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GLUHWEIN, SCHNITZEL AND A WHOLE LOTTA CHRISTMAS
Martijn and I booked this trip one month before we left and for that one month I was like a child. I brought up the trip every day with a huge grin on my face and clapping hands. A whole weekend of Christmas! What could be better? I was certain this would be one of the best vacations. Many times when people say something like that, the following comments are filled with bittersweet memories. Not this time...I was right!
Friday: We drove a mere 3.5 hours from the west coast of the Netherlands to Cologne. Not such a long jaunt in my Canadian mind. We arrived in the afternoon and checked into our hotel, the Barcelo Cologne City Centre. We were worried when we saw the first glimpse of the outside; however, were quite satisfied with our room, and the location was great. We were concerned about parking our car, after all, many cities in Germany require you to purchase stickers for your vehicle, the price of which correlates to the environmental friendliness of the vehicle. We had forgotten about this, but fortunately were able to park far enough from the city centre for this to be a non-issue. A cultural difference in itself already though.
We headed out for the evening around 5pm, making our way towards the market just in front of the Dom, the famous cathedral of Cologne. On our way were four or five Christmas markets and we stopped at each one, taking our time to enjoy the creations of the vendors. The most beautiful market we discovered was the Angel Market. They had hung lit stars in the trees which made the entire market glow and seem like a heavenly paradise. The markets were much more beautiful and put together than I had imagined. The stands were all matching and each market had different ones, with slightly different themes. We eventually reached the Dom Market and as we saw the cathedral, we caught our breaths. Not only because of the beauty, but because of the beautiful eeriness of stumbling upon the cathedral in the moonlight. The contrast between this towering feature and the brilliantly lit Christmas market below was ironic. We sauntered through the giant market, sipping our first cup of Gluhwein of the weekend. It certainly would not be our last.
For dinner we planned to eat genuine German food and had received a recommendation at the hotel. Bierhaus an d'r Salzgasse. It was here we enjoyed our first taste of traditional Kolsch beer (basically a very nice light beer in a tiny glass. I hadn't thought glasses would get tinier than in Holland, but Cologne proved me wrong. Apparently these small glasses are a signature of Cologne since most of Germany is known for their pints). We both enjoyed delicious schnitzel in the company of locals. Fortunately, Martijn spoke German well enough for us to get around. I would be totally lost with my limited German (by limited I mean "danke" was about all I could muster). After a filling meal, we checked out the market just outside in the midst of the Old Town. The market that would be our favourite due to the cozy, comfortable nature. We sipped many glasses of Gluhwein, soaking in the atmosphere, watching people skate on the man made rink and checking out more stands with their creations. Eventually we decided the check out another beerhouse, which makes it's own version of Kolsch.
The night was one of those that you'll always remember as a truly perfect moment. We were both so incredibly happy, content and in love. Not entirely due to the Gluhwein ;).
Saturday: The next morning we slept in and enjoyed a breakfast of delicious German rolls followed by a stop at Starbucks. The gingerbread latte has long been a favourite of mine and the German Lebkuchen latte did not disappoint. We then wandered slowly through the shopping street, picking up a few small trinkets along the way, towards the Dom cathedral. We again ended up at another beerhouse in the afternoon, tasting yet another Kolsch brand. Martijn enjoyed bratwurst and fries while we people watched around us. After another stroll through the Christmas market and a stop for hot chocolate with the Dom cathedral as our backdrop, we met with two friends, Katrin and Rebecca. The four of us headed back to our hotel area where they introduced us to the Cologne cocktail bar experience. After ignoring the 7euro cocktails in Holland, I welcomed the 30+ types of 3,90euro cocktails in Cologne. We spent the evening testing out various types and enjoying ourselves immensly.
Sunday: Sunday involved the same morning breakfast followed by repeat visits to the Christmas markets. We took our time and paused at Starbucks again to enjoy a final Lebkuchen latte. We wandered through the Dom Market for much of the afternoon, trying homemade french fries, nuts and Hungarian treats. Of course adding a couple mugs of Gluhwein to the experience. In the evening we met with the girls yet again to enjoy a walk through the Fairy Market and a dinner at an all you can eat sushi place before jumping in the car to head back to Leiden.
All in all, a magical Christmas weekend. We have already made plans to ensure we end up back at the Christmas markets in following years. Perhaps back in Cologne or in Vienna perhaps!
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