Where's Johnny Jet? Cathedral and Restaurant Hunting in Cologne

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Guten tag from Germany. I am eating my way through Cologne this week, visiting one of the world's largest churches and checking into one of the city's newest hotels.

Heathrow Airport

The first leg of my European adventure began touring London and Wales with my incredible father. Unfortunately, he had a prior engagement back home in the United States so he couldn't continue on with me to Germany. Normally, I would have jumped on one of German Wings' cheap flights between London and Cologne but they and the other low-fare carriers don't fly out Heathrow. Most budget airlines use London's alternate airports (Stansted, Luton and Gatwick). Instead, the best deal I could find out of Heathrow was into nearby Düsseldorf and was triple the low-fare airlines' prices. But it was worth it since this meant I could escort my dad to his plane and not have to schlep my bags all around England. As you may already know, Heathrow has to be one of the world's worst airports; it's a complete mess and was just crowned Europe's worst airport for delays. This might change when the new Terminal 5 opens up in March. But until then, like any sane traveler, I try to stay away from the madhouse just like the low-fare carriers do. Thankfully, I found Terminal 1 to be quite pleasant. When we arrived at 6am for my dad's 8am flight, there was no wait at the United Airlines check-in or at security. What a relief!

Terminal 1 to 2

My dad and I parted ways just before he went through security. Goodbyes are always difficult for me, especially when they involve my father. I don't get to see him very often (maybe once every two months) and we are very close. When he was no longer in my sight, I glanced down at my watch and saw that it was time to boogie so I could make my 7:50am flight. I was flying Lufthansa out of Terminal 2. It's not even a 10-minute walk between the two terminals and it's all indoors. I was walking along at a pretty good clip when suddenly, a beautiful, well-dressed woman overtook me. She walked by me like I was using a walker or something, with a nasty smirk that implied, "You're in my way, slowpoke!" Ooh. That ticked me off and triggered something inside me that hurtled me back in time to the road-rage days of my teenage years. With my jaw set firm, I watched her walking in front of me like she was all that, stepping on to the magic carpet without losing stride and picking up more speed.

Not wanting to be made a fool, I quickly grabbed an abandoned luggage cart and rode that bad boy like I do the shopping carts in the Target parking lot. Lucky me, there was a slight decline, so I picked up so much speed that I rode right past her, sticking my tongue out in jest as I rolled by. I'm not really sure where that came from but it was pretty funny, though her cold and stoic face implied that she didn't find it quite so amusing. Anyhow, I learned that the carts in Europe aren't built like the ones at home. These things move ... I mean MOVE and are almost fast enough for the Autobahn. I was seriously cruising. In fact, I was going way too fast and before I knew it, I was losing control. I just remember being thankful that no other passengers were in front of me because just before I hit the wall (you knew that was coming, didn't you?), I jumped off and raked my ankle along the wheel. My bags went flying. Ouch. Miraculously, I didn't accompany my bags as they went sliding along the ground. I not only mangled my ankle but made a complete ass of myself in the process. And guess who snickered at me as she stepped over my bags?

Airport Security

Check-in for my Lufthansa flight took just two minutes and security was a quick five-minute stint. Fortunately, I didn't need to remove my shoes because my bloody sock would have raised a few eyebrows. There was plenty of time to treat my wound and mill around the duty free shops until my gate showed up on the departure screen. I think that not displaying gate numbers until the last minute is a plot devised by the duty free stores and airport officials; this way, travelers are forced to stay in the main area and have nothing to do but shop. Well, it works. I purchased some last-minute duty free gifts ... and some Band-Aids. But one upside is that the airport's Harrods store prices seem to be a bit cheaper than they are in their flagship location in Knightsbridge.

London to Düsseldorf

Flying into Düsseldorf was cheaper than flying directly into Cologne; I saved over $100. Unlike most of the business travelers on my flight, I didn't have any appointments and Cologne is just a 35-minute, 9-€ train ride away. Flight time was a short 55 minutes and I was impressed by the efficiency of the attractive Lufthansa flight attendants. Unlike the low-fare carriers, Lufthansa serves free food and drinks. Okay, so the mini cheese sandwich and tasty banana chocolate breakfast bar are not worth the extra cash, but my stomach sure appreciated it. Plus, I accrued United miles, since Lufthansa is one of their partners. Not bad, all in all.

Düsseldorf to Köln

This was my first time traveling through the Düsseldorf airport, which I found to be way cool. It's modern, clean, bright and easy to get around. They have a SkyTrain that's a fully automated cable railway that brings passengers from the terminal to the railway building. Trains to Cologne depart frequently (some leave every 20 minutes) and I had no hiccoughs buying a ticket. TIP: Be sure to get your ticket stamped by inserting it into one of the orange date machines before getting on; otherwise you risk getting a fine if the conductor comes around to check tickets.

