May 2017
I flew to Cologne for work. Such is the profession of "consultant" - flying at first call to those who don't want to hire locals full-time
I flew to Cologne. Actually to Düsseldorf. And then by train to Cologne, these are two big cities half an hour's ride from each other.
Düsseldorf greeted me with a machine where you can't buy a ticket
And cable car without a driver at the airport
Can't smoke at the station (in Germany signs are needed for this - in German-speaking countries everyone smokes always)
Metro in Cologne looked too functional
Center - too noisy
Tram seats
20 minutes from center, and you're in the sticks
Wait, there's an earth golem
I worked here
Tram stop that looks more like a suburban train (same vibe)
House in the sticks. Cologne, in short, is a terrible village
Center's not bad, but absolutely soulless
The only thing I remember then: in Cologne it's customary to drink beer in 0.2 glasses, and also you need to hate Düsseldorf and Düsseldorf beer
Cologne not for nothing named like Czech Kolín. Whether this ass-end, or that one.