Portugal Day 2: Sun 23/1/11 The Alentejo: Evora, Serra da Estrella

Met Moon Sun in the hostel, a Korean student who travelled alone like me. After a great breakfast in the hostel with fried egg, bread with jam, ham and orange juice, we explored the town together. 


Evora is a very charming medieval walled city with cobbled path and small alleys. It is absolutely one of my favourite place in Portugal. But this is also the town where I injured my right foot leaving me limping by the last day of my travel. Am not sure whether it is the cobbled road or my much vexed leather hiking shoes which is one size too small that did the damage...


First, we walked toward Praca de Giraldo which looks much better at night in my opinion. Then we passed by Porta Nova, which is arches of the ancient 16th century aqueduct before reaching Joaquim Antonio de Aguair Square. From there, we walked towards Aqueduct of Aqua da Prata which is near the exit point of the walled city. 


We weaved our way through the narrow yet picturesque alleys to see the oldest university in Evora, which is located near Jesuit Church of Espirito Santo. Temple of Diana, the remains of Roman ruins is just around the corner with Evora Cathedral behind it. I have visited many cathedrals and I would have thought nothing would interest me ...yet the Evora Cathedral is delightfully pleasing to eyes. The Manuelian architecture and decor with azulejos and marble render a unique feature quite distinct from the cathedrals in UK and Germany. There is a small tower to climb to get a top view of the city. Due to lack of time, I skipped the museum that is inside the Cathedral.


We walked back to Praca de Giraldo and headed towards Capella dos Ossos (The Bone Chapel). It is quite shocking to see the amount of bones buried here. Initially I thought there was once a massacre but further online check revealed that the practical reason of setting up such gory chapel is due to lack of space for cemeteries in Evora. The bones are from about 42 monastic cemeteries in Evora. It is a brilliant idea since the Chapel is one of the most visited place in Evora. The poems at display are also quite an interesting read. Near the ticketing counter is long row of azulejos (tiles) depicting the life of Jesus.

Capela dos Ossos

Checked out from hostel and pumped petrol. It is  along drive from Evora to the mountain. I really should have skip the natural park of Serra da Estrella because it was closed...although the journey itself is worthwhile. I passed by Estremoz, another fort city on the hill along the way. It looked captivating from far but I had no time to stop by. To reach Parque Natural da Serra da Estrella, I had to drive pass Costelo Branco, Covilha and lastly to Monteigas.

Driving towards Serra da Estrella

By the time I reach Monteigas, it is already half hour to 4pm. To make things worse, the GPS directed me to near the park but NOT exactly at the entrance gate as I would have expected. Met two Portuguese women who sincerely wanted to help me when I asked for direction BUT to be frank, they stressed me up further when they continued to rattle in their mother tongue despite me trying to tell them I do not understand their language. One of the lady did manage to get hold of a young man who can speak English. I was informed that the Natural Park is closed! The next event that enfolded was really a nightmare. Monteigas is a very small town...with very steep (>45 degree) and narrow roads with sharp corners. The GPS was trying to direct me to Braga via the small roads. But when I missed one of the turning, it started directing me through even smaller roads till at one point it led me to very steep down slope with a dead end and a sharp corner at the arc of 45 degree which is impossible to turn. This is not the first time GPS is trying to set me up! Why on earth, a GPS has got options like fastest route or shortest route but NONE of SAFEST route. Sigh, a kind Portuguese man saw my ill predicament and tried to help. Again, I did not understand a thing he said except one "Oh Jesus". Meant bad sign. I was trying to reverse the car but made things worse. The Portuguese man almost jump out of shock...He then called the firemen to tow my car. Thankfully, they arrived shortly and my car was nicely pulled up the slope to a safe landing and a much wider road. I cannot thank them enough...

