It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

Okay, while I didn’t plan this, I feel as though I managed to find the perfect way to kickoff the (pre)season of Advent and, for all intents and purposes, Christmas!  If anyone is looking to really start the season of preparation for Christmas right, head to Germany.  From my arrival to the Madrid airport to my departure from the Köln train station, my weekend seemed to be seeped in the start of Advent and Christmas celebrations.  

 (The display I was greeted by in the Madrid airport on Friday morning)

So, Köln...
My first adventure alone in a foreign city since I arrived in Spain. I won’t lie, there was a mixture of emotions as I stepped out of the plane and made my way through the airport. There was the disappointment of not getting my passport stamped (I know that it may sound silly, but I want the proof in ink that I took this trip!), the anxiety as I waited in line to buy a ticket from the ticket kiosk (and listened to all the German being spoken surrounding me), and the excitement of having made it. Because, for better or worse, I was there - in Germany - alone, for a weekend.

I started the morning at the Dom (Cathedral) located right outside of the train station in Cologne. I took a tour of the Cathedral, taking some time to sit and rest both my body and soul. After such an early morning (catching a taxi before 5am meant that I had to be up around 4:30!) and a very restless week of sleep, I was very in need of some coffee.
When in doubt, look for a Starbucks and you will find baristas who speak English and coffee that you recognize. I settled in with a hot chocolate (because they have their Christmas/holiday drinks out now) and my devices, and began writing and planning what to do during my time in Cologne. (Nothing like being prepared ahead of time!)

I knew that I couldn’t check into my hotel until 2 and I didn’t really want to carry my bag of stuff with me while I went exploring, so I finished my last blog post at the coffee shop and then headed over to the hotel a little after 2:30. Once I got to the hotel, I put my stuff down and decided that I would make my way to the Rhein Garden for a stroll before heading out for an early dinner - I had skipped lunch and I was also still tired. After checking out some reviews online, I had decided to go to Bei Oma Kleinmann for some authentic Schnitzel. As I walked, I thought of how this was the first time that I have gone somewhere “nice” (and by nice I mean somewhere where you sit down without your phone out or a book open...) for dinner all by myself... It was a bit nerve wracking, but I’m glad that I took the plunge. I sat at the bar, where the very nice (English-speaking) bartender chatted on and off with me as I ordered “ein Bier, bitte” and my Kinderschnitzel. Despite the initial discomfort of sitting by oneself while being surrounded by groups of strangers, it was a great experience! I walked back towards my hotel, stopping to meander in and out of a few stores that I passed along the way.  Everywhere I looked I saw Christmas lights and decorations.

Waking up on Saturday was glorious! I had slept for about 10.5 hours and was excited for the start of the day. After breakfast at the hotel, I got ready and headed out to go walk across the Hohenzollern Bridge (covered in locks left by couples as a romantic symbol of their lasting love) over to the observation deck on the opposite side of the Rhein river where I spent some time looking out over the incredible city that is Köln.

The only thing, besides buying my tickets for my flight and booking a hotel, that I had done, in Spain, to prepare for my trip was to get a ticket to the Cologne philharmonic orchestra concert that was happening on Saturday. After determining (with the little German skills that I possess) that I needed to print out my ticket, I made certain to do so before I left Spain. And then, of course, I left the ticket, which I had so intentionally taken the time to print, in the house. So, this posed a new problem for me...

After trying to find (unsuccessfully) a “multishop” that was open, I ended up at the Köln Tourism building. The woman that I spoke to was so incredibly nice and printed out the ticket for me.  With my ticket in hand I made my way over to the trusty Starbucks I had found yesterday.  I picked up a gingerbread latte and some chocolate cake (because when in Germany, one aught to eat chocolate cake), and I ended up sharing some laughs and having a great conversation with a handful of people - two Russian sisters who were visiting an uncle in Cologne, a wonderful, older, German woman and a girl from Michigan who is in her 3rd year studying business here in Cologne - in a mixture of German, Spanish and (mostly) English.

When my coffee and cake were finished I headed over to the shopping district in Cologne and did a little window shopping as I passed the time before heading over to the concert hall. I didn’t know exactly what to expect when I arrived for the concert, but it definitely wasn’t what I encountered...

It was a very small concert and I was actually sitting on the stage, right in front of the musicians!! The concert hall is, in and of itself, incredible - it is located underground and has an awesome set-up. The musicians (there were only seven musicians performing - 2 pianists, 1 clarinetist, 1 trombonist, 1 french horn player, 1 trumpet player, and one bassoonist) were very talented and passionate in their performances. And the music that was chosen for the concert was beautiful beyond words - a great mixture of fun and emotional. The experience was truly wonderful and I’m so glad that I got to be there!

If you’re interested in listening to some great music, check out Pierre Gabaye’s “Récréation” - I highly recommend it!  Actually, there wasn’t a piece that they performed that I didn’t love...

Once the concert concluded, I made my way back towards the center of the city and found a quick and easy place to grab dinner (a Falafel sandwich from Doner Kebab). I stopped into the Cathedral around 6:15 and sat - listening to the last couple decades of the rosary being prayed in German. Afterwards I headed back out into the cold and spent just a few minutes walking around and appreciating the lights and excitement taking place in the center of the city before I made my way back to my hotel room for the night.

My final day in Cologne was a quieter one; I enjoyed breakfast at the hotel and went back to the Cathedral one last time for Mass and a final look around.  While I arrived in Cologne too early to enjoy the Christmas market that German cities are so famous for, I still got to see the setup for the main event and some of the pre-decorations.  Then I took one last walk around the city, enjoying some time to just be as I stood and looked out at the Rhein river, off of the Hohenzollern Bridge. I know that I would like to come back and visit again - maybe once I have improved my German skills!

I made my way to the train station, picked up some postcards, and caught my train that would take me to the airport. As a reminder of where I’d gone (and where I would like to go), I picked up a copy of one of my favorite books “Der Kleine Prinz” (The Little Prince) and hopefully I can, one day, sit down and read it all the way through!

As much as I loved my trip to Cologne, there is always a special excitement that comes with heading home. And with that excitement ever present, I made my way back to Rivas, where I now sit contently on my bed after sharing dinner and hugs and the like with everyone here at home.

So, without further ado, I will say goodnight, so I can get some rest before another busy week begins! Gute Nacht! ¡Buenas noches!

-Stephanie
(Pr 3:5)