Cologne

I am fortunate enough to have been to Cologne many times. The two most common German spellings of Cologne are Köln and Kölsch. This beautiful city is located on the Rhine River, one of the longest rivers (820 miles) in Europe, in the western part of the country. Cologne is Germany's fourth largest city (after Berlin, Hamburg and Munich), covering 156 square miles on both sides of the Rhine River. The city is very diverse; 20% of the 1 million population are non-German. Migrants come from 185 nations, the most represented being Turkey. Cologne is an artsy town. There are hundreds of art galleries and over 30 museums. My favorites are the Römisch-Germanisches and the Chocolate Museums. Residents here seem to have a much different attitude than those in the rest of Germany. The locals are extroverted; they love to have a good time, especially while eating and drinking their famous Kölsch brewed beer. Cologne has produced the most German songs and locals love to share them. You're sure to hear them during Carnival. It's the city' biggest party, with over 1.5 million participants, and takes place seven weeks before Easter. Cologne also has a large gay population and one of the world's largest gay parades. Plenty of young people live here; 44,000 students attend Cologne University, one of Europe's oldest schools.

INTERESTING FACT: Did you know that Germany has Europe's second largest population after Russia? Just over 82 million people live in this country, which is smaller than the state of Montana.

Cologne Marriott Hotel

I arrived on time at Cologne's Main Station ... are trains ever late in Germany? I took the Breslauer Platz exit and walked 200 meters (about 5 minutes) to my hotel. The six-floor, 282-room Köln Marriott Hotel was a lot nicer than I had expected. I was actually taken aback by the sleek lobby. The hotel opened in January, 2006 and has almost all the amenities (though no pool) a business or leisure traveler could want: a 24-hour gym, bar, restaurant, business center, meeting space for up to 430 persons and high-speed Internet (but it's not cheap at 19.95 € a day). Like every Marriott, my comfortable, standard size room had their signature Revive bed. These beds are insane with their high thread count sheets, cloud-like comforter and six different pillows. I didn't realize how tired I was from running around London and Wales until the following morning when I didn't want to get out of bed. The 400 channels of satellite TV didn't help to motivate me. And one of the coolest features here (something I wish all hotels offered), is the 24-hour kitchen cam. While it's not as interesting as watching the Food Network, it's still pretty cool to flip on the TV in your room and see what's going on in the kitchen, at any time. Rates begin at 129 € and some include the fantastic breakfast buffet (24 €). The buffet has a French flair and will satisfy any diet. They have everything from made-to-order omelets to homemade oatmeal. Köln Marriott Hotel, Johannisstr. 76-80.

DID YOU KNOW? Cologne has over 250 hotels and 25,000 beds for visitors?

Getting Around

Cologne is a great walking and biking city. It is laid out on a grid, is compact and there are plenty of signs. If you don't feel like exercising, hop on the Stadtbahn (tram), part of an extensive light rail system. The trains (S-Bahn or U-Bahn) in Cologne range in price from 1.30 € ($1.65) to 2.20 € ($2.80). You can get a day ticket for 6 € ($7.60) or a day ticket for five people for 9 € ($11.40). You can even take the S-Bahn to and from the airport, for only 2.20 € ($2.80). The trip to the center of the city takes just 15 minutes. Taxis, by contrast, cost about 25 € ($32) and naturally, take longer in traffic.

Brief History

The Romans founded Cologne in 50 AD, making it one of Germany's oldest cities. Its Roman name was Colonia Claudia Are Agrippinensium. In 310 AD, Constantine built a bridge over the Rhine. During World War II, the city suffered major damage and many casualties. The city lost 95 percent of its population, mostly to rural areas. But when the war ended, Cologne quickly rebounded.

Cologne Cathedral

Hohe Strasse is a popular shopping district. In fact, it's the number one shopping street in Germany, with over 17,145 visitors passing through each hour. Now that's a lot of shoppers. I walked through myself and bought a white linen, short-sleeve shirt from H&M for 5 euro. But shopping plays a minor role in this city. The most famous attraction by far is the Cologne Cathedral, also known as The Dom. Its towering spires (515 feet high) can be seen from almost anywhere in the city. The Dom, located in the heart of the city, is Germany's most popular monument: over 6 million people visit each year. By comparison, Notre Dame in Paris attracts 7 million visitors yearly. So why is this Gothic cathedral so popular? One reason is that it's believed to house relics of the Three Wise Men. In addition, it's a UNESCO World Heritage site. The church was built in 1248 and was completed 642 years later in 1880. Though the church was bombed during World War II, it was not completely destroyed but now undergoes constant reconstruction. Surprisingly, this church is not even the oldest in Cologne. Twelve nearby Romanesque churches all are older. Be sure to attend daily mass, take a guided tour or head up the 509 steps to the top for a bird's-eye view. Cologne Cathedral, open Monday-Sunday, 6am to 7:30pm.

