I'll start off this post with a couple pictures of the Dom (cathedral) here in Cologne. For outsiders like me, it's the main image of Cologne. Ironically, many Colonians I have spoken to have never been inside the thing. Regardless, life around the Dom is quite busy, and I found it to be very beautiful. After visiting Vatican, many European churches pale in comparison. I still found it interesting, and its Gothic architecture makes it intimidating at night. It's pretty much the only thing that didn't get destroyed in Cologne during the war. 
I was told that the Allies used it as a central marker, but I would also like to believe that both sides wanted to preserve some of Europe's historical culture. Check out the picture of Cologne circa 1945 on Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cologne. The church didn't escape the bombs all together though as you can see its wounds when you are up close.
Moving on, two weeks have flown by here in my new / temporary home. I've grown quite fond of my new life. I wake up every day without an alarm, I go for runs (with periods of walking :)) in the park next to my flat, and the overall pace of my life has slowed down quite a bit. I guess you could say I live a fantasy life. Well, I do, but hey I'll take it for this short period of time. I do miss that candy dish at work though. It's probably for the best. The work pants weren't fitting quite like they used to before I left. Hopefully I'll come back a new man!
The newest development since my last post was the first laundry date at the new household. Doing laundry in Europe is slightly different then in the states. Most households don't have a dryer, so you have to let your clothes air dry. This cultural norm makes sense to me. It seems like a good way to conserve energy. Anyways, since you have to let the elements dry your skivvies, this can spell trouble if you wait to do laundry at the last minute. I planned accordingly though. That and I stocked up on the essentials before I left the states.
When I studied in Spain as an undergrad, my housemother would do all of my laundry, and even iron my underwear. Although I don't go to those extremes, I consider myself a fairly domestic person. Those close to me will tell you that Sundays are domestic days for Nick, when I do my laundry and grocery shopping. I have quickly discovered though that it is best to do laundry more frequently here. If you wait to do one huge load, you'll have articles of clothing hanging from every piece of furniture in your room including: fans, chairs, nightstands, and bookshelves. I persevered though, and now will plan on doing laundry twice a week!
Now for the weather. Those reading this in Minny will not feel bad for me as Mother Nature keeps picking on you poor folks. In true European fashion though, most days here consist of 10 minutes of beautiful blue sky and birds chirping to 20 minutes of soft, cold, annoying rain, followed by 5 minutes of hard, cold, annoying rain (repeat). Why is it that I always end up outside during those 5 minutes of hard, cold, annoying rain? It's penance for what I'm missing back home.
Yesterday, my friend Stasha and I had a failed attempt at visiting the town of Bonn, which is about a 30 minute train ride from here. First of all, we didn't know the entire town shuts down on Sunday (something to think about when traveling through Europe). Second, every time we stepped outside the sky opened up. We did find a nice quaint Pizza Hut where we sampled some fine pepperoni pizza. The trip wasn't a total loss. The town does have a German historical museum that basically goes from WWII to present. It's interesting to see how a country remembers a not so proud moment in time. I thought they did a good job, and it seemed consistent with what I've seen in other countries.
To close, I let the obsessive compulsive part of my personality get the best of me the other day. Since I return to the states immediately after the semester to get back to work, I have to do much of my traveling during the semester. Sooooo I sat down and physically drew out four months worth of calendar and wrote down all the dates where I have obligations here in Cologne. Now I have this beautiful display of organization in my room telling me when I can travel and when I can't. I get a huge smile on my face every time I look at it (picture Monica from Friends after cleaning the bathroom). I look forward to a much anticipated trip to Poland, and another to Sweden to visit distant relatives. Other then that, we'll see where the wind blows me.
I was told that the Allies used it as a central marker, but I would also like to believe that both sides wanted to preserve some of Europe's historical culture. Check out the picture of Cologne circa 1945 on Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cologne. The church didn't escape the bombs all together though as you can see its wounds when you are up close.Moving on, two weeks have flown by here in my new / temporary home. I've grown quite fond of my new life. I wake up every day without an alarm, I go for runs (with periods of walking :)) in the park next to my flat, and the overall pace of my life has slowed down quite a bit. I guess you could say I live a fantasy life. Well, I do, but hey I'll take it for this short period of time. I do miss that candy dish at work though. It's probably for the best. The work pants weren't fitting quite like they used to before I left. Hopefully I'll come back a new man!
The newest development since my last post was the first laundry date at the new household. Doing laundry in Europe is slightly different then in the states. Most households don't have a dryer, so you have to let your clothes air dry. This cultural norm makes sense to me. It seems like a good way to conserve energy. Anyways, since you have to let the elements dry your skivvies, this can spell trouble if you wait to do laundry at the last minute. I planned accordingly though. That and I stocked up on the essentials before I left the states.
When I studied in Spain as an undergrad, my housemother would do all of my laundry, and even iron my underwear. Although I don't go to those extremes, I consider myself a fairly domestic person. Those close to me will tell you that Sundays are domestic days for Nick, when I do my laundry and grocery shopping. I have quickly discovered though that it is best to do laundry more frequently here. If you wait to do one huge load, you'll have articles of clothing hanging from every piece of furniture in your room including: fans, chairs, nightstands, and bookshelves. I persevered though, and now will plan on doing laundry twice a week!
Now for the weather. Those reading this in Minny will not feel bad for me as Mother Nature keeps picking on you poor folks. In true European fashion though, most days here consist of 10 minutes of beautiful blue sky and birds chirping to 20 minutes of soft, cold, annoying rain, followed by 5 minutes of hard, cold, annoying rain (repeat). Why is it that I always end up outside during those 5 minutes of hard, cold, annoying rain? It's penance for what I'm missing back home.
Yesterday, my friend Stasha and I had a failed attempt at visiting the town of Bonn, which is about a 30 minute train ride from here. First of all, we didn't know the entire town shuts down on Sunday (something to think about when traveling through Europe). Second, every time we stepped outside the sky opened up. We did find a nice quaint Pizza Hut where we sampled some fine pepperoni pizza. The trip wasn't a total loss. The town does have a German historical museum that basically goes from WWII to present. It's interesting to see how a country remembers a not so proud moment in time. I thought they did a good job, and it seemed consistent with what I've seen in other countries.
To close, I let the obsessive compulsive part of my personality get the best of me the other day. Since I return to the states immediately after the semester to get back to work, I have to do much of my traveling during the semester. Sooooo I sat down and physically drew out four months worth of calendar and wrote down all the dates where I have obligations here in Cologne. Now I have this beautiful display of organization in my room telling me when I can travel and when I can't. I get a huge smile on my face every time I look at it (picture Monica from Friends after cleaning the bathroom). I look forward to a much anticipated trip to Poland, and another to Sweden to visit distant relatives. Other then that, we'll see where the wind blows me.
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