Rhein in Flammen & Euskirchen

One thing I learned this week is if you challenge a 4'11" Vietnamese/German girl to badminton, you will lose. Still, I think I put up a good fight, and have asked for a rematch slated for 20:00 hours tonight. I think I'm on to her game. She likes to hit the deep birdie, followed by the drop shot over the net. For a week, I couldn't get the sound of her voice saying, "You need to run" out of my head. Of course, the shin splints I have developed from jogging haven't helped anything either. I think as long as I keep her on the back line I have a shot.

Physical limitations aside, it was another great week in Cologne. The weather here has improved quite a bit, and my pale cheeks got pretty red yesterday. On Saturday, a group of us took a short trip to Bonn for a festival they have around the same time every year. It was very similar to the city festivals we have in MN during the summer. I was excited to finally grill some food here; I miss the Weber "big red" back home. I knew I was in for quite an event when there was standing room only on the train from Cologne to Bonn. The Germans I had spoken to earlier in the day had nothing but good things to say, so I figured this would be the thing to do.

As we arrived in Bonn, there was a sea of people, young and old, scattered throughout the riverbank of the Rhine. Attached is only a small fraction of the scene. Beyond that were the fair grounds, complete with beer tents and music stages. The main stage had quite an interesting group playing some tunes. As I approached, they were playing "Hit Me With Your Best Shot", and the lead singer was dressed head to toe in her best pleathers. I couldn't help but think of how nasty sweaty she was underneath. She was followed by the Meatloaf look-alike, but I can't remember the song he sang, I was too mesmerized by the attire he had on.

After a stroll through the fair grounds, we settled in on our spot on the river bank for some food. There were BBQ's going everywhere, and the smell made me think of sitting in the yard at home. We got there at about 6, and the fireworks didn't happen until around 11, so there was plenty of time to hang out and chat. I didn't bring much to drink, and I was happy about that as going to the bathroom was quite the adventure. First you had to fight your way through the people, and then you had to wait in an extremely long line for the port-o-potty. If you've never tried doing that in the pitch dark, you should give it a try, especially trying to orientate yourself once inside the toilet.

The fireworks display at the end of the night was great, much like what you would see at a top spot during the 4th of July. They were over at around 11:30, and I immediately stood up and made a bee-line for the train. Long story short, the trip back to Cologne was absolutely dreadful. By the time the fireworks were over, and by the time I got back to my flat, it took three hours. I was so happy to be home, and to wash my hands.

On Sunday, a German friend took me to a small village called Euskirchen, where she grew up. It's a quaint village not too far from Cologne, and very stereotypical of Europe. It's tucked into hillsides with fields of flowers, and quiet streets. We visited her parents, and stole one of their cars for the afternoon to visit another neighboring village and lake area. It was weird to ride in a car again, as it has been a month since I've traveled in one. She kept offering me the opportunity to drive but I passed.

Overall, it was very peaceful afternoon. The scenery was spectacular, and I was very jealous that she had the opportunity to grow up in such a place. The first stop involved us walking to the top of the remnants of what appeared to be an old fort that surrounded the city. From there, we were able to look down on the little town, and enjoy the view. There was an interesting mix of homes, restaurants, and shops through cobblestone streets.

After that we drove over to a lake area tucked away from busy roads and walked around. It reminded me of northern MN. There were a lot of people in and around the lake, fishing, swimming, and enjoying the view. The weather couldn't have been better, and I was quite tired from the fresh air and sunshine. We stopped at a lakeside cafe to have a drink and some ice cream. My friend, tried to convince me to order in German, but I was a bit hesitant from my previous experience at Burger King. I deferred to her, and the order went off without a hitch. Overall, it was a peaceful and relaxing weekend.