DID YOU KNOW? The Cologne Cathedral is one of the world's largest churches and for four years, between 1880 and 1884, it was the tallest structure in the world. It was eventually surpassed with the completion of the Washington Monument, then by the Eiffel Tower.

Dining Out

Cologne has so many museums and fun things to do but I was there to relax and catch up on my work. Besides, I'd already taken a Rhine River cruise, visited some museums and done the touristy stuff on previous visits. Lucky for me, my Kölsch friend Annabelle was in town and she took me to some local spots, including some of her favorite restaurants. Nothing too expensive, though. I used to think I wouldn't like the food in Germany because I'm a finicky eater but boy, was I wrong. I loved the food. There's a wide variety to choose from like Rievkooche (grated potato cakes) to Halver Hahn (half a chicken), some of my favorites!

Dining at Fou

After I dropped my bags off in my room, I dined at Fou. It's located inside the Marriott and is popular with local businessmen and women. It's known as The Crazy Brasserie, as they have singing waiters at night. The chef is French but lived in Saigon for a couple of years so Fou features French-Asian cuisine. You've just got to love a place where you can order onion soup baked with Gruyere cheese or Tom Kha Gai, a traditional Thai soup with lemongrass and coconut milk. For lunch, I indulged in the delicious Tarte Flambée Traditionelle. It's from Alsace and is made with a very thin layer of dough and topped with sour cream, chopped onions and bacon. The highlight was when the waiters brought my meal to me on a bicycle! One was pedaling while the other was sitting in the basket holding the food. Check it out in my video below. The Brasserie Fou at the Cologne Marriott Hotel is open daily for lunch from 12pm to 3pm and for dinner from 5pm to 11pm. They definitely have a sense of humor. For reservations, tel. 0221/942220.

From Fou to Fruh

Last time I was in Cologne, I learned that many pubs and restaurants have friendly setups so diners can share tables. That's one reason that in this town, it's so easy to strike up conversation with strangers. One of those places is Früh. It's located just a couple of blocks from the Cologne Dom and is probably the most popular brewery/restaurant in the city. It's also the most touristy, so Annabelle wouldn't let me eat there. I like it because it looks like what I pictured a German restaurant to be like when I was a kid. But instead, we just had an overpriced Kölsch beer. Kölsch beer can be traced back to the 15th century. It's a light, top-fermenting brew that can only be created in the city. It is served by traditional Cologne waiters called Köbes and comes in tall, skinny glasses that keep the beer fresh and cold. The price of a beer is between 1.20 € ($1.50) and 1.55 € ($2), depending on whether you're in a tourist area or not. Brauhaus Fruh, Am Hof 12-14, Cologne.

Other Restaurants

Other notable restaurants include Alter Wartesaal and the Delix Wine Shop. Alter Wartesaal is right next to the main train station and is very charming inside. It's not particularly touristy and is not as expensive as Früh. But like Früh, the menu is in different languages. On the other hand, the Delix Wine Shop on Friesenstr (tel. 0221/1260200), does not have a translated menu. We sat outside and had a filling salad for 7.50 euro. The Germans are so strict with alcohol that the wine glasses actually have a line across them, where the amount is measured. I'm not sure why they do this but wine here is not expensive -- a fine glass goes for 3.30 euro, just one € more than the small bottle of Panna water (2.20 euro). It was here, sitting outside, where I saw one of the coolest bikes around; it held 14 people plus a driver and bartender. Apparently it's used mostly for bachelor and bachelorette parties.

Rhein Terrasen

Of course, I've saved the best for last. The perfect place for visitors or locals to celebrate a special occasion is at Rheinterrassen. It's located on the Rhine River across the way from the city, so diners have the most amazing view of the Cologne skyline, especially the Cologne Dom at sunset. I found the food to be just as good as the view. We started off with pumpkin soup, served in a hollowed-out pumpkin. I'm not even a fan of pumpkin but it was in season and I was told I simply had to try it. I'm glad I did because it was scrumptious. I should have just had that and the delicious bread as my meal because by the time my filet of beef came around, so tender I cut it with a butter knife, I wasn't even hungry. At the very least, come and have a drink at the bar or on the outdoor patio. Restaurant Rheinterrassen, Rheinparkweg 1, Köln; tel. 0221/65004321.

Note: The hotel was sponsored by Köln Marriott Hotel

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