June 12-15 Mega Cologne Post #1

So one of our main goals for moving to Europe was to spend our weekends traveling as often as we could. We planned our first trip out of the Netherlands to Cologne Germany. The main purpose of our trip was to go to UFC99, but to stick around enough to see the city as well.

We bought tickets online and got 1st class for same price as second, and found ourselves in a cabin with a retired couple from South Africa. We spent most of the 3+ hour journey talking about the South Africa, US, and Netherlands politics and travel. Here is Saviya in our cabin. This was a speed train, but not one of the super fast ones, we probably did 80-90mph top speed.

Here we are at the Koln Train Station

One with my new haircut and nipple.

We got a great rate at the Radisson which was about 1/2 mile from the stadium which was nice. Very nice modern room.

Very nice shower, though water sprays everywhere with these half glass enclosures. I did love the heated stone floors though. And the speaker in the bathroom so i could listen to stuff in German.

As we walk through the Koln Train station we spot this guy with 2 chairs wrapped up and roped to his body, shopping for food, about to board a train...

So we get to the Lanxess Arena where the fights will be and notice a funny site. Cigarette machines are peppered around Cologne (and the rest of Germany). So maybe they figure that if you are tall enough to put in the money to buy em, than you can smoke em. Very convenient to provide cigarettes to people as they enter a non smoking facility (they didn't let that hold them back though!).

We got a recommendation for a great place called Vapiano for lunch. We loved it so much we went back the next day. Perfectly cooked pastas, and yummy pizzas. Great prices for what you got, and nice modern approach to eating out.

After lunch we passed the Koln Messe Train station. Very cool building

Here is a shot of the interior of the dome

Here is a view of the Lanxess Arena from our hotel.

Facing west from our hotel, some of the newer parts of Cologne

Here is a view of the Dom Cathedral from our Hotel.

Here is a great panorama of Saviya standing near the train bridge across the Rhine River. The Dom already looks majestic.

As you walk across the bridge you notice one or two, than many, than dozens of locks affixed to the bridge.

Each one of the locks left by someone with a message. One of love, death, or just of being there. Pretty cool.

Lots more to come about our Cologne Trip...Tot Ziens! -Colin