Köln AKA Cologne

We have almost been in Cologne a week already and the time has flown. After being relatively isolated in the German countryside for six weeks, it´s been like a different world here.

We are renting an apartment right on top of Zülpicher Straße, which is a student area full of bars, pubs and restaurants. Our apartment is small and has a shared loo (but own shower), but it´s clean, cheap and the location is just unbeatable! The only downside is that we have spent a lot more money than we normally would this week on drinks and meals out, as it´s SO convenient and the food is great AND with 4€ cocktail happy hours! It also sucks that our room is 85 steps (!) up as we are on the 5th floor with no elevator - on the flipside we are both well on our way to buns of steel!

Our 'cosy' one room apartment in Cologne

Our first day after arriving was discount day at the zoo (Montag ist Zootag!), and seeing as the zoo here was rated in the top three things to do in Cologne by Tripadvisor, we gave it a go. I always love watching animals be silly and, although it was a hot day, the animals were being quite active and we even saw the tigers swimming.

Saw some parents pulling their kids around in these cute carts which
were all fine & dandy untill you have to pull them UP hill!

The absolute must see attraction in Cologne is offcourse, the cathedral, which is actually also the only attraction you cannot avoid seeing in this city. As soon as we arrived at the main train station and walked outside to find a cab it was right there and blew us away! I still can´t believe it somehow managed to avoid bombing in WWII, it´s HUGE, just as well though as rebuilding it would´ve been a bitch!

There´s even boats all along the river that will take you up and down the Rhine for an hour for only about 8€ to give you a different view of the city so we did that a few days ago too for something different. Actually I was surprised Zac agreed to do this with me, as it´s not typically his thing, but I think the fact that it was only for an hour helped me sell it.

Our cruise vessel of choice - including 'oompa loompa'
Music blasting from strained speakers

Oh and that bridge you see in the photo above is the Hohenzollernbrücke, famous for it´s 'love locks'. What are the love locks you ask? Well I´m glad you asked ;-) There are so many of them that you can even see them from the ground, they are colourful padlocks that span the whole bridge mainly put there by couples who engrave their initials on them and lock them to the bridge to signify their commitment to each other. They are a nice idea and a beautiful sight, does kinda make you wonder how many of those couples have actually stayed together though...

 

...I know, I know, I´m missing the point right?