My time here has really flown by. It is hard to believe that I am more than halfway through my time here. I have had so many unforgettable experiences since coming here, which is why it is very difficult to believe that I have been here for just over three weeks. One of my favorite experiences thus far has been going to all of the different museums in Cologne.
The first museum that I visited here was Museum Ludwig, a modern art museum. This museum was quite large and had lots of very cool art pieces. Like many other modern art museums, there were some pieces that made me ask myself “why is this in an art museum?”. For example, two very large solid gray paintings. There were no letters, no detailing, and no additional colors. There were also other interesting sculpture pieces, such as one showing traditional American images. This museum also hosts a very large collection of Picasso paintings. Overall, I really enjoyed my visit to this museum and found the art and sculptures to be quite unique.
The second museum that I visited was the Römisch-Germanisches Museum. Unfortunately, the normal location for this museum located directly next to the Dom was closed for renovations. So, I took a quick 15 minute walk to the current museum location. It was actually quite small inside. This museum included different artifacts from the Roman settlement of Cologne. There were amazing sculptures, glass pieces, tiled floors, and many heads sculpted out of stone. Cologne was a trading metropolis, and goods from the entire Roman Empire were offered in Cologne’s markets. The most important factor in this was, of course, the Rhine. The Rhine allowed trade to occur between cities and was ultimately the economic center of trade.
The third museum I visited was the Chocolate Museum/Factory. The museum itself was interesting, as it provided lots of information on the origins of chocolate. However, the highlight of the experience was seeing the chocolate factory. Each step of the chocolate making process was showcased and at the end I saw the chocolate fountain. The workers dipped wafers into the chocolate fountain and it was delicious!
Last weekend I visited my favorite museum so far, the Wallraf-Richartz-Museum. This is an ancient art museum and features works from as far back as the 1200s. I particularly liked the landscape art from Jacob van Ruisdael. The use of color in his paintings looked so real. The museum was organized nicely between three floors, each having its own respective theme. I personally enjoyed the basement a lot, which had more modern paintings. For example, there were some Monet paintings on display which were really stunning in person. I always enjoy getting to see such beautiful art up close.
Last Sunday I took a trip to Aachen with one of my friends from my language course. We got to Aachen a bit later in the afternoon, so all of the museums were about to close. Despite this, we still made a stop in an ancient art museum, the Aachen Suermondt-Ludwig-Museum. We had to walk through it pretty quickly but we both agreed we wished we had more time. Not only was art featured, but there were also a lot of cool (and creepy) artifacts, such as a stuffed alligator and shark. We also visited a museum that was specifically about Aachen history. There were models of the historical church in the city as well as a newspaper from the year 1945, photos of Aachen before and after World War 2, and a timeline that spanned all of Aachen’s history as a town.
To end this post off, I will talk about a current event going on in Cologne. Currently, Germany is offering the 9 Euro ticket. This is a ticket that allows someone to use any regional trains or city transportation for only 9 Euro per month. This is a fantastic deal and it seems as if everyone has purchased this ticket. The idea behind the ticket is that since gas prices are so high worldwide right now, the German government wants to encourage people to use public transportation. However, the feelings on this ticket are mixed. After talking to many of my classmates, teachers, and my host, I have determined that everything great must come with its downfalls. Because of the amount of people who have purchased the ticket, there has been a large increase in the number of people using public transportation. In this, the trains seem to always be running behind and there is always a Verspätung (delay). In addition, the trains are normally packed very tightly. Often, I am unable to get a seat when taking the S-Bahn to downtown Cologne. Although paying only 9 Euro for my transportation is fantastic for my budget, it is not so great for the usual German train punctuality.
