Oof.... Continued

WEDNESDAY

Wednesday morning I awoke to the sound of church bells. Said bells lasted five minutes. Hello 7 O'Clock in Germany. I ended up sleeping for like three more hours however. I wasn't pleased with that, but whatever. Sleep is usually pretty good. I write this entry sitting in a lavish parlor that belongs to my Mom's friend Billy. I am seated and an antique desk across the room from an upholstered table and chair set. The entire room is perfect, elegant, and stylish.

Staring at me is a skull shaped bottle of Absinthe.

Billy is an incredibly talented singer who performs regularly with various operas and the like. His surroundings match him perfectly. Overall he is a great host.

I spent the day by myself in Cologne. About halfway there I realized I had forgotten my camera, so I apologize for the lack of pictures. My first stop was the Kölnerdom, a giant cathedral of great historical and architectural significance. It was, as cathedrals are, absolutely astounding. It has the bones of the three wise men from the Bible in it, along with a bunch of other treasures. (Don't tell the Germans, I thought Westminster Abbey was better). I spent the better part of the day wandering the streets and checking out shops. The highlight of the day was my time wandering the Christmas markets after dark. For those who have never seen one, they are a madhouse. It is set up like a normal market, with shops selling winter clothes, Christmas knick knacks, holiday treats, sausage, and Gluhwein (It's...Warm wine?). The shops are usually covered in a ceiling of lights, and drowned in a sea of pine. It smells just like Grandma's house right after the Christmas ham has been I ended up buying a brotwurst, a bockwurst, and a beer. I was all content and expecting to have some delicious sausage and beer when I realized that they don't have twist tops in Germany. The sausage was downed dry, and I had to wait to consume the beer later.