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  • TravelerEurope, Canada and Alaska
    Day 11

    Amsterdam to Budapest cruise.

    April 16 in Germany ⋅ 🌧 12 °C

    A couple of photos from last night.
    Cruised over night to arrive in Cologne at 9.30am.
    Set off after breakfast on a bus tour of Cologne and onto Bruhl to see Austusburg Palace. Summer Palace of Clemens Augustus, Archbishop-Elector of Cologne.
    A member ofthe Wittlesbach Dynasty.
    A baroque interior so grand and extravagant. An amazing experience.
    Arrived back to the ship at 1.45pm.
    Straight in for a late lunch. The food and service is great.
    Brief freshen up after lunch then walked up to see the Cologne Cathederal. Another huge and stunning church. Spent an hour there and back to the ship.
    Relaxed in our room before heading up to the bar for happy hour.
    Dinner will be at 7pm.    Read more

  • Luke PalmasEurope
    Day 11

    Arrival into Germany 🇩🇪 and Cologne

    November 14, 2024 in Germany ⋅ ☁️ 9 °C

    Cologne certainly was a city I went to. It sure is a place on the Rhine that exists. Jokes aside, the gothic cathedral was awe-inspiring and the view from the Cologne Triangle was pretty good. What was not good was using German trains. I arrived 99 mins late to my next location Freiburg Im Breisgau.Read more

  • TravelerTaunton to Croatia thenBaltics
    3
    Day 23

    Berlin

    August 25, 2024 in Germany ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

    Adelaide has been reading a book by Dam Smith called The Wall Between Us, about the Berlin Wall while we've been on holiday. She's absolutely loved it so we thought why not stop off at Berlin on our way home so she can actually see it. So we did and we visited this morning. Unbelievable sight.Read more

  • The Shifting SpannersEurope 2019
    Day 18

    Cologne

    October 7, 2019 in Germany ⋅ ⛅ 11 °C

    A very cold day out and about in Cologne as our guide showed us around the massive Cologne Cathedral. The allied forces largely spared the cathedral during WW2 due to it's value, so it is in original condition.

    Also checked out the Eau De Cologne store (Farina fragrance museum), Lovelock bridge, and the city shopping precinct.

    We were warned about pickpockets, so were careful, but one of the young male passengers from our ship was shoulder charged by a young german bloke in the city...probably an anti-American sentiment we think.    Read more

  • Köln Fibo und HYROX
    Day 1

    Sightseeing Tour

    April 9 in Germany ⋅ ☀️ 14 °C

    Unser Tag in Köln war einfach unvergesslich! Schon morgens starteten wir voller Vorfreude vom Hotel aus – mit dem E-Scooter düsten wir durch die Stadt direkt zum beeindruckenden Kölner Dom. Dieses gigantische Bauwerk hat uns sofort in seinen Bann gezogen – ein absolutes Must-See!

    Danach schlenderten wir gemütlich durch die Altstadt mit ihren charmanten kleinen Gassen und bunten Häuserfassaden. Es war so schön, sich einfach treiben zu lassen und das besondere Flair der Stadt aufzusaugen.

    Zum Mittagessen kehrten wir ins Peters Brauhaus ein, wo wir uns kölsche Spezialitäten – lecker und authentisch!

    Nach dem Essen holten wir uns einen Kaffee und genossen ihn entspannt am Rheinufer – mit Blick aufs Wasser, Sonne im Gesicht und guter Laune.

    Zum Abschluss ging es zur alten Stadtmauer und weiter zur LVR-Aussichtsplattform. Von dort hatten wir einen atemberaubenden Blick über die ganze Stadt – ein perfekter Moment, um innezuhalten und den Tag Revue passieren zu lassen.

    Ein wunderschöner Tag mit vielen kleinen Highlights und noch mehr gemeinsamen Erinnerungen.    Read more

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  • TravelerGermany 2025
    Day 4

    A cozy farewell to Cologne

    March 30 in Germany ⋅ ☁️ 11 °C

    I woke up to a colder, cloudier morning—quite the contrast to yesterday’s sunshine—but that wasn’t going to stop me from enjoying my last full day in Cologne.

    I left the apartment early to make time for a quick stop at Kaffeesaurus before breakfast. Located at Friesenplatz, it’s a favorite for coffee lovers and brunch-goers alike. They roast their own beans, and the place was already buzzing with people fueling up for the day.

    From there, I strolled through the Belgian Quarter, making my way to Balthasar on Aachener Straße for breakfast. Our group—Carola, Alex, Tobi, Chris, and Timo—took over a big table in the bright, airy atrium at the back of the restaurant. Unlike yesterday, there were no surprise guests this time, just a relaxed morning of good food and conversation.

    After breakfast, I decided to walk back to Ehrenfeld through Cologne’s Green Belt. Despite the grey sky, it was a beautiful, peaceful walk. Before heading back to the apartment, I made one last coffee stop at Kaffeebud Ehrenfeld. This cozy little café serves Heilandt coffee, a local roaster I discovered on my last visit to Cologne. The perfect way to wrap up my coffee adventures in the city.

    The afternoon was calm—just some downtime to catch up on emails—before heading out for an end-of-day beer with Karl.

    For my final dinner in Cologne, I made my way to Haus Schnackertz in Nippes, where Alex and I closed out my visit with a classic Cologne-style meal. For me, that meant Sauerbraten, paired with some Kölsch and one last round of good conversation.

