n we might take a walk through the Botanical Gardens. The parks are filled with bicycles and the lakes with rowboats. There is football, or soccer, games to watch and sometimes we to play bole or bocce ball while sharing a glass of wine. Listening to all the foreign languages being spoken makes Cologne one of the favorite destinations for a lot of Europeans. You don’t necessarily have to know a foreign language to get by, for most Europeans speak English.

The number one tourist attraction would be the beautiful Cathedral. The cornerstone was laid in 1248 and it took over 632 years to complete. During the Second World War Cologne was basically leveled by allied bombing raids, but the Cathedral stood tall among the ruins and was fully restored. Our apartment is three metro stops away and we visit there quit often. Since in summertime the sun doesn’t set until almost 11pm, yo

The world is small and getting smaller everyday. One can live, not only in two different States, but in different countries just as easily. The time it takes to fly from our home in Northern Florida, all the way to California, I can be in Cologne, Germany. There, next to the Botanical Gardens on Am Zuckerberg, is our small one bedroom apartment. Since my wife is German, we commute back and forth between the two.

There are many airlines that fly directly from the East Coast to Germany. LTU, a German Airline, flies directly from Orlando, Miami, Ft. Meyers, and Tampa, to D?sseldorf. A short train ride and we are home. Believe me, with all the security and delays nowadays, the less changing of planes the better. If you know when you want to go you can purchase a roundtrip ticket for approximately $300.00 during winter months. There are also many cheap flights within Europe. You have to book them in advance, but flying roundtrip from Frankfurt, Germany to Bari, Italy for $27.99 is something worthwhile. Even if at the last moment you decide not to go, what can you loose?

Cologne is a beautiful city located in the western part of the country. Its ancient architecture and beautiful parks dot the landscape along the Rhine. It is a modern city and the cost of living is much the same as most major cities here in the States. The currency is the Euro and I would advise bringing travelers checks. Nowadays most banks have surcharges and service fees when using an ATM machine. You would be surprised when taking out say $100 then returning home to discover they charged you $110 to do it!

Most people travel in Europe by train. They are faster and more comfortable than the ones we have in the States and they connect to most major cities such as, Paris, Milan, Amsterdam, Geneva, and even London. You sit in a comfortable seat and watch the landscape go by at a rate of 300 kilometers per hour. It is faster and a more efficient way of traveling in Europe and most train stations are a tourist attraction as well. A two hour train ride allows us to visit friends in Brussels. The climate is much the same as we have it here on the East Coast, although the summers are a little warmer than they use to be. When it is hot in Florida during July and August we usually fly to Cologne where it is more comfortable. Then when the weather turns cold during the winter months, Florida beckons. Keeping clothes in both locations allows us to board the plane with only a carry on and not having to wait for luggage when landing.

After unpacking and food shopping we call on our friends and settle back into European life. If it’s the weekend we might pack a few clothes and hop aboard a high speed train. In 3 hours we can be in Berlin. Or perhaps catch a flight to the UK to see some friends living just outside of London. We think of Europe as being one large country and not a land of different counties. Even passports amongst Europeans are no longer required.

In Cologne we often go into town for coffee and a pastry at one of the cafes and then onto my favorite department store “Karstadt” for some shopping. There you will find just about everything you need, from kitchen utensils to clothes, from books to appliances. In the basement level there are restaurants and delicious food items from all over the world. Sometimes we might go to the train station for lunch. Inside there is a small restaurant that serves matjes or herring, wrapped on a small French baguette. It’s delicious and worth the trip.

In the afternoon we might take a walk through the Botanical Gardens. The parks are filled with bicycles and the lakes with rowboats. There is football, or soccer, games to watch and sometimes we to play bole or bocce ball while sharing a glass of wine. Listening to all the foreign languages being spoken makes Cologne one of the favorite destinations for a lot of Europeans. You don’t necessarily have to know a foreign language to get by, for most Europeans speak English.

