Leaving Amsterdam and a Quick Visit to Köln

Greetings from Köln! And Frankfurt!

A lot has happened

Our time in Amsterdam came to an end on the 30th, and not quickly like a bandaid, but slowly, over the course of several hours. Goodbying all over the place. April left by plane first, me by train and Rowan by automobile. Though Rowan and I met up in Köln later that day.

Our last few days were just as much fun as the first few, just with the added bonus that I caught a head cold. But Ro was nice enough to share her Turkey Tail Mushroom tea with me and think I'm on the mend already.

The day after Kings Day we all felt like a low energy activity, so we packed a picnic and drove to the middle of the country (about an hour) to Barneveld where Alex's uncle lives.

He lives in a cute house, with a stable out back, two horses, some geese, and a duck or two. He is also completely surrounded by an industrial park. Just on the other side of the trees a warehouse district has crept up to his front door. The city made a deal that they would pay him now and he would leave the property to them when he died. That was when he was back in his seventies and now in his mid-nineties his property makes for an interesting juxtaposition.

He introduced us to his beautiful black horse Froukia (completely guessing spelling) and I helped finish getting her ready, fixing the bridle over her ears and cleaning her hooves with a pick, something I haven't done since horse camp in the 7th grade. I'm happy the muscle memory of how to give a horse a manicure is still there.

Alex, Stephany, Luna, Rowan, April, Alex's Uncle, and I piled into an open carriage for a jaunty ride through the industrial park, much to the hilarity of some of the truck drivers passing us on the left. But soon we traveled out of the warehouses, through a pastoral landscape into a forested park with sand paths for Ms. Froukia to pull us along. If you are ever going to travel through European countryside I seriously suggest mid-spring, just for the purpose of visiting the newborn animals.

We stopped a few times for sandwiches, coffee, water and carrots for the hardworking Froukia. We planned for the whole family to come visit the Pacific Northwest with promises of taking them on the steepest hike we can think of. Maybe Pine and Cedar Lakes Trail. It was a lovely way to spend an afternoon.

Last night we had a giant dinner with the whole family. It was a great way to end this part of the trip that has been so family, teamwork and togetherness focused. I've loved sliding into a borrowed family half a world away and feeling like I belonged. It's rare, I know, and I'm so grateful for it.

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I left from Amsterdam Centraal Station and worked most of the three hour journey to Köln. Trains are still my favorite way to travel (except horse drawn carriage of course). I don't get motion sick on them, we get wherever we are going in a decent amount of time usually, I can work or sleep or stare out the window. Generally it's the best way to go for me.

I reached Köln in the early evening, and it still feels like home. April and I traveled here together eight years ago when we were sixteen and I really love the city. Stepping out from the main train station the first thing you see is the awesome Dom Cathedral dominating the central square.

It's the largest in the western world, took something like 800 years to build and is breathtakingly beautiful. The east end has a large gold chest that reportedly holds the bones of the three wise men. Strolling into the cool, stone interior I felt like I was greeting an old friend. Evening light filtered through huge stained glass windows, mutedly illuminating the interior and quiet visitors, walking or sitting and praying in the many pews.

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The time was approaching when Rowan's bus was scheduled to arrive so I went to our meeting spot on the north stairs of the Dom to wait. The first thing I noticed were groups of young men being very loud passing around bottles. After an uncomfortable interaction with one of them I found another girl sitting on the steps alone wearing a large backpack and asked if I could sit with her. We chatted about Germany, school, and the upcoming Holiday of May 1st, which is why so many people were out celebrating early.

Besides an excuse to drink, there is a tradition that on the night of April 30th young men bring a decorated tree to the house of their beloved and leave it tied somewhere in front of the door. Rowan and I later saw one of these young men on the metro platform and he eagerly agreed when I asked for a picture.

It didn't take long for Ro and I to find each other this time, and soon we were in our very comfortable guest apartment in Uschi's building.

Uschi is April's godmother, and a wonderful person. We stayed with her when we visited Köln last time and she was kind enough to invite me back again.

In the morning Ro and I had breakfast with Uschi and her mother Truda who just moved in. Truda doesn't speak a lot of English but loves to tell stories. She tells them slowly with simple words because Rowan is learning German; Truda is so expressive even I can pick up the gist of what she's saying.

Through some seriously bad planning on my part, we only ended up having one full day in Köln but we made the most of it. Thankfully Uschi was able spend the whole day with us and took us on a tour of the city by bicycle. First starting at the Dom for a longer visit, then into the old city and past City Hall, where they are trying to build a new square but every time they try to lay foundations they run into a Roman ruin and all kinds of paperwork.

We biked across the Hohemzollern Brücken (bridge) where couples leave a lock on the fence with their names engraved on it and toss the keys into the Rhine far below. Then through a park and to the Flower and Botanical Gardens that are in full beautiful bloom right now.

Finishing the day with a long dinner and lots of conversation and stories with Truda and Uschi capped off a wonderful day in Köln.

Now I'm on another train and should get into Frankfurt in less than twenty minutes. Ro is again bussing, so hopefully we will be able to meet up again with quick success.