Getting lost in Cologne

I went to Cologne on some 'business' and was amazed by the beauty of it. Last time I went there in 2006 it was filled with red-faced English soccer fans (see picture), but now it was just lovely. It's like London, Prague, Madrid and Stockholm put together with a big-ass river and a gothic sky-line. Of all the cities I've visited it curiously looked the least like its german fellow Berlin.

Cologne in 2006.

I have to say though, the guy who ever created the subway-system must have had one too many lattes: all the stations sound the same, for example Neumarkt (on the bottom left) and Heumarkt (next to it, rounded with some kind of rude symbol in my map). I can hear him go like: "Hey guys, so let's think of a station next to Neumarkt... what do you think would sound the most alike... and if the initials could even look almost the same from a far that would be great..."


Just check out the top right corner and try to count all the stations which have a different combo of the words Deutz/Messe, Kölnmesse, Messe/Deutz, Deutz/Kölnarena and so on, and imagine explaining an American tourist how to get to the fair. (Try also reading them aloud like he would: Dootz messy, Coln messy, Messy dootz etc.)

Ape approves: On the narrow streets of the old city you can find authentic cosy restaurants and bars for all tastes. Ape gave his special consent to the legendary Papa Joe's Jazzlokal which fills up every night from people in all ages listening to big band music or troubadours, having a cold pint of Kölsch. Ape approves!

A memory of the English footie-fans still remains in the toilet of Papa Joe's.