Viva Colonia!

Okay, so Cologne, like all German cities, really enjoys its soccer team. But really. And they definitely have city-pride. While in the train to Köln a group of rowdy passengers was actually singing this song (typisch deutsch):

VIVA COLONIA! Wir lieben das Leben, die Liebe und die Lust Wir glauben an den lieben Gott und hab'n noch immer Durst.

[Long live Cologne! We love life, love and joy, we believe in dear God and still are thirsty!]



The most famous thing in Cologne is the cathedral, which you can't miss because it towers over EVERYTHING from the moment you walk out of the train station!
I also climbed up all the stairs and looked out over the city and the Rhine (unfortunately cloudy).

Another thing, almost as famous as the Kölner Dom (cathedral), is Kölsch, Cologne's beer. Which I, of course, had to sample from various local breweries.



Of course I did other culturally stimulating things besides drink beer! I went to two of Cologne's museums and walked along the Rhine and throughout the city. I went to some Karaoke bars (which the Germans are waaaay too good at) and also attended a puppet show. Which was in the local dialect, so I didn't get a lot out of the actual dialogue. But the fact that I was sitting amongst a large group of adult Germans who were all laughing hysterically at puppets was good enough.

The actual reason for being in Cologne was that I was to meet all the other American students who will be doing the same thing as me through Fulbright for a four-day orientation. Which was pretty boring and repetitive, but still somewhat informative and very, very fun. And I now know that there are some other Americans in my city and region, so we can celebrate Thanksgiving together and whatever else we may decide to do.