Even though I live in a fairly large metropolis, Cologne is definitely more hectic than Munich. The pedestrian areas are packed with tourist and locals, in some areas brushing up next to one another is not uncommon. Locals warn to strap your purses and backpacks toward the front to deter pickpocketing. Nevertheless I am mesmerized by this city for it’s food, beer, and history and I want to return.

Iserlohn (okay, technically, according to Oma, the family lives in Letmathe. Don’t ask. Something about annexation and small town pride) is about 45 minutes away from Cologne, which makes for a perfect day trip. Even from the outskirts the city on the Rhine imbues a fun-natured spirit. Adjacent to the Rhine is a zoo, where a skyway gondola takes you over the river and give you a spectacular view of the city. Another adventure to keep in the back of our heads when the weather’s good for our next visit.

We parked under the main train station, which also led to Germany’s largest church, the Kölner Dom. The building is incredible and could fit about 4000 sitting people. I can now understand why Cologne is the place to be for a Catholic during Carnival. My knee stability is not what it used to be so we didn’t climb a 509-step spiral staircase to see the view from about 98 meters above the ground. But what a view it would have been.

Alex and I agreed to take a tour of Cologne’s ancient history during our day trip. I some how imagined that Cologne’s first centuries would be buried under decades of rock and stone, but most of it’s Roman past is right at basement level. Evidence of early Roman settlements dates back as far as 700 BC. We visited the ruins of a Roman palace, the Praetorium. It was rediscovered in 1953, when the city decided to replace destroyed buildings with a new Rathaus (townhouse). See pictures here.

Our next mission was to find food. There are sweets and a Schnellimbiss on every corner but we really wanted something that would give us a taste of the NRW culinary region, which is supposedly different than Bavarian cuisine. In my opinion, it’s all very similar. And you can get the same dish in both regions but each has it’s specialties and they aren’t sharing their secret with one another. Sometimes the only difference is the name each region gives the dish. But in a nut shell, order Sauerbraten somewhere near Cologne and order Schweinhaxen in Munich if you want the best flavor.

We had been searching for the restaurant Rolf recommended without much success. But we did find a stand selling Berliners. In Bavaria, they are called Krapfen, which is basically a jelly doughnut. So far a Köln Berliner beats a Munich Krapfen hands down. We wandered a bit more then consulted the Köln Guide (worth the 50 cents, pick one up at the Information Office in front of the Cathedral), finally we found Brauhaus Sion.

KölschkranzWe immediately ordered two Kölsch. [A tip: Don't make the mistake of ordering a Pils, you won't get served.] I like Kölsch cause it’s less bitter and the glasses are Heza-sized. The waiters don’t carry the glasses on a normal tray, but arrange the glasses in a circle around a metal wreath with a handle in the center. Alex was so gitty as he read through the menu, saying “ooh” about one dish but later stating his mom cooks it better. So we settled on “Decke Bunne mit durchwachsenem Speck” and “Eifeler Bauernmettwurst mit Grünkohl”. Apparently, the dishes are spelled with some dialect in mind, but basically means Lima beans with thick bacon streaked with layers of fat (also served with peeled boiled potatoes) and Country cured sausage with green cabbage. I don’t want to know the combined fat content of both meals. The green cabbage was cooked with potatoes and bacon grease. Incredibly rich = incredibly tasty and afterward it was decided we didn’t need to eat for another week. My only regret: I wished I had enough room to eat another “thick bean”.

Tags: Cologne, Iserlohn, Restaurants, Rome influence