Tuesday, September 8, 2015

After arriving in Cologne on our train from Amsterdam, we checked into Hotel Lyskirchen. The rooms in the hotel were pretty nice, although it did have one quirky feature: the shower was placed outside the bathroom, next to the bed. However, if you don’t like people watching you shower, a privacy curtain was available to somewhat block the view.

We did a tour of the Museum of Chocolate (yummm) then walked to the massive Cologne Cathedral. From there, we walked to Hohenzollern Bridge to view the lovelocks. From the bridge, you could even see shops that specifically sold locks to secure to the bridge, though we did not buy one. (Is our love now doomed?)

We ate currywurst for dinner, and Mr. Strange enjoyed a Kolsh, while I opted for a glass of riesling before returning to the hotel.

Wednesday, September 9

I got up early to do a seven mile run along the Rhine, up one side and down the other. When I returned, we had a quick breakfast before heading to the train station. The trains here were slightly more confusing than the one we had caught in Amsterdam; the platform and train number were not listed anywhere on our tickets. However, we finally figured out where to go and were soon off to Mannheim.