I traveled to Germany for two-week’s training, and the thought of it seemed quite long – and once I was there, I realized it certainly was a long time to be away. After the problematic journey I wrote about in my last post, I met my friendly host, Paul, and we were able to visit many places in a single day! That’s what I’d like to tell you about today.
To start with, the weather wasn’t at all friendly. It rained for most of the day and it was evening before the sun peeked out from behind the clouds. Paul and I met at 10 am and went to Dusseldorf Airport to ask after my lost mobile. Our first destination? A mining crater!
Once we’d explored the crater and admired the dozens of wind turbines, we started towards Aachen, to see the Cathedral and find lunch. Our meal at Lennet & Kann ( a vegan place) was delicious! We had warm chilli beans, and I ordered a quinoa salad with avocado and spinach. The chilli was quite good and mild, not too spicy. The salad, though delicious, was gigantic, and I couldn’t finish it on my own. Luckily, I had Paul to help me out.
After lunch, with umbrellas in hand, we walked up to the dome and found it already full of tourists.
I resisted recounting the history to Paul about Charles the Great and his sons, who regularly devastated Pannonian lands, knowing that here the great German Kaisers are a source of pride. After whiling away some time at the Cathedral, we walked around the city, seeing a thermal bath, a piece of an excavated site, some university buildings and a wishing well. I didn’t miss the chance, of course, to throw a coin in… Once we’d finished, I bought a few bottles of mineral water for the journey and went back to the car.
Our next stop was a place called Dreilandereck: the single point where Germany, the Netherlands, and Belgium meet. It was still pouring rain when we arrived, but overall the visit was fun and, afterwards, we paused for coffee on the Belgium side before heading off to see the Cathedral (Dome) in Köln (Cologne).
It took an hour to get there, the rain still falling heavily, and once we arrived, we could hardly find parking place. Finally, we found one, but it was quite far from the Cathedral. We meandered through the small, crowded streets full of shops until we found the dome. As in Aachen, when we checked in, the dome was full of tourists. There was a place in the inner corner where, for one Euro, visitors could purchase a candle and light it for a specific purpose or person. I bought one, ignited it, and placed it among the others while wishing that my Protector Project would all go well!
By this time, though it was only 6 pm, I was already tired and had no desire to sightsee anymore, so Paul drove us back to Essen, where I’m now writing to you from a neat hotel.
All in all, it was an eventful day, and I’m really grateful that I could see all these wonderful places!
*All pics are used as examples; none of them are mine. (Without my mobile I can’t take photos!)