On Wednesday, September 17, four of us (minus Jeff and Karen) were to ride four trains over a seven-hour period to travel from Bamberg to Brugge. Little did we know that the German rail system was poised to fail massively; in the end, it took six trains and twelve hours to make the trip.
The silver lining was an unexpected opportunity to be stranded in Cologne for three and a half hours. That's time to check baggage, see the cathedral, and dash around the corner to PJ Fruh for a Kolsch-powered midday meal. Above is a huge salad, boiled potatoes and herring remnants, with rolls and lovely small glasses of subtle golden ale -- roughly two swallows per glass.
Serendipity. Sometimes it works. We came into Brugge around 8:00 p.m., and shifted gears, patronizing a "night shop" license for French and South African wine, and shifting multiple bags of takeaway Tandoori from shop to rental apartment.
