Last weekend, I visited some German Dheins who live close to Cologne. I arrived at the main station in Cologne at about 8PM on Friday. After we found each other, we went on a little tour of Cologne, seeing the cathedral, the Rhine, the city hall, among other things. At the end, we ate at a typical Cologne pub. Each pub in Cologne has its own special brand of the type of beer from Cologne (Kölsch). This beer is only sold at the pub that brews it. Of course, I had to have a sample to go with my typical Rheinland meal (Sauerbraten). Definitely a good way to end the night!
On Saturday, I went back to Cologne with the daughter who is my age. We first climbed to the top of the Cathedral (533 steps!). The view from there was amazing! Afterwards, we did a little bit of sight-seeing and souvenier shopping. Then we went to the Kaiser-Wilhelm bridge. The entire south side of hte bridge is covered in locks. It's tradition in Cologne for couples to put a lock on the bridge and throw the key into the river to symbolize their unending love. However, it's not unheard of that they will keep one key in order to remove the lock, just in case things don't work out.
Saturday afternoon and evening was spent grilling. The grandparents came to visit. I was given a personalized copy of the book about the history of my family. We spent the time eating, talking, and just enjoying each other's company.
On Sunday, I went with the mother and her boyfriend to Königswinter, where we climbed to the top of huge hill. There, we had an amazing view of the Rhine, Bonn, and even a bit of Cologne way off in the distance. Then we went to the palace a bit lower on the hill before seeing a bit of Königswinter itself and then Bonn. When we finally got back to their house, I needed a bit of rest. I slept for over an hour!
That evening, we watched the finale of the EM. Italy (who beat Germany) was playing against Spain. Spain ended up winning, which I guess is good. I mean, Italy beat out Germany. Why should they also win the title?
On Monday, I slept in as long as I could. I ate breakfast, then packed my bag and went for a walk with the daughter. Afterwards, I rested up a bit, read some of the book I received and later ate lunch. Then, it was time to go.
The weekend was really nice. The weather was great, the Dheins were really friendly (they really felt like family!), and some long-lasting memories were made. I'll definitely be seeing them again some time!
A short while ago, I finished packing my things. On Friday, I'm moving in with a friend for the rest of my time in Germany. It definitely was not an easy process, but just about everything is in a suitcase or bag of some sort. Thankfully, almost the entire contents of one of the suitcases won't be coming back with me. Hopefully, I'll manage to get everything back!
Also, I just wanted to mention I've finished the 365 Project! If you'd like, you can check it out by clicking on the links on the right hand side of the blog. They will take you to that month's photos. Hopefully, they serve as a good overview of this past year!
That's all for now!
Bis später!
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