After that I tried to drive back to the Monteigas town centre but the GPS directed me in circle...till at one very narrow road, my car scraped the wall when I was trying to turn a small corner. Sigh, my heart stopped for the 2nd time of the day. The damage cost me euro 240 which I had to claim later from car insurance company. To add wound to salt, my car was also stuck behind a funeral procession. Alas, I decided to disregard the GPS and drove towards Guarda instead. I was trying to get out of mountain roads before it got dark but it was impossible by then...The roads are winding and dark...but God is kind. He kept me alive. In the semi darkness I witnessed a beautiful sunset in Serra da Estrella. Well, that is the silver lining in the cloud for me.

From Guarda, I drove towards the motorway to go to Braga. It was another long hours drive so I stopped at one of the service centre along the way to buy pastries. The pastries are simply delicious. Light and fluffy, sweet yet not oily. Love them. Though I cannot recall all the names except for ovos moles. I do not know how the Portuguese does it. Almost every name of places, roads and food are super long...

Reach the Youth Hostel (Pousada de Juventus) in Braga late...And I had the room all by myself :)

Portugal Day 1: Sat 22/1/11 The Algarve: Faro, Carvoeiro, Lagos, Sagres

I was a bundle of nerves on the night before the travel. Instead of planning the trip, I spent days watching all the seasons of Heroes and I could not stop till it was completed.So, at the end, I was a sleep deprived zombie 'again', very unprepared for the trip and on top of that, I did something really stupid. I rented a car to drive in Portugal because I wanted to squeeze every sightseeing into the four days BUT I did not have a GPS!!!

Spent hours looking at google map and downloading google earth to plan the directions to drive around. Realized it is futile unless there is someone sitting at passenger seat to read the map. Finally, I decided to do the most sensible thing...to buy a GPS in Faro town...

With just one hour of sleep, I hopped onto an early morning bus to Gatwick airport.  And with just 20minutes to spare, I rushed to Travelex to get my euros purchased online, passed the security and grabbed a new Garmin Nuvi 245W in Dixons travel before boarding the plane. First time in my life buying something above £100 without batting an eye :p The flight was slightly delayed due to some engine check problem but it arrived in Faro airport just about half hour late. It is a joke that I planned this trip to Portugal to escape the winter in UK...the temperature in Faro was 10*C when I arrived! And as I travelled up north, it reached as low as 3 *C. Unwisely, I have packed very few clothes because I did not expect myself to layer up...silly me, I was expecting glorious sunshine throughout.

Portugal is nothing like what I have imagined. First, it is the unexpected cold weather and strong wind! So windy that the wind generators are used as source of energy here. Second, it exudes a quiet untouched charm very unlike other modern European countries. It grows on you...with its incredible well preserved heritage ancient cities, rolling green hills and spectacular cliffs. And an unforgettable Portuguese tarts :p Portugal is like a small box of assortment candies, full of surprises...

The only thing that I really struggle in this country is the fact that I can only speak English and more than 95% of the people I asked for help from only speak Portuguese and Spanish :(
And it is not easy to drive in the countryside as the roads are narrow and up in the mountain area, the roads are winding and very steep (like more than 45*) with impossible sharp corner. I guess I am just not that skillful a driver to manouever the car in such hilly landscape...Later, there is an embarrassing incident that involve a rescue by the firefighters...Driving on the right side of the road, surprisingly did not pose too much a threat but I did struggle a bit on the first day whenever I want to turn to the left and sometimes wrongly turn into the opposite car's lane...he he
The toll fees are killer too...in a short 3 days drive, I spent almost euro 25 for the toll...very expensive compared to Ireland toll rates. Nonetheless, Portugal is an amazing country and worth a good 7 -10 days visit. My effort of cramping everything into 4 days does not do it justice.

One of the admirable thing about the airports in Portugal is the ease of picking and returning rented car. There is a designated section that is well signposted and easily accessible. Through Holidayautos, I rented a Mitsubishi Colt for 3 days at the price of £41 (including full insurance coverage) which is a very reasonable price. It is low season after all.

With my brandnew Garmin as my companion, I drove towards Carvoeiro. The car has the tendency to drift to the right and the right front wheel scrapped the sidewalk ( I tried to blame the car :p) My heart almost stopped when I heard the screeching sound...

Praia de Carvoeiro (beach) has a lovely cliff. A short climb up the staircase gives one a good view of the cliff and the town. There is also a small church at the hilltop. No tourists on the beach due to the cold weather...

