Köln / Keulen / Cologne, GERMANY

27 Sept is the Ellaphant's birthday, and today she turned a proud 59!

Almost two weeks ago, just after his dental operation, AW suggested that we go somewhere for my birthday.  I choose the place, he comes along, we have a good time.  I wondered if it would push through because the weather has turned chilly and it rains more often, but I also wondered if I would be in the mood for it as I have made several trips already.  I knew I was going to choose Germany because they take their COVID-19 measures more seriously there compared to France, Belgium, and here.  From that moment on, I followed the weather forecasts and, to be honest, they didn't look promising.  I was willing to spend the day at home, if it came to that.  Literally at the last minute, though, sunshine was predicted for Köln, so off we went!

Some three hours to get there, and we stopped twice so that AW could stretch his legs (my little KIA is cute in size and therefore a little crappy).  At the city centre, managed to find a parking spot (parking is not free on Sundays in Köln the way it is in many other cities), and then a quick walk to the Dom or Cathedral.  There was a line, not very long, but AW wanted to walk a bit more, so we went to the real objective, the one I had in mind -- the Roman-Germanic Museum.  Tough luck, though, as management has decided to take advantage of our strange times and begin a thorough renovation of the entire building.  There is one exhibit that can be visited -- an original Roman mosaic floor, and some sculpture.  I asked when the work will be done, and they said it should take another 7 years, at the very least.  Well, I will surely be back in 2027 or 2028, if I'm still around by then, as I really would like to see the rest.

After the museum, the line in front of the cathedral was gone, so in we went, and spent about half an hour there, maybe a bit more.  After that, we found an inviting terrace to have an early dinner, which we both enjoyed.  Of course, he ordered a dish which was about 85% pureed, while I had some long-grained rice with German meatballs, preceded by a sumptuous plate of tomato soup with spinach.  While we were dining, the carillon of the cathedral started, and the bells clanged for 15 minutes, and I had to laugh because I think that that was the first time ever that it felt as though the bells were being rung for me ... hahaha!

Back to the car (a whopping 8-euro parking fee!) and the trip back took only 2.5 hours.  On the way there we drove on the Dutch A67 and German A61, but on the way back, to humour AW's feelings of nostalgia, we drove on the German A4 and the Dutch A2.  Köln, or Cologne, was on our itinerary 34 years ago, so this was the second time we were in the city together.  Yes, time does fly when you are having fun, and we had a lot of fun today.  59 forever!

And in case anyone is wondering, I still can't say that this was my last trip across the border this year.  Mebbe and mebbe not.  The weather gods will most likely influence the decision.