Portugal last day: Tue 25/1/11: Lisbon: Belem and Alfama

I had only one day for Lisbon hence no chance to visit Sintra, Setubal nor Cascais. After a good breakfast in Old Lisbon Hostel, I set out early to explore Lisbon. Crossing Praca Duque de Terceira to get to Cais do Sodre gave me an adrenaline rush. The buses, trams and cars were crisscrossing nonstop that I had to run for my life. Lisbon is a city that was built on seven hills hence the roads are steep and there are even elevators to help people get up and down these roads. It has very good public transport network but it is not easy to navigate your way if you cannot read nor speak Portuguese. Thankfully, I managed to get maps of trams, subways and buses from the tourist office in the airport on the night before. Hopped into tram no 15 with the rest of the morning crowd towards Belem.

Arrived near Torre de Belem (Tower of Belem). It is free entrance with Lisboa Card. Unfortunately, it is only open at 10am. Waited outside the door patiently. Even at 10minutes past 10am, the staffs still did not open the door despite a small group of tourists waiting outside the entrance. When knocked on the door, a staff appeared and gave an angry rebuff before slamming the door shut again. Such an attitude! Time is precious hence I gave up on the notion of entering the tower and took a bus to Centro Cultural de Belem. From there is a short walk to Praca do Imperios, a beautiful square in front of Mosteiro dos Jeronimos ( Jeronimos Monastery). Just across the road from the square is the Padrao dos Descobrimentos, a monument erected to mark the Portuguese Age of Discovery in 15th century.

Mosteiro dos Jeronimos is massive and is a must visit place in Lisbon. Founded in 1501, it boasts fine carvings and Manueline architecture. It also houses the tomb of Vasco da Gama, Luiz Vaz de Camoes and Alexandre Herculano. When I studied history of Portugal invasion in Malacca during school days, never would I imagined that one day I would be able to see the tomb of Vasco da Gama...

Mosteiro dos Jeranimos

Luckily, I was not too lazy to walk to Museu Nacional dos Coaches from the monastery because I found the Antiga Confeitaria de Belema !!! It has the best pasteis de nata (is named Portuguese tart in Msia) in Portugal. The taste of the custard tart is just out of this world and to eat it with cinnamon powder and icing sugar sprinkled on top is just amazing. After gobbled down two tarts at one go, I joined the long line again to buy other types of pastries though I must say only the pasteis de nata is truly memorable...

Happy with custard tarts in my stomach, I walked to the Coaches Museum. It is nothing like any museum I have visited before. Really one of its kind. It is fun to see all different types of coaches, litter, sedan chair and cabriolets. Reminded me of Cinderella and its pumpkin coach. Just near the exit is the landau used by King Carlos during his assassination in 1908 with bullet holes visible at the door.

Museu Nacional do Coaches

Left Belem with a bus to go to Praca de Figueira and from there took bus 737 to Castelo de Sao Jorge (Castle St George). It was founded in 11th century and it was here, King Manuel I welcomed Vasco da Gama upon his return from India. It has at least six towers and the view of Lisbon from top of the tower is great. There is also archeological site of iron age and moorish quartes and the ruins of the ground floor of the Palacio dos Condes de Santiago (Palace of the Counts of Santiago). The museum inside was built on the ground of former Royal Palace of the Alcacova which was severely damaged by earthquake in 1755.

Lisbon view from top of Castelo tower

 

Museu Nacional do Azulejo (Portuguese Tiles) is also a must see place. The only problem is there is no direct way to reach this museum. I took a subway from Praca de Figueira to Santa Apolonia and then bus to a nearby stop. Walked quite a bit and with help from a kind Portuguese man, found it alas. I absolutely love this museum. It is housed in the former Madre de Deus Convent so besides the massive collection of azulejos from mid 15th century to present days, it also has a church, Mannerist cloister, St. Anthony's chapel and Sacristy. The famous azulejos are Panel of Our Lady of Life, Great View of Lisbon (most complete iconography on the city before the 1775 earthquake) and Sao Bento staircase. The modern and contemporary azulejos are very interesting and is an eye opener.