Next, I drove to Praia de Rocha but the GPS directed me to a place that is not the beach at all...
Disappointed, I drove to Sagres point to visit Fortaleza de Sagres.

Sagres, reputed in the past as Land's End is postulated to be the site of school of navigation founded by Henry the Navigator. Fortaleza de Sagres is like an open air museum exhibiting the four fundamental elements: earth, water, air and sun. It reminded me of Avatar (the anime of course, not the movie). Past the main entrance is the "Wind Rose" or Navigator's Compass, a bizzarre 50metre diameter circle with 48 rows of pebbles arranged radially, which is thought to be a gnomon sundial or solar quadrant. Along the seven themed stations, there are interestings facts like the usage of wave energy and wind power to meet the country's electrical demand.  In Sagres, the wind blew me forward for one good metre. And no, I am not a mere twig, mind you. The wind is just blowing constantly without mercy. To make things worse, it was drizzling. At one of the corner facing the sea, there is a maze-like builtup where when one walks inside it, one can hear the whistling sound of the wind from below! (yes, not above). Nearby, I could hear a loud sound resembling a jet dive bomber sound generated by a mere small plane model propelled by the wind.

View of Cape St Vincent (Europe's most southwestern point) from Sagres Point

My initial plan of driving to Alqueva where the biggest artificial lake in Europe is, did not take place due to lack of time. So, I drove to the bautiful Praia de Luz and to the town of Lagos en route to Evora.

Reached Evora by nightfall. Had slight difficulty finding the Old Evora Hostel but met very kind lady who helped to call the hostel for direction. The hostel is lovely, with azulejos along the staircase. After putting off my bag, I walked to the town for Portuguese food.  Dined in a restaurant by the name of Adega do Alentejano. I made the mistake of eating the hard bread and cheese served on the table...thinking it is complimentary (nothing is free!). The main meal "Carne de porco u ameijoas", Portuguese pork stew with clams is the saving grace :)

Slept early due to exhaustion...

Cologne Day 6: Mon 27/12/10 Last day in Cologne

Took my time to rise and shine. It was the last day in Cologne and since all the museums are closed on Mondays, I just have to cover the Dom treasury and south tower...so no stress at all.


Walked to the Cologne Cathedral for the 3rd time. Realized that I missed some parts of the cathedral on the first day...it is a massive cathedral after all. Behind the altar is the Shrine of Three Magi, which contains the remains of the kings who followed the star to the manger in Bethlehem where Jesus was born. It was first brought to Cologne from Milan in 1164.The older version of the sarcophagus is repaired and now at display in the Domschatzkammer (Catehdral Treasury). It is made of wood, hand painted with biblical scenes and is decorated with jewels though most were stolen by thieves.  The treasury and the south tower are worth the visit and the combined ticket is euro5. Inside the treasury, there is the sacred chamber that displays Bishop's crosier, medieval processional crosses, monstrances, chalices and other liturgical vessels, room of the Three Magi with the old sarcophagus that has been restored, Lapidarium with findings from 6th century Frankish graves and Parament room that shows the Bishop's garments.

After the treasury, I walked out of the cathedral to reach the south tower. Here I climbed 509 steps to reach the top of the tower. I was so out of breath and my calves still remain painful until now. The view is refreshing though it would be better if it is not barred with wires everywhere...

Since my flight was at night. I had time to visit the St Maria im Capitol. Found the Rathaus and Rathausturm while walking towards the church.  St Maria im Capitol is the largest among all Romanesque churches in Cologne and  was founded in 1065AD. It has an interesting trefoil shaped apse. Inside, a 11th century  wooden door with carvings of biblical scenes is at display.

Lastly, I shopped around Hoho Strasse. Could not resist buying a Kolner bun (taste is just so-so) and smashing Curry wurst. After buying a tunic in C&A, I rushed back to hostel to get my rucksack and hopped into a S13 train to the airport.

Thank God, flight was only very slightly delayed...

Curry Wurst!!!

