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MY JOURNEY TO GERMANY

I like travelling very much. When I was 5 years old, our family went to Nigeria.(My father was a geologist and he was sent to work there) . We had lived for a year in Kaduna. When I grew up I dreamt to travel around the world. I began to study English. I wanted to visit England and Scotland... I began to tavel when I got married. My husband likes travelling too. But we only travel across Ukraine. We've been to Kyiv, Lviv, Odessa, Donetsk, Lutsk, Ternopil, Uzhgorod, Ivano-Frankivsk. We climbed the Carpathian Mountains and witnessed extremely scenic landscapes of Western Ukraine and Poltava region. We swam in the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov.

This year my friend invited me to go to Germany. She lives in Wermelskirchen, it's not far from Cologne. Germany is a very tourist and traveller friendly country. I found German people to be sincere, polite, courteous and helpful. German mentality resonates with my own mentality and life philosophy.

Cologne: a city bursting with life.

Cologne is more than just a city – it is a matter of the heart, an emotion and an unfalteringly positive state of mind. At the root of this outlook are carnival, kölsch beer and, of course, Cologne Cathedral. Most tourists stick to the Cologne Old City, but go a little further (sometimes even just 10 or 15 minute walk away) and you’ll find quirkier areas full of street art, trendy shops or tasty international food.

10 THINGS TO DO IN COLOGNE

• Cologne Cathedral is the city's famous landmark. It's one of the largest churches in Europe and one of Germany's top attractions, with more than six million people visiting the UNESCO World Heritage site every year. At approximately 157 metres in height, the Gothic cathedral has the second tallest church spire in Europe and houses the shrine of the Three Wise Men.
• Carnival season begins in Cologne on 11 November at 11.11am and finishes on Ash Wednesday. During what is known as the 'fifth season of the year', the people of Cologne really let their hair down. Locals and visitors from all walks of life come together to enjoy a few drinks and have a party. The highlight is the Rose Monday procession on the Monday before Lent. This is the culmination of the carnival season.
• Drink a beer along the Rhine- In the summertime, it seems there’s one thing that everyone in Cologne does. And hang out along the Rhine River. Just near the edge of the Altstadt (Old City) is a row of colorful breweries and restaurants. Grab a table at one of them for some typical German food and a local brew (Kölsch beer).
  • Eat typical Cologne foods - Well there’s Kolsch beer. But you should also try a local food dish, Himmel und Äd (Heaven and Earth). It’s named for apples (from the sky) and potatoes (from the ground). You can find this meal at most bars, or kneipen, and it’s usually served with black pudding.
• There's the magnificent Ludwig Museum which features works by Picasso, Warhol and Lichtenstein.
• There's also the Romano-Germanic Museum, where the exhibits span 2,000 years of history and the chocolate museum for sweet-toothed visitors.
• If the culture and excitement of Cologne takes its toll and you need some time to relax, head to Rhine Park, one of the largest and prettiest in the city.
  • Leave a lock at the love lock bridge.-Tens of thousands of “love locks” have been added to the Hohenzollern Bridge in less than 10 years. It’s become a tradition to leave one behind, whether with your lover or just for the love of Cologne.
• Would you like to take a stroll through Cologne’s oldest and most traditional public park? If so, go to the Botanical Garden! This extensive complex is home to more than 10,000 species of plants. It invites visitors to take walks that combine relaxation with opportunities to learn something about the world of plants and flowers. As you walk between the exotic plants in the tropical greenhouses and the Palm House, you’ll feel you’re in the midst of a rain forest.
  • I love walking and Cologne is easy to walk. But there is also a very good public transport system with many trams and busses. People in Cologne also love to ride bicycles and I would recommend to do so as well. There are pretty much cycle paths everywhere, so it’s safe to ride.

Going abroad can be the experience of a lifetime!