By the time I finished, it was getting late. Rushed back to Cais do Sodre and climbed the steep Rua de Alecrim again to go back to my hostel. Then walked down again with my rucksack to catch a bus to the airport. Got down at the wrong stop because the driver did not understand what I was saying and I had to half run-half walk to the airport...

Safely boarded the plane and reached home late....

Next trip is Eastern Europe from Zagreb travelling south towards Greek Islands :)

Portugal Day 3: Mon 24/1/11: Braga, Nazarre, Obidos

Being part of northern Portugal, Braga was as cold as 2-3 degree at night. I could not sleep well because the heating in the hostel room was not warm enough. Woke up in the middle of the night to add another layer of thick blanket. The breakfast was great though: 2 big bun with jam, milk and cereals, yoghurt and hot chocolate. Although the hostel provides free indoor parking at night, I had to remove my car from the courtyard by 9am to park at a nearby private car park. 


Braga is reputed as one of the most beautiful city in Portugal hence the crazy idea of driving up north despite having only 4 days to cover Portugal! It is a also a religious city with many sanctuaries nearby.


It was a short walk from the hostel to the city centre. The Praca de Republica is a large scenic square in front of the Igreja e Convento dos Congregados, Arcada and tourist office. The famous Braga cathedral is just few minutes away.  No photography allowed inside the Se though.


Left Braga early to visit Bom Jesus, a hilltop pilgrimage site with famous stairway. One can choose to climb the long staircase (pilgrims sometimes climb on their knees!) or hop into a funicular train to reach the top. It has few chapels, allegorical fountains, a church and a panoramic view of Braga. The fountains signify the five human senses. Inside the church is very beautiful sculptures on the altar depicting the event of crucifixion. 
Santuario do Sameiro is located just nearby and is the second largest Mary sanctuary in Portugal after Fatima.

Bom Jesus

 Nazarre

Obidos at sunset

Next, was a long drive down south towards Obidos. There was not enough time to visit Fatima, the place where the Virgin appeared in 13 May 1917 to three children on top of a tree and revealed three secrets to them. The virgin appeared every month for the next successive 5 months and on the last apparition was on 13 October 1917,  when the Miracle of the Sun took place. Every year, million of devotees come to Fatima on 12-13 May and 12-13 October for pilgrimage.


Stopped by Nazarre, a place reknown for its gorgeous beach. By the time I reach Obidos, it was near sunset and all places of interest were closed. Obidos is really a very charming walled village with romantic atmosphere. The rustic charm and the lush green landscape really help to relieve stress.It is after all, a wedding gift from Dom Dinis to his wife, Dona Isabel. Outside the Igreja de Sao Joao Baptista , there is a stall that sells sweets. I bought a Bombokas (chocolate crusted ball with marshmallow filling) and ate it while climbing the wall to get fantastic view of the city. The wall is high and the staircase has no railing so is definitely not for altophobic or the faint hearted. It is a lovely walk cruising through the small alleys to reach the hilltop where the Castelo is. Behind the castle is the medieval market which is closed of course.  Near the St Mary church, there is a square and row of shops that sell Portuguese handicrafts. 


After sunset, it was time to drive to the Lisbon airport to return the car and then took a bus to the city. Due to the obvious scratch, I had to pay some money to the car rental agency :( Wasted significant time at the car rental agency because of that.
It was a nightmare waiting for the bus in the airport. Waited for more than hour for the bus to come which never appear. Later I board another bus that go to Santa Apolonia and change to another bus to Cais do Sodre. It is a good thing I bought Lisboa Card that is valid 24hr so all public transport was free. I could have taken an aerobus but it is not free though one can get discount with Lisboa card. It was very late near 11pm when I reach Cais do Sodre and I had to climb the steep Rua do Alecrim and Rua do Ataide to reach my hostel. All with my limping right leg....Except for the hidden location, my hostel is a lovely stay. Free internet, warm room, good breakfast  and I had an empty room all by myself is more than I can ask for. Tried using my new Garmin for pedestrian mode and it worked! Cool...

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