Cologne Day 5: Sun 26/12/10 Dusseldorf

I had a very sinful reason to visit Dusseldorf on Sunday...which I would revealed later. One way train ticket to Dusseldorf cost euro 9.80. Unlike UK, there is no discounted day return train ticket in Germany...bummer! On Sundays in Germany, the museums are open but all shopping centers are closed...is like you are only allowed to be religious and educational/ cultural and materialism is prohibited on Sunday :p


Dusseldorf is the state capital of the Rhineland. Besides Cologne, it is the city I enjoyed most during my short stay here in West Germany and in my opinion it has the best Rhine River promenade compared to Cologne, Aachen and Bonn. There was a brief heavy snowfall after I exited the train station but thank God it did not last long. It was quite a long walk from the station to Medienhafen (Media Harbour) but I had a good reason to suffer. The Media Harbour, previously an old harbour with crumbling warehouses was given a facelift and is now dotted with boundary pushing architecture designed by award winning international architects and numerous pubs. I got to see it with my own eyes and I was not disappointed! There are Neuer Zollhoff, which is a combination of three dynamically curving buildings designed by Frank Gehry, Grand Bateau by Claude Vasconi that resembles an ocean liner,  Colorium by William Alsop and my favourite, Invasion of flossies.

Invasion of Flossies

At the Medienhafen, there is Rhineturm (Rhine Tower) where one can have a good view of Dusseldorf and Rhine River from the top. From the tower, it was a very relaxing walk along Rhineuferpromenade to the Altstadt.  In the old town, there is the Town Hall (Rathaus), Schlossturm (Palace Tower) in Burgplatz, St Lambertuskirche (St Lambert Church) and Andreaskirche. I stopped for lunch in Im Fuchschen which is one of the reason I planned my trip on Sunday. It was closed for 2 days prior to that. This restaurant is very famous among the locals and has good house brew beer called Altbeer and serves mean pork knuckle (Eisbein). I was shocked by the massive portion of the knuckle. The cheese mashed potatoes and sauerkraut was tasty too. There were several attempts where the waiter was trying to take away my dinner plate because he thought I could not possibly finish it...well, I did finish 95% of it..he he.

After lunch, I walked back to 14th century St Lamberturskirche to appreciate the delicately carved spiral tower (below). Later, I visited the Mah-und Gedenkstatte fur die Opfer des Nationalsozialismus (Memorial Exhibit to the Victims of Nazi Regime). It is free and of course it is all in German...Next is Andreaskirche, with life-size apostle sculptures.

Headed back to Cologne early because I wanted to visit the Scholaden Museum (Chocolate Museum) before it closes at 7pm. I detoured a bit to walk along the Hohenzollern brucke. The railway bridge is a love symbol of Cologne. Thousands of lovebirds professed their love by putting up locks along the long bridge. There is beautiful view of Rhine River from the bridge too.

I did not go up the Chocolate Museum (Euro 7 admission fee). I went to the chocolate gift shop at the ground floor of the museum instead. There are abundance of choices and I took some time to make up my mind. Bought Lauenstein wasabi chocolate which tastes amazing, Lindt chocolate with punch filling and with cognac filling (the latter tastes better) and small selection of truffles (the mango truffle is delicious!). I bought these chocolates as gifts to bring back during Chinese New Year...but they were already consumed in the past few days....I failed to resist!

I still feel very full from the huge eisbein at lunch so instead of dinner, I went out with Yenna for a drink. We had Radler beer in Biermuseum, a small pub near the Fischmarkt which plays a lot of Abba songs. Radler tastes somewhat similar to Shandy but with higher alcohol content. Love it!

In the hostel, we grabbed a lot of free printen at the counter to eat :) Then sleep...

Cologne Day 4: Sat 25/12/10 Bonn

It is Christmas Day!!! And perfect weather alas with no snow! Cologne indeed is closed to public except for churches and the Dom of course. However, few museums are open in Bonn during Christmas day. Hence, I boarded an early train to Bonn. One way train ticket cost euro 6.60.


