First things first, yep it’s been a while. Last year was a bit tumultuous and over the summer I lost my drive to write these things. I went on adventures but I just couldn’t be arsed. I felt like “what’s the point?”, “nobody cares” – which may be true!
I had adventures and I bagged Ethels but I just gave up caring about writing about them. I had a break from social media and although I was back on the socials a month later, the apathy for blogging remained. And then it came back and it filled me with anxiety knowing I had loads of things to write. So I put it off, and caused more anxiety. I don’t know how I got through school/college/university cos this is how I have been forever lololol.
ANYWAY. 2023 was a bit shit, so I am making sure 2024 is a bit less shit, with adventures planned in Asia and Down Under. I’m actually typing this out now from Singapore. I’ve come to remember that I don’t write these blogs for anyone other than myself. I like writing them and I like reading them years later. It’s cathartic for me to make things. So let the shit talk recommence!
As I’m a bit anal I can’t just jump into Singapore stories without writing the Cologne blog cos that happened in November and my blogs have to be chronological 😬😬
So from this hot, humid city near the equator I must imagine myself back in rainy, cold, rainy western Germany where it was rainy.
Josh and I had picked the Station Hostel for Backpackers to stay at as it was perfectly placed right in the centre of town, and as the name suggests it’s very close to the main train station – which usually you can get to easily from the airport. However on this day there were line closures for maintenance – so we had to get out a few stops early and cross the famous Hohenzollernbrücke (Hohenzollern Bridge) in absolutely appalling conditions.
That evening we went out for some traditional German food and beverages.
Can you tell which of us is the beer drinker and which of us is teetotal?
That beer cost me in the region of £12 which isn’t bad at all. The schnitzel was delicious and that sauce was an absolute delight. I never found out exactly what it was…
After food we went and saw the cathedral.
As it was a rainy Monday night we were quite lucky that the crowds were very small.
Built in the 13th Century, Kölner Dom is Germany’s most visited landmark. It costs just €6 to go and explore inside – which is what we did the next morning.
It’s very, very impressive.
After feeling all holy we climbed the 533 steps to the top.
What a big bell end.
It’s definitely the best place in Cologne to get a view of the city – though sadly of course your vista of Cologne won’t include the iconic cathedral.
Your €6 admission fee also gets you into the vaults underneath the Dom, where countless priceless artifacts are stored – mostly religious things you’ll be shocked to hear.
For the rest of the day we just walked around the city, playing Pokemon Go cos we’re absolutely sad. We crossed the Hohenzollernbrücke again and bizarrely as soon as we did, it started raining. The heavens seemed to open whenever we crossed the Rhine…
The next day we visited the other landmark of Cologne.
The Schokoladenmuseum Köln AKA the Lindt Chocolate Museum.
For anyone who likes chocolate, this place is a must. The entry fee for adults is €14.50 (€16 at weekends).
The premise is simple – you get to learn and watch how the chocolate is made. The smell is unbelievably beautiful – it genuinely makes you feel like a kid in a candy store. Every now and then there are machines or vendors who gift you free, freshly made chocolate and of course it’s Lindt so it’s delicious.
If that wasn’t enough chocolate I had chocolate covered waffles and a hot chocolate for lunch.
I can confirm that I felt very sick after so much chocolate.
And I’ll be honest, that’s all there really is to see in Cologne. Josh and I were in town for two gigs – and other than mosh out at them we struggled to come up with things to do. There is a zoo nearby which we walked to but it was expensive and I think that zoos are overrated. If you’ve been to one you’ve been to the majority.
We did visit a rock bar called Redrum which was pretty decent.
This was a pretty nice place to enjoy some rock music with locals, and drink Kölsch, which is traditionally drank is small glasses to maintain freshness – rather than have a pint sitting on the table for a time, a waiter will regularly top you up with fresh beer.
Also we found a mini golf place called the Glowing Rooms.
But that’s about it. I think Cologne is a pretty city in places, but pretty standard in others. We had timed it perfectly to be there the last week before the Christmas markets opened so well done us – or well done Holding Absence for setting a gig for then.
Shout out to our hostel the Station Hostel for Backpackers cos that was a great place to stay and we even made some buddies around the dart board!
The cathedral was impressive and the chocolate museum was amazing and it’s worth visiting Cologne just for that. But I cannot recommend staying here for more than two or three nights. You can get it all done in a weekend.
#VidOnTour 