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Köln/Bonn (Cologne/Bonn)

"We all live under the same sky, but we don't all have the same horizon." - Konrad Adenauer

You will notice that the pics are not as diverse here as on the other destinations so far. The reason is fairly simple. I've been to the Cologne/Bonn area twice before, in 2000 and in 2003. (Stay tuned for an eventual mini-website about those two previous Eurotrips) The main reason for dropping by here was to see my long-time friend Laura. Cologne and Bonn are great cities for walking and shopping, as they have extensive pedestrian areas. Bonn, former capital of West Germany, is a great museum city, and you'd need days to see everything. And Horrem, where Laura's parents live? It's a small town that is actually part of Kerpen, the hometown of Formula 1 star Michael Schumacher.

Solo at the Beethovens Geburthaus - This odd-looking pink house is where Ludwig van Beethoven was born and raised, in Bonn. No pictures allowed inside, so I ventured inside and looked at some objects, and tried to understand the German-only captions. Small fort - I have no idea what this little fort was doing right in the middle of downtown Bonn, but it sure was a nice sight! Alte Markt - On a hot, sunny day like this, the Markt was full of shoppers looking for fresh produce... and vendors all selling Spargel (white asparragus). When it wasn't World Cup this, World Cup that... it was Spargel this, Spargel that! Kunstmuseum Bonn - Modern art at its best. This is supposed to represent the broken wing of an airplane. I wonder if it's an artist with fear of flying that made it. Botanischer Garten - You might think it's some luxurious hotel or casino on the Riviera, but it's Bonn's splendid Botanical Garden, with palmtrees and other exotic plants. Botanischer Garten - Another one of those pictures near a gate or an arch. Laura is probably smiling because she finally gets to be under shade for a while. "Stinky" - This is how Laura and I nicknamed this weird titan arum flower (behind me), all set to bloom within the following couple of weeks, and which allegedly has a pungent smell in the process. Museum Koenig Bonn - I had not seen a giraffe inside a museum... until now. Of course, they're all stuffed, yet they feel so real. Friends - One of my mom's high-school friends, Pilar, and her husband Erwin, live in Bonn, and every occasion is good to sit down and have a nice chat with them, especially when it's around a nice pizza! Laura and one of her friends also joined us. We would talk in German, English and Spanish! Kölner Dom (Cologne Cathedral) - This is the landmark of the city of Cologne, and one of the few buildings that remained undamaged during World War II. Kölner Dom (Cologne Cathedral) - What else can I mention about the Dom? It was the site of the World Youth Day 2005, which attracted nearly 1 million visitors. Kölner Dom (Cologne Cathedral) - And Solo? What else do you have to add? "Amen". Okay, that's fair enough. Saskia (left) and Laura (right) - I haven't said anything about Saskia yet. Like her sister Laura, she is very friendly and outgoing and it was fun to have a drink and take a stroll with her on that day in Cologne. Seidmacherinnengäßchen - This is, by far, the longest single-word street name I have ever seen in my life. This is due to the wonderful feature of German: you can make composite words very easily. It means "Silk maker alley", in the feminine form.

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© 2006, Sergio Ortega. Last update: 2006/06/24.
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