There are other reasons to visit Bonn. It is the birthplace of Beethoven and was the capital of West Germany before the fall of Berlin wall. There are also a cluster of top notched museums in Museumsmeile (Museum Mile) south to the town center. 

A short walk from the train station brought me to the Municipal Hall and  tourist center (closed). Nearby is the Stentor, an ancient gate wall that stands out quite uniquely among other modern buildings. Just around the corner is the Munsterplatz with the 13th century Munsterbasilica and Beethoven Monument (1845). I attended the morning Christmas service in Munsterbasilica but was not able to take any photograph inside the church. The Altes Rathaus(old townhouse) is located at the Markt. From there, I walked to Beethoven Haus where Beethoven first saw light. Inside the house is Beethoven's last grand piano and large ear trumpets but it was closed of course. 

Beethoven Haus

Next is Oper Bonn (Opera House) which is just situated next to Rhine River. I walked along the Rhine River and reached the Egyptian Museum and Statgarten. Down the road is the Bonn University (1818) and the massive Hofgarten with the Academisches Kunstmuseum (Academic Art Museum).

It was a very long walk from the city center to Poppelsdorf and Museumsmeile. But the beautiful apartments that line the Meckeheimer Allee (means avenue) made the journey more enjoyable. The Schloss Poppelsdorf ( Poppelsdorf Palace) was closed but the view of the palace and the river that runs in front of it was good enough for me. Then it was another half hour walk to the Museum Mile. I was cold and hungry but there was no place to stop. My fingers were freezing cold to the point of being painful the moment I removed my gloves...winter sucks! But I found a shade at the junction of Reuterstrasse and Willy Brandt Allee and ate half sandwich there (only half because my fingers started to ache!). The first museum I visited was Haus de Geschichte der Bundesrepublik Deutschland (Forum of Contemporary German History). The title of the German museums almost always a mouthful of words. The admission is free of charge but I should have known better... Any free museums in Germany are mainly for people who are either locals or know the language. It was the most stress-free and relaxing museum I have ever been to mainly because I cannot read German...hence just browsing through the exhibits. I especially enjoy the exhibits of old design of BMW, Mercedes Benz and Volkswagen. That I can relate ..he he. I wish I could take photo of a very old car where there are only 2 seats and the only way to exit the car is through the bonnet! But no photography is allowed and the museum staffs are patrolling with watchful eyes. I need a camera with silent shutter. My Sony Nex is just too noisy.

Kunst Museum was closed so I went to the Kunst und Ausstellungshalle der Bundesrepublik Deutschland. This museum has several exhibitions at the same time including exhibition on Afghanistan, The Trauma of Napoleon and Modern Art. To see all exhibitions, one is required to bleed euro 16 but I was tired hence paid euro 8 to see Modern Art. It is expensive...since it is of very small scale compared to Ludwig Museum in Cologne but is still worth a visit. The exhibition entitles Vibracion Modern Kunst Aus Lateinamerika shows work of Latin American artists like Jesus Raphael Soto and Mira Schendel with interesting collection of kinetic art, optical art (which can make you dizzy) and the mesmerizing suspended sculptures (Reticuláreas series) of Gego (Gertrude Goldschmidt).

Just outside the museum is an outdoor ice skating rink but I need to get back to train station before sunset at 430pm. Walking back, I passed by the Palais Schaumburg and Museum Koenig. It was about half an hour later that I reached the train station.

Back in Cologne, I met Yenna and a group of China mainland men heading out for dinner. I invited Yenna for Christmas dinner the night before hence I joined them instead. But the Chinese men wanted to eat Chinese food!  Yenna and I wanted to eat German cuisine so we sheepishly  went on separate way. We dined in my favourite pub: Cologne style fried kale with large wurst and Roast goose leg with sauerkraut and potatoes (the food was so good that we forgot to take photo before attacking the food). To finish in style, we ordered an apple strudel. A very satisfying Christmas dinner indeed! After the dinner, we walked around Hoho Strasse. The streets were deserted but it was the best time to appreciate the Christmas window decor that I missed on the first day there.

Apple strudel...