The number one tourist attraction would be the beautiful Cathedral. The cornerstone was laid in 1248 and it took over 632 years to complete. During the Second World War Cologne was basically leveled by allied bombing raids, but the Cathedral stood tall among the ruins and was fully restored. Our apartment is three metro stops away and we visit there quit often. Since in summertime the sun doesn’t set until almost 11pm, you

u have to book them in advance, but flying roundtrip from Frankfurt, Germany to Bari, Italy for $27.99 is something worthwhile. Even if at the last moment you decide not to go, what can you loose?

Cologne is a beautiful city located in the western part of the country. Its ancient architecture and beautiful parks dot the landscape along the Rhine. It is a modern city and the cost of living is much the same as most major cities here in the States. The currency is the Euro and I would advise bringing travelers checks. Nowadays most banks have surcharges and service fees when using an ATM machine. You would be surprised when taking out say $100 then returning home to discover they charged you $110 to do it!

Most people travel in Europe by train. They are faster and more comfortable than the ones we have in the States and they connect to most major cities such as, Paris, Milan, Amsterdam, Geneva, and even London. You sit in a comfortable seat and watch the landscape go by at a rate of 300 kilometers per hour. It is faster and a more efficient way of traveling in Europe and most train stations are a tourist attraction as well. A two hour train ride allows us to visit friends in Brussels. The climate is much the same as we have it here on the East Coast, although the summers are a little warmer than they use to be. When it is hot in Florida during July and August we usually fly to Cologne where it is more comfortable. Then when the weather turns cold during the winter months, Florida beckons. Keeping clothes in both locations allows us to board the plane with only a carry on and not having to wait for luggage when landing.

After unpacking and food shopping we call on our friends and settle back into European life. If it’s the weekend we might pack a few clothes and hop aboard a high speed train. In 3 hours we can be in Berlin. Or perhaps catch a flight to the UK to see some friends living just outside of London. We think of Europe as being one large country and not a land of different counties. Even passports amongst Europeans are no longer required.

In Cologne we often go into town for coffee and a pastry at one of the cafes and then onto my favorite department store “Karstadt” for some shopping. There you will find just about everything you need, from kitchen utensils to clothes, from books to appliances. In the basement level there are restaurants and delicious food items from all over the world. Sometimes we might go to the train station for lunch. Inside there is a small restaurant that serves matjes or herring, wrapped on a small French baguette. It’s delicious and worth the trip.

In the afternoon we might take a walk through the Botanical Gardens. The parks are filled with bicycles and the lakes with rowboats. There is football, or soccer, games to watch and sometimes we to play bole or bocce ball while sharing a glass of wine. Listening to all the foreign languages being spoken makes Cologne one of the favorite destinations for a lot of Europeans. You don’t necessarily have to know a foreign language to get by, for most Europeans speak English.

The number one tourist attraction would be the beautiful Cathedral. The cornerstone was laid in 1248 and it took over 632 years to complete. During the Second World War Cologne was basically leveled by allied bombing raids, but the Cathedral stood tall among the ruins and was fully restored. Our apartment is three metro stops away and we visit there quit often. Since in summertime the sun doesn’t set until almost 11pm, yo

Milan, Amsterdam, Geneva, and even London. You sit in a comfortable seat and watch the landscape go by at a rate of 300 kilometers per hour. It is faster and a more efficient way of traveling in Europe and most train stations are a tourist attraction as well. A two hour train ride allows us to visit friends in Brussels. The climate is much the same as we have it here on the East Coast, although the summers are a little warmer than they use to be. When it is hot in Florida during July and August we usually fly to Cologne where it is more comfortable. Then when the weather turns cold during the winter months, Florida beckons. Keeping clothes in both locations allows us to board the plane with only a carry on and not having to wait for luggage when landing.

After unpacking and food shopping we call on our friends and settle back into European life. If it’s the weekend we might pack a few clothes and hop aboard a high speed train. In 3 hours we can be in Berlin. Or perhaps catch a flight to the UK to see some friends living just outside of London. We think of Europe as being one large country and not a land of different counties. Even passports amongst Europeans are no longer required.

