March 24, 2006

We took the train from Brussels to Cologne, Germany. After an interminable amount of train station foul ups, we met the Gunner, whom Blythe had been talking to via MySpace for about a year, at the Dam City station in Cologne. I had no idea what to expect, but was very pleasently surprised with the friendly and enthusiastic greeting we received. Blythe and I immediatly felt at ease and welcomed. The day was damp, and wonderfully reminecent of spring time in the Mid-West. The smell of earth seeped out of the playgrounds we walked through on the way to Gunner's apartment. We then made a small stop at Aldi's market to buy some food to cook. Though we have Aldi's in the United States I had never been there. It was a novelty to put a token in a cart in order to use it and to bag your own groceries. Gunner made us a very tasty frozen pizza which, to Blythe and my amusement, sat around for a day and a half before being consumed by Gunner's friend Roland. Apparently refrigeration is not a big concern.

That night we went to a small concert venue and saw the bands Kid's Explode and This Ain't Vegas, both were decent.

March 25, 2006

We took a long walk through a beautiful city park to the Rhine River where we walked across the bridge and along the coast. Went to Aldi's for more food. Gunner cooked a very good meal with rice, chees and a Mexican vegetable medley. We went to another show in the evening at a punk squat. It was a large semi-abandoned housing complex. Dogs greeted us as we walked into the courtyard. There was a fire with an acoustic guitaris playing an array of 80's songs.

March 26, 2006

Blythe and I took the train with Gunner and his two roomates to the zoo. The animals are much more on disply then seen in the States. We took a long walk back from the zoo along the Rhine. We came across a flea market were Blythe found her sought after German garden gnome.