Hansel and Gretel, made of real cookies and chocolate

Adorable battery operated bears

Cologne Day 3: Friday 24/12/10 Aachen

Aachen is located about 1 hour away from Cologne and is very near the Belgium border. I should have make a trip to Brussels had I know that earlier. The return train ticket made me coughed out blood...it was euro30! Sorry for crying out loud but it was just an hour away...even train in UK is not that costly. 


It was snowing on that day but I could still appreciate that Aachen is indeed a charming town. Aachen was the capital for Emperor Charlemagne's Frankish empire and is famous for its mineral spring water and Dom (cathedral) which houses the 800 AD Pfalzkapelle (palace chapel) with Carolingian architecture. The cathedral is just a short walk away from the train station. The interior of the palace chapel definitely has an opulent feel to it. The wall is painted with gold colored motifs and the chandelier is from Emperor Friedrich Barbarossa.  The chapel safe keeps relics like Christ's loincloth, shrine of Charlemagne, Pala d'oro gold plated altar front depicting Christ's Passion and jewel encrusted copper pulpit (11th century). Unfortunately, the Domschatzkammer was closed on Christmas eve. My hope of seeing Lotharkreuz, a 10th century processional cross vanished...


After visiting the palace chapel, I wanted to see the Couven museum but it was closed even before 12noon. I reckoned that other places of attraction would be closed too hence I wandered around to see the Rathaus and checking out numerous bakeries in Aachen (it is famous for printen: soft spicy biscuit) and did some shopping. Found a lovely shop that sells tea and coffee. Stopped there to buy souvenir and ate my packed sandwich. Shopped in Kaupthof and bought a tunic...in children department (am not proud of this...). Before leaving Aachen, I found Elisenbunnen but I stupidly did not go in to drink its famous spring water.


Reached Cologne at near 5pm. Went to the Cathedral to find out about time of Christmas eve mass. I was too tired to be able to attend the midnight mass hence I went for the 5pm evening service instead. It was very cold and despite the fact that the Cathedral was full of people, I was still feeling the cold creeping deep into my bones. The service was of course in German and there was candle lighting too.

Palace Chapel in Aachen

Aachen

Christmas Eve dinner

After the service, I went around the town searching for good German food. Most restaurants were closed but I found a humble pub by the name of Gaststatte Lederer. Had a sumptuous Christmas eve dinner (plum stuffed roast pork) complete with a glass of rum gluhwein :) Would be even better if I brought Yenna along though.


Back in hostel, met Bonnie, an education student from Hong Kong. There were a lot of students from China too. Wrestled between decision to sleep or attend Christmas midnight mass with Yenna and a Korean guy. I needed sleep and had not fully recovered from my night shifts. The bells chimed loudly half an hour to midnight and I was very tempted to go out. But fatigue won the battle and I fell asleep within minutes...

Cologne Day 2: Thu 23/12/10 Christmas Markets

Weather was crappy on this day. It started with moderate heavy rain which turned to heavy snowfall and just when I thought it could not get any worse, it rained sleet. But it was the last day of Christmas Markets to be opened and the uplifting Christmas spirit made the weather more tolerable.


First thing in the morning, I walked to nearby grocery store to shop for food and drinking water. The chocolate biscuits are good stuff and so are the salami, corn bread and paprika cheese. After dropping off my food supply in the hostel, I walked to Cologne tourist office just opposite the cathedral to get information about Bonn and Aachen. Found out that Germany mostly "close" from 24th Dec afternoon and on Christmas day. Most museums are closed on Monday too.


Of course, I had to see the Cologne Cathedral (Kolner Dom) first. The cathedral was first founded in 1248 but only fully completed by 1880. Napoleon actually once used it as prison and horse stable! Thousands of tourist throng into the cathedral daily. It is the biggest cathedral in Germany. Inside the lofty central nave, each pillar has the sculptures of Saints. There is Gero Crucifix (970AD) and the shrine of the Three Magi. I planned to go back there for the Christmas Eve mass and to visit the treasury and south tower on the following Monday.


