Although we had thought we would take the train around 4pm from Amsterdam when we checked the schedule online it seemed there was some track works which would mean taking 3 different trains with tight connections. After our Belgian train experience we decided it would be better to take the 12.34 direct train which meant by the time we had breakfast at the cafe next door (yay! A good size coffee at last with ham & cheese croissant) and checked out it was time to take the tram to central station. Ian had met us at the hotel to tag along to the station. The train took about 2.5hrs so we were in Cologne by mid afternoon where it was drizzling. Luckily our hotel was once again part of the station complex so once we checked in we procrastinated a bit until the rain had gone before venturing out. After trying to find a laundromat at the back of the station with only very basic instructions from the curt receptionist at the hotel we found it was closed on Sunday so went wandering past the colossal Dom Cathedral & along the Rhine to find somewhere for dinner. We both decided on a typical German schnitzel which was very good & mine was only €5.5! Plus I washed it down with a very nice Kolsch which is the beer produced in this area. A bit more wandering & it was back to the hotel for the evening.