    And just like that, my time in Cologne came to an end—full of great coffee, great food, and even better company.    Read more

  • TravelerGermany 2025
    Day 3

    Rhine, Sunshine and Tapas

    March 29 in Germany ⋅ ☀️ 14 °C

    After breakfast, even though I was already buzzing from caffeine, I couldn’t just walk past Bensons Coffee—they were practically down the street, and skipping them would’ve felt like a crime. Bensons, or as they call themselves, “Badass Coffee,” takes a no-nonsense approach to coffee. No sugary frappés, no over-the-top drinks—just pure, expertly crafted coffee. And they know their stuff. After the visit, I walked away very impressed.

    Fully caffeinated (maybe even a little over-caffeinated), I made my way to Cologne’s river promenade. Since I moved away, the city has put a lot of effort into making it more inviting, and it shows. The space is perfect for a stroll or just sitting in the sun, taking in the incredible view of the river and, of course, the iconic Kölner Dom in the distance. And with today’s blue sky, warm sun, and light breeze, it was Cologne at its absolute best.

    From there, I wandered into the downtown core, which was absolutely packed. Note to self: Hohe Straße on a Saturday? Never again! I made a quick shopping stop for some essentials before heading to the next big event: dinner.

    At El Alli Oli, a cozy tapas bar that has become a bit of a tradition for me, I met up with Sandra, Carola, Chris, Tobi, Alex, and Timo. We settled in for a long evening of catching up over delicious food and wine. I’ve been coming to this spot for over 18 years now, and every time, I walk out happy and full.

    Then, about an hour into our meal—another surprise! Michael and Felix had made reservations completely unbeknownst to me. More familiar faces, more unexpected reunions, and even more catching up.

    Hours later, we finally wrapped up the night, saying our goodbyes, stomachs full, and hearts even fuller.    Read more

  • TravelerGermany 2025
    Day 3

    Graffiti, Beans and Friends

    March 29 in Germany ⋅ ☀️ 13 °C

    Day two of my Germany adventure started the best way possible—with a craving for coffee. After last night’s amazing schnitzel, I woke up ready to explore Ehrenfeld, one of Cologne’s coolest neighborhoods, and check out its local coffee scene.

    The weather was perfect, so I took my time strolling down Venloer Straße, soaking up the sun and stopping often to admire the street art. Ehrenfeld is packed with graffiti and murals, and every corner seemed to have something new to look at—bright colors, bold designs, and little details that made the walk feel like a mini art tour.

    My first coffee stop was Schamong, Cologne’s oldest roastery. It’s a small, super cozy spot that somehow blends old-school charm with a modern touch. The staff really knew their stuff, and the coffee? Absolutely spot on. Great service, great vibes—definitely the kind of place I could’ve hung out in for hours.

    Next up was Cologne’s Roastery, which had a more modern, spacious feel. The coffee was just as good, but something about it didn’t quite click for me the way Schamong did. Maybe it was the atmosphere? The warmth? Hard to say, but I found myself missing that little extra personality.

    With two coffees down, it was time to find breakfast. Wandering through streets lined with trees and blooming flowers, I ended up at Café Franck, where I met Lisa, Alex, and Chris. Good food, great company, and a slow morning—exactly what I needed. Then, completely out of the blue, another good friend, Franzi, showed up. She had a reservation there too, with visitors of her own. Totally unplanned, but such a fun surprise. And as it turned out, not the only surprise of the day…

    To be continued.    Read more

  • TravelerGermany 2025
    Day 2

    But first… Schnitzel!

    March 28 in Germany ⋅ ☀️ 16 °C

    Here we go again - I’m off on a 4 week trip to Germany. It’s a crazy mix of remote work and free time, with mixed in hikes, sightseeing, rural charm and lots of food! Come with me to see what the more rural areas of Germany have to offer.

    The journey started off with bubbles at the airport, which I think is always a great way to start any kind of travel. The flight with Lufthansa was rather uneventful - minus the gentleman next to me, on the middle seat, whose width unfortunately led to him occupying 1/3 of each neighbouring seat. I tried to make the best of the time on board with the remaining 2/3 of my seat.

    Touchdown in Frankfurt, ICE to Cologne and eventually arrival in Ehrenfeld - the neighborhood that feels like you stepped into a contrast program of village vs city, Istanbul vs Köln, 60s vs 2000s, old school vs modern thinking - but always with this openness and heart that Cologne is known for.

    For the next few days I moved into the guest apartment of my friends Karl and Lydia. Karl and I went for lunch to Kebapland - a Turkish bbq hut in the middle of bustling Venloer Street - where I had my first Dürüm in ages! Oh how I missed that!

    The early evening was spent with Kölsch and Catch up with some other friends, before heading out to the first big highlight of the trip: Schnitzel at Oma Kleinmanns! This restaurant is a staple when it comes to Schnitzel! Massive sizes and decently priced! What you see on the picture is not one, but two plate sized Schnitzel on top of each other and the fried potatoes. As I won’t have a chance to get back to Oma Kleinmann any of the other days, I had to squeeze a visit in, besides the jet lag.

    A successful - and yummy - start into the trip for sure!    Read more

  • TravelerEurope
    Day 47

    Köln

    October 20, 2024 in Germany ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C

    Brief history: established by the Romans in 50CE it has been a merchant city ever since. The Cathedral took 600 years to build and narrowly avoided being flattened in WWII with the rest of the city which required massive rebuild.
    Music scene is healthy and diverse. We found ourselves in an Irish pub listening to Aussie music and a quirky Jazz bar that has had live music every day for 1,400 consecutive opening days.
    Transport hub on the river, by road and rail. The train bridge over the Rhine has 6 tracks. The quality of the train services that we have used are amazing.
    Very large Turkish population here. It the largest ethnic minority in Germany. Thank for bringing yummy food here.

    Trivia: our first train stop into the Netherlands was Arnhem. The town gave its name to a ship that sailed into the Gulf Of Carpenteria in 1623 and in turn gave its name to the massive land mass we now know and love as Arnhemland.    Read more

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