In Cologne we often go into town for coffee and a pastry at one of the cafes and then onto my favorite department store “Karstadt” for some shopping. There you will find just about everything you need, from kitchen utensils to clothes, from books to appliances. In the basement level there are restaurants and delicious food items from all over the world. Sometimes we might go to the train station for lunch. Inside there is a small restaurant that serves matjes or herring, wrapped on a small French baguette. It’s delicious and worth the trip.

In the afternoon we might take a walk through the Botanical Gardens. The parks are filled with bicycles and the lakes with rowboats. There is football, or soccer, games to watch and sometimes we to play bole or bocce ball while sharing a glass of wine. Listening to all the foreign languages being spoken makes Cologne one of the favorite destinations for a lot of Europeans. You don’t necessarily have to know a foreign language to get by, for most Europeans speak English.

The number one tourist attraction would be the beautiful Cathedral. The cornerstone was laid in 1248 and it took over 632 years to complete. During the Second World War Cologne was basically leveled by allied bombing raids, but the Cathedral stood tall among the ruins and was fully restored. Our apartment is three metro stops away and we visit there quit often. Since in summertime the sun doesn’t set until almost 11pm, yo

ht pack a few clothes and hop aboard a high speed train. In 3 hours we can be in Berlin. Or perhaps catch a flight to the UK to see some friends living just outside of London. We think of Europe as being one large country and not a land of different counties. Even passports amongst Europeans are no longer required.

In Cologne we often go into town for coffee and a pastry at one of the cafes and then onto my favorite department store “Karstadt” for some shopping. There you will find just about everything you need, from kitchen utensils to clothes, from books to appliances. In the basement level there are restaurants and delicious food items from all over the world. Sometimes we might go to the train station for lunch. Inside there is a small restaurant that serves matjes or herring, wrapped on a small French baguette. It’s delicious and worth the trip.

In the afternoon we might take a walk through the Botanical Gardens. The parks are filled with bicycles and the lakes with rowboats. There is football, or soccer, games to watch and sometimes we to play bole or bocce ball while sharing a glass of wine. Listening to all the foreign languages being spoken makes Cologne one of the favorite destinations for a lot of Europeans. You don’t necessarily have to know a foreign language to get by, for most Europeans speak English.

The number one tourist attraction would be the beautiful Cathedral. The cornerstone was laid in 1248 and it took over 632 years to complete. During the Second World War Cologne was basically leveled by allied bombing raids, but the Cathedral stood tall among the ruins and was fully restored. Our apartment is three metro stops away and we visit there quit often. Since in summertime the sun doesn’t set until almost 11pm, yo

n we might take a walk through the Botanical Gardens. The parks are filled with bicycles and the lakes with rowboats. There is football, or soccer, games to watch and sometimes we to play bole or bocce ball while sharing a glass of wine. Listening to all the foreign languages being spoken makes Cologne one of the favorite destinations for a lot of Europeans. You don’t necessarily have to know a foreign language to get by, for most Europeans speak English.

The number one tourist attraction would be the beautiful Cathedral. The cornerstone was laid in 1248 and it took over 632 years to complete. During the Second World War Cologne was basically leveled by allied bombing raids, but the Cathedral stood tall among the ruins and was fully restored. Our apartment is three metro stops away and we visit there quit often. Since in summertime the sun doesn’t set until almost 11pm, you will find lots of people sitting outside having a beer or a coffee and talking. Spending more time outside the home, than inside watching the TV, is the norm. Sitting in a caf? until it closes discussing sports or the state of the world is popular. Being an American makes it even more interesting for our friends especially when talking about politics.

We travel to Germany when we can, visiting with family and friends. With its cities and history there are lots of places to see. So if you are looking for something new, try the old, old Europe that is. If it happens to be Cologne in October Fest time, you’ll find me sitting outside a local brewery with a glass of beer waiting for you.