Euro-Rail IV

Germany seemed so familiar even though this was completely new territory, a region that I hadn’t trespassed before. Yet it felt so right to be standing at Köln Hauptbahnhof; even the language barrier didn’t upset me much this time! I do, however, think it’s high time I got around to realizing that dream of learning German – at least the basics.

Our host’s house charmed me completely, at least the ground floor did, for I never saw the first floor which housed his “private quarters” – the entry is through a building which opens into a semi-private courtyard (reminiscent of the “traboules” of Lyon) covered with creepers and weeds, beyond which lay his cottage. Utterly delightful and bewitching!

Köln itself was not quite what I expected – much more depressing than I’d projected it to be and far too grey and wet for my idea of a German summer….we couldn’t do much because of the weather and because of lack of guidance forthcoming from the host, who seemed to be extremely reticent about telling us what can be seen and done in and around his city thus making Köln seem rather dull and dreary which it really isn’t... (But then our host could take up an entire post by himself, so let's not even tread in that direction!)

Yet I don’t really regret making the trip for it gave me an opportunity to spend time with A – she hasn’t changed a bit; she’s still the same mad, adorable, warm and stubborn A I knew back in Magdeburg 2003. I take time to befriend someone, but I generally choose my friends well. ;-) So we basically saw the Cathedral which is almost synonymous with Köln and walked around the shopping district till our bodies bruised and battered by the grey, wet and windy day screamed for rest and alcohol and we found ourselves at a local brewery. That was a delightful, since it was this warm, noisy place where everyone seemed to arrive with the sole purpose of drinking beer and having a good time, which we did! Spent a long time at the Ludwig modern art museum, which was quite satisfying, but I wonder whether I traveled all the way to Köln to spend a day inside a museum. I did, however buy a wonderful print of Andrew Warhol's "La Nana Noire" for bhaiyya's office and am extremely pleased with that purchase! Walked by the river and around the old city till we found the Rathaus (town hall) which despite our best efforts we simply couldn’t appreciate with the rain coming down on our heads and our shoes and jeans getting rapidly wet…

Now on my way back to Paris to spend the last few whirlwind days there – ironically I not very excited about Paris per se, since my thoughts are totally and completely centered on my bag now – it has ceased to be a parallel stream of thought running along side the stream that pushed me to explore Barcelona, relax in Bordeaux or chill out in Köln. I really hope the bag has reached Paris and that I get it when I reach there – I’m so tired of wearing recycled undergarments and borrowed clothes…am also looking forward to getting back home since I’m quite homesick by now, with all that I’ve faced – oh how I miss Papa…