While waiting for the Christmas markets to open at 11am and to hide from the cold rain, I visited Ludwig Museum. It is an impressive modern art museum and took me 3 hour plus to cover all. There is pop art, contemporary art, expressionism, surrealism, nouveau realisme, 19th century photographs from Japan and China, collections of Picasso, Roy Lichtenstein with his pixelated drawings like comic strips, collections of Lucy McKenzie and A.R Penck, exhibition on Australian aborigines art and La Boheme ( 19th and 20th century photographs) and Suchan Kinoshita "In 10 minutes". I personally like the work of Otto Dix, Rudolph Schlichter, George Schrimpf, Franz Radziwill, Otto Freundlich's zincographs and Alexander Rodtschenko's fotomontage. I would have enjoyed myself more in this museum had I not been watched like hawk by the dedicated Museum workers. They are dead serious people. It feels like a child in a playground that cannot play as he likes because the discipline teacher is just breathing over his neck...
After buying the expensive ticket, the staff did not even offer me a brochure till I ask for it. Neither did she inform me that no photography allowed or my bag needed to be stowed away in the locker. Hence, I was stopped at the entrance and I had to find a locker for my bag. I was sounded by the staff when I snapped few photos (fair enough),  when I accidentally stepped on a platform that held the work of art (exaggerated response), and when I took out my phone to write memo (are they serious?)...They are that strict...so much so I dared not to touch the art work of Suchan Kinoshita which I suspect is meant for touching because it is an art of motion, visual, sound and interaction in 10minutes. But there was no instruction in English and the staff was watching with unfriendly stare. 
As I was hiding inside the museum, the rain stopped but just as I exited the museum, the snowfall started. Drat!  Armed with my umbrella, I braved the snow and walked towards Altstadt (Old town) to get to the Christmas Market near Alter Markt(Home of the Heinzel Christmas Mrkt). The walk along the Rhine River would have been more pleasant had it not because of the snow...In summer, there is cable car and river cruise along the famous river but during winter, the cable car stops operating and the river cruise is reduced to 2-3 times a day. There are many pubs facing the river too.
I had my lunch in the Christmas market in Alter Markt...it was a foot long grilled pork with chilli sauce, bread and pickled green chilli. So juicy, tender and yummy!. It is something like shish kebab but I forgot its German name. The Christmas market sells all sort of trinkets like winter hat, shoes, scarfs, lamps, accessories, wooden sculptures and there are myriads choice of food. You can imagine how bloated my stomach/ bladder was by end of the day...

Christmas Market near Alter Mkt

Angel Market

Next, I walked along Hoho strasse and Schildergasse (the shopping meccas) to reach Neumarkt. I was frequently distracted by the shops and I did hop in and out of them to keep warm (to give myself more reasons to window shop :p) It was fun even if I did not buy anything...at least not on that day. Trying on clothes made me tired ...it took 10minutes to undress and redress because I wore 5-6 layers to battle the cold weather...Phew! Saved money because too lazy to try on clothes at the end. Drank a cup of gluhwein(mulled wine) and it did keep me warm and happy!


 Neumarkt Angel's Christmas Market is my favourite Christmas market in Cologne. It is massive and lots of food too. Though I was not hungry, I was seduced by the sight of reibekuchen, Rhineland's potato fritters. It was hot and crispy and in the cold winter night, it just tasted so good! It was time to walk more to burn the calorie so that I could stomach more in the next market.  
The Rudolphplatz Fairytale Christmas Market is of much smaller scale. Nevertheless, I bought sweet dessert here (chocolate strawberry wafers) and had a foot long bockwurst (sausage) with ample amount of chilli sauce and mustard! 
Lastly, I walked back to the Cologne Cathedral Christmas Market. Though it was near closing time at 10pm, people were in high spirit and showed no sign of leaving. Most visitors gravitate towards the gluhwein stalls. I bought a chocolate and peanut butter fudge and drank hot chocolate with Bailey here. Well, there was just few drops of Bailey because it has finished and I got discounted price from that.

Cologne Cathedral

By the time I reached the hostel, I was like Puss in Shrek IV. Had small chat with Yenna, my Canadian Korean roommate before dozing off.