It’s great to have you along for our latest adventure in Europe! Strap yourself in as I think this trip could be wild!

At the time of writing, we are a cast of three: “he, who must be obeyed,” HA, HA!……. aka, my Darling, Mike; Mr. Bob, one of our intrepid traveling companions, and me, the blogger!

We left Houston yesterday and flew to Chicago where we connected with a flight to Brussels, Belgium. From there, we hot-footed it by two trains to Cologne and are now ensconced in our Airbnb apartment………. smack in the middle of town and from where we can walk to all the city’s attractions.

Cologne is Germany’s oldest city, and remains an important trading hub, alongside its modern-day cultural attractions of the Cathedral, museums, beer, good German food, and cruises along the Rhine valley.

In May 1942, Cologne became a key target of the British Airforce during World War II. The Royal Air Force, or lovingly referred to as the RAF, sent over 1,000 planes to bomb the city and not only did they bomb it, but the city was razed to the ground. It was not the bombs that were the prime cause of devastation, but rather fire. Buildings were made of wood, they were very close to each other, and as the bombs hit so did fires start and spread across the city.

I’ll update you tomorrow with photographs, but we have had a nap and are just about to hit the town!