Our time in Cologne staying with Sarah, Andre and their kids Isabelle, Conrad and Felicia was luxurious to say the least.
Having been already told about the Peto-Madew mansion, we were both very excited to see it in the flesh. It is an amazing four storey, architectural wonderland that sits among edifices of the same size on the edge of the park.
I was overwhelmed not only by the interesting design of the house itself but also of the impressive collection of artworks from a range of well-known artists lining the interior walls of the house.
In the early evening Sarah took us for a bike ride through the park, a nice routine she has developed as it is the only spare hour in her day and it gives her a chance for a breath of fresh air.
Having not seen this family for many years, we spent the first evening catching up on the past few years and Nina and I shared many stories of our adventures so far.
Sarah and Andre also informed us of the best things to see in Koln.
Our morning began with another walk through the park, Nina and I both grateful for the opportunity for a nice place to exercise.
After taking the tram into the city, we went to the Roman-German Museum where we visited a number of exhibitions detailing the history of the Romans in Koln.
We then visited Cafe Perfetto after a recommendation from Andre that it was the best place in the city for a coffee. He was indeed correct- quick service and a delicious cappuccino.
I then farewelled Nina who was heading to Dusseldorf for the evening to see some of her family friends and made my way to the Friesenplatz area to have a wander around. There is clearly a strong art culture in this city as I discovered the wealth of little galleries hidden around every corner whilst walking around.
I decided to sit down for a nice lunch alone after stumbling upon a cute little cafe, Candia. I had a delicious aglio, olio and pepperoncino spaghetti and an Apfelshorle, a drink served everywhere in Germany.
For the hour or so I sat in the cafe I was provided with great entertainment as I watched the lady next to me give her little pooch the royal treatment.
Dogs are held in high esteem by their owners throughout much of Europe, and are welcome on public transport and in restaurants and cafes. She had her pup beside her and was feeding it individual fries and pieces of her leftover steak, all the while comforting it with compliments.
In the afternoon I visited the Ludwig Museum, the contemporary art gallery. There were some interesting works showcased in the gallery, but my favourite without question was Miro's 'Love'.
As soon as I stepped in the front door of the house that afternoon I was led by Felicia to her bedroom to start another game of monopoly. We continued to play for hours until it was time for dinner where Sarah kindly prepared us another delicious meal. We followed dinner with a cup of tea and spoke for hours, After which everyone retired to bed.
On Wednesday I walked into the city through the parks and met with Nina outside the city's amazing cathedral. We took a moment to go inside, and the most impressive aspect was the recently added mosaic glass window which was the work of Gerhard Richter, apparently the most highly paid artist alive.
We had an hilarious few hours as Nina and I were amazed at the amount of stories that can be shared having had only 24 hours apart.
We walked to St Ursula's church after lunch and visited the tiny room which is full of bones from the 11,000 virgins (apparently it had originally been 11 virgins but after the trade of their bones was bringing successes, so they conveniently changed the story to 11,000).
That afternoon, eager for some fresh air, Nina and I went for another ride through the park and on arriving back home were again persuaded into a game of monopoly by the charming Felicia. For dinner Sarah and Andre spoiled us with a very gourmet barbecue and accompanying salads.
Our last day in Koln we spent seeing a few more sites of the city. We went to the Kolumba Art Gallery and saw the new exhibition, but what is great about this building is that it stands on the original site of an old church and uses parts of the original edifice in it's contemporary design.
To celebrate our final night with the family Sarah prepared a typically Swiss dish of melted cheese on potatoes, a favourite of all of her kids.
We woke early the next morning and said goodbye to the family, extremely grateful to all of them for their hospitality and good company over the last few days. We said goodbye to Koln and prepared ourselves for the long day of travel as we made our way to Praha.
Having been already told about the Peto-Madew mansion, we were both very excited to see it in the flesh. It is an amazing four storey, architectural wonderland that sits among edifices of the same size on the edge of the park.
I was overwhelmed not only by the interesting design of the house itself but also of the impressive collection of artworks from a range of well-known artists lining the interior walls of the house.
In the early evening Sarah took us for a bike ride through the park, a nice routine she has developed as it is the only spare hour in her day and it gives her a chance for a breath of fresh air.
Having not seen this family for many years, we spent the first evening catching up on the past few years and Nina and I shared many stories of our adventures so far.
Sarah and Andre also informed us of the best things to see in Koln.
Our morning began with another walk through the park, Nina and I both grateful for the opportunity for a nice place to exercise.
After taking the tram into the city, we went to the Roman-German Museum where we visited a number of exhibitions detailing the history of the Romans in Koln.
We then visited Cafe Perfetto after a recommendation from Andre that it was the best place in the city for a coffee. He was indeed correct- quick service and a delicious cappuccino.
I then farewelled Nina who was heading to Dusseldorf for the evening to see some of her family friends and made my way to the Friesenplatz area to have a wander around. There is clearly a strong art culture in this city as I discovered the wealth of little galleries hidden around every corner whilst walking around.
I decided to sit down for a nice lunch alone after stumbling upon a cute little cafe, Candia. I had a delicious aglio, olio and pepperoncino spaghetti and an Apfelshorle, a drink served everywhere in Germany.
For the hour or so I sat in the cafe I was provided with great entertainment as I watched the lady next to me give her little pooch the royal treatment.
Dogs are held in high esteem by their owners throughout much of Europe, and are welcome on public transport and in restaurants and cafes. She had her pup beside her and was feeding it individual fries and pieces of her leftover steak, all the while comforting it with compliments.
In the afternoon I visited the Ludwig Museum, the contemporary art gallery. There were some interesting works showcased in the gallery, but my favourite without question was Miro's 'Love'.
As soon as I stepped in the front door of the house that afternoon I was led by Felicia to her bedroom to start another game of monopoly. We continued to play for hours until it was time for dinner where Sarah kindly prepared us another delicious meal. We followed dinner with a cup of tea and spoke for hours, After which everyone retired to bed.
On Wednesday I walked into the city through the parks and met with Nina outside the city's amazing cathedral. We took a moment to go inside, and the most impressive aspect was the recently added mosaic glass window which was the work of Gerhard Richter, apparently the most highly paid artist alive.
We had an hilarious few hours as Nina and I were amazed at the amount of stories that can be shared having had only 24 hours apart.
We walked to St Ursula's church after lunch and visited the tiny room which is full of bones from the 11,000 virgins (apparently it had originally been 11 virgins but after the trade of their bones was bringing successes, so they conveniently changed the story to 11,000).
That afternoon, eager for some fresh air, Nina and I went for another ride through the park and on arriving back home were again persuaded into a game of monopoly by the charming Felicia. For dinner Sarah and Andre spoiled us with a very gourmet barbecue and accompanying salads.
Our last day in Koln we spent seeing a few more sites of the city. We went to the Kolumba Art Gallery and saw the new exhibition, but what is great about this building is that it stands on the original site of an old church and uses parts of the original edifice in it's contemporary design.
To celebrate our final night with the family Sarah prepared a typically Swiss dish of melted cheese on potatoes, a favourite of all of her kids.
We woke early the next morning and said goodbye to the family, extremely grateful to all of them for their hospitality and good company over the last few days. We said goodbye to Koln and prepared ourselves for the long day of travel as we made our way to Praha.
No comments:
Post a Comment