Cologne, Germany

Germany made its way onto my travel bucket list long before I had any idea what a bucket list was. I was young - nine or ten, maybe - and had just finished reading yet another book set in wartime Berlin. I'm not sure why I was so obsessed with WWII books as child, but I was. The more I read about this country on the other side of the Atlantic, the more I longed to walk down its cobblestone streets, explore its Bavarian castles, stand beneath Berlin's Bradenburg Gate. I remember a school assignment where we had to write about a place we'd love to visit someday ... almost all of my classmates chose Disney World or Universal Studios. I wrote about Deutschland.

When Alan and I were planning our European extravaganza in 2015, we knew we wanted to try and see as many countries as we could in two and a half weeks. Our base would be in Brussels, where we'd be staying with a family friend, so we had to choose countries and cities that were easily accessible by short train rides. I was absolutely elated to learn that Germany was do-able. I wouldn't be able to see Berlin, Hamburg or Frankfurt, but Cologne was only 2 hrs by train. I jumped at the opportunity to set foot on German soil.

Cologne and the Rhine Valley were simultaneously everything I expected them to be and nothing like what I'd imagined. The gothic architecture of the Cathedral towers over you; the castles that line the Rhine River are so majestic and fairytale-esque it's hard to believe they're real. I expected the market squares to smell of bratwurst and beer, but was disappointed to find they smell like any other modern urban space. The people were friendly, but frank. The trains to and from the city were the most punctual of all the ones we took during our trip. 

I loved our time in Germany. I feel silly saying this, but our time in Cologne really was a dream come true - not to mention, a HUGE gift to me as a writer since my novel is set primarily in North Rhine-Westphalia. To be able to see the setting of my story in person was a privilege I'm incredibly grateful for.  

My love affair with Germany continues and I can't wait to return to see other major cities and of course Neuschwanstein Castle. Our next trip to this beautiful corner of the world can't come soon enough!