Nordrhein-Westfalen

We had a great night of sleep and decided to sleep in until about 9:00 AM as we were having a sort day of only 27 miles to Cologne. We had a nice breakfast on the back patio with Thomas. After breakfast Thomas gave us a picture show and stories about his 100-day bicycle trip from Berlin to Iran. What an amazing adventure he had! We got pedaling toward Cologne at 11:45 AM (our latest start of the trip.) The ride along the Rhine was chilly, damp, and very bumpy. We stopped for a picnic with the sandwiches we made at breakfast within 5 miles of Cologne, and also shared a sweet treat from a bakery. Cologne (1.1 million pop. Is the 4th largest city in 🇩🇪) was also crowded, especially around the Cathedral, Kölner Dom, which receives tens of thousands of visitors per day. The Cathedral is an amazing site, and I recommend you learn more about it. “The towers for its two huge spires give the cathedral the largest façade of any church in the world.” It is believed by many the remains of the three wise men are contained within the cathedral. After that Lisa and I took turns exploring the cathedral’s interior and then we navigated our way through the busyness to our Warmshower Lar’s and Sabine’s flat. They live in a car-free neighborhood which was very interesting to learn about, and experience the quietness of such a living space. No cars parked on the street, no traffic, only bicycles and walking. The evening was a beautiful walking tour with Sabine and Lars filled with talk of past adventures and future dreams of travel. We ended at a special local pub/restaurant called the Golden Cabbage. At the Golden Cabbage we had a true local experience of a Cologne Brauhus. We drank Kölsch style beer which technically can only be brewed in Cologne from the traditional .2-liter glasses which are brought to you automatically by the waitress once yours is less than 1/2 full, and as long as you don’t cover the top with your coaster. We experienced the lively atmosphere of men watch the first league soccer game on the tv, and cheers of excitement when their team scored, or almost scored, as we enjoyed local dishes of blackened pudding, and sauerbraten. One man who had been a patron of the pub for nearly 60 years practiced his English with us. He welcomed us to Cologne and wished us a wonderful trip. At the end of our adventure in the Golden Cabbage the waitress found out we had been cycling for nearly 5 weeks and we’re from America, so she gave us some gifts from the pub. The Kölsch experience was something we had never experienced in Germany, and will be a special memory forever. The evening ended with a nightcap on the terrace of Lar’s & Sabine’s flat as the time was approaching midnight. This like all days was another very special experience! 🍺🚴🏻‍♂️❤️🇩🇪Läs mer