Illustration of Flexibility in Travel

Okay - so we got to the train station to go on our first long-distance trip to Koblenz, at the crack of dawn (that is early morning light you see in the train station), got on our train, found excellent seats and then heard that due to technical problems, the train would not leave for an hour.  We decided to switch it up, which we could