Sunday Blues

It's Sunday and my first night in the city. Tons of people go to restaurants and bars but the supermarkets are closed. All of them.

I can be a bit of a bullhead sometimes but even my determination was put to test. I don't even know why I was so decided on finding a store since I don't really enjoy cooking. And eating the outcome is normally even less enjoyable.

This time my determination was rewarded though. I found a BALKAN SHOP that Google promised would be open until 8pm. And dude maaan this thing was right for once!

Elena from Bosnia takes care of the shop while her sons run a CEVAPI RESTAURANT next door. I was almost crying, it's been so long since I've been in touch with these people and music and food and that atmosphere. It's something special.

Bosnia is one of my favorite places on this earth. I can't believe the luck of walking into a tiny Sarajevo in the middle of Cologne by accident.

I didn't even eat because of my relentless decision to cook by myself that night but just stayed and talked with the people. Many of the customers were originally from the Balkans.

I have to say, this gives me a good vibe about this Ehrenfeld as well (my part of town for the next days).

The Weltempfänger Hostel

Arriving at the hostel you can't miss that it's a massive one. They've done their best to hide the fact though, which is always nice. The vibe is good. The reception is a coffee house where they arrange a lot of gigs, readings, and other events. Local and international artists of many trades are visible everywhere in the building.

It's a good place to start your stay in Cologne since it's hard not to meet people, not only travelers but also locals, in the coffee shop. The whole area is full of life at any time of day or night. I could see myself getting comfortable around here.

What I especially like about the place is that everybody seems to feel welcome.

Ehrenfeld

The streets are packed with shops, bars, and restaurants. You can definitely find anything here. The first impression is busy but in an extremely cool way.

Don't bother searching beforehand, nothing will be where it's supposed to (except for the Balkans). The best way to navigate this seems to be stepping outside and starting to ask questions.

I can't really get any sense of it. Walking around the hoods there are so many different styles of buildings and people side by side that it would be tricky to try and pinpoint one location on a map.

Here's a couple of shaky shots.

I do want to know what they sell in that kebab place. Still haven't had a chance to try. There's just no way I'll wait that long for anything, and the line has been outside the place whenever I've been passing by.