7 days on Cologne - living
20 mins out in a neighbourhood and cycling in along the river gives a richer
understanding of place rather than living tourist like in the centre.
Travelling gives interesting new perspectives, the place acting as a mirror and
enabling one to see the country you live in. Returning mainly gives the feeling
of embarrassed shame. The entry point to the UK is via a dirty side entrance
along a sad corridor grubby with dust build up and let's not talk about
toilets. Cologne appears to have no litter, very limited graffiti, full and
occupied shops and a busy, thriving feeling - we stayed close to a square with
4 bakeries and 6 coffee shops and several excellent restaurants. The
boat/bar/restaurants are ace and easy. Transport is clockwork, efficient and
clean - cycling is a joy. Spent the time going to world class galleries and
museums and the cathedral is a must see. I saw some of the most astonishing
medieval work in Museee Schnutgen and Museee Ludwig but the jewel was Kolumba,
the space is awesome with the overall design followed into the attention to
detail of everything - even down to the amazing door handles and leather
curtain. The exhibition - artist at work was sublime in it's hang and curatorial
choice. Other notable spaces include, NS Documentation Centre of the City of
Cologne to see Nazi’s playbook at work before we truly give our world to them, Cologne
City Museum tells a great rewritten story from the perspective of residents, Museum
of Applied Arts Cologne for the Bauhaus, and he signs in the Skulpturen Park
Köln sculpture park are a work in themselves.
