patio and ordered a cold one and a pretzel with mustard. The very top of the Dom peeking out above the buildings. The pretzel was crispy on the outside and soft and warm on the inside, the way a pretzel should be. The mustard was a tasty medium Scharf. The patio was jamming; small families, older couples, what looked like a bachelor party... And me! Ha. Guitar and huge red suitcase.
The magnificent Dom in downtown Köln. After WWII it was the only thing left standing. You can't grasp from this photo how imposing it is. The largest building, by far, in Köln.
Hopped on the 13:47 regional express to Aachen from platform 8. Pulled up about an hour later. Michel, my host mother Petra's partner, picked me up downtown and we headed to Laurensberg which is a suburb of Aachen. I made a joke to Petra at the wedding that she better make waffles with cherry sauce and sure enough, I walked into the apartment and you could already smell the waffles cooking. Coffee and waffles were served around 4, just like we used to have in 1994.
We spent the night getting caught up and retelling stories from 20 years ago and filling in the gaps from the last couple years. I played guitar and sang some songs. Peter, my host brother, and his wife Nubia from Columbia and baby girl Isabella joined us for a Thai take-out dinner. A great day seeing old friends and family... I am getting the itch to start playing some music though!! Night from Aachen.
