Cologne, You Weird Little Place (and My Damp Socks)
okay, so. cologne. i didn’t plan to be in cologne. touring with the band, you know? one minute we’re in hamburg, the next someone’s yelling about a last-minute gig at a brewery. breweries are fine. beer is…fine. but cologne? it’s…something.
i just checked and it’s drizzling. like, a persistent, grey drizzle that soaks through your boots and makes your socks feel like damp sponges. delightful. i’m pretty sure my bass case is actively weeping.
we played at this place called the Früh am Dom. apparently, it’s a thing. seriously packed. the beer flowed, the oompah music blared, and i spent most of my set trying not to knock over a table of very enthusiastic tourists. you can check out their TripAdvisor page here: https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g188095-d726388-Reviews-Frueh_am_Dom-Cologne_North_Rhine_Westphalia.html.
and the architecture! wow. the cathedral, the Dom, is…massive. i mean, you know it’s big, but standing underneath it? it’s humbling. i wandered around the Altstadt (old town) for a bit, got hopelessly lost, and ended up buying a questionable pretzel from a street vendor.
“Don’t eat the pretzels after 8 pm,” a woman slurred at me, clutching a half-empty beer stein. “They get…sad.”
I’m not sure what that means, but i’m not taking any chances.
I spent a good hour just wandering around the Rheinauhafen, that modern waterfront area. It’s a weird contrast to the old town, all sleek glass and steel. Someone told me that it used to be a really industrial area, but they completely redeveloped it. You can see some photos and reviews on Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/rheinauhafen-cologne.
if you get bored, bonn and düsseldorf are just a short train ride away. i didn’t have time to check them out, but i’ve heard bonn is…interesting.
my gear list for this trip (because apparently i need to document everything):
Bass (duh) - my trusty fender jazz bass
Amp - a small but mighty ampeg
Gig bag - currently harboring damp socks
Earplugs - essential for any gig, especially oompah bands
Rain jacket - desperately needed
Snacks - granola bars and questionable pretzels
Phone - for navigating and posting blurry photos on instagram
“Watch out for the pigeons in the square,” a local warned me, eyes darting nervously. “They’re organized. They’ll steal your fries.”
seriously. i saw it. a pigeon did* snatch a fry from a kid’s hand. it was terrifying.
I also stumbled across this really cool little vintage shop, “Second Chance Cologne” (yes, really). They had some amazing finds - leather jackets, old band tees, and a ridiculous amount of hats. I didn’t buy anything (budget, you know?), but i spent a good hour just browsing. You can find them on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/secondchancecologne/.
overall? cologne is…unexpected. it’s not the prettiest city i’ve ever been to, but it has a certain charm. a slightly damp, slightly chaotic charm. and the beer is…okay. i guess.
pro-tip: learn a few basic german phrases. it goes a long way. and invest in some waterproof socks. trust me on that one.
check out some more travel blogs about cologne here: https://www.thecrazytourist.com/15-best-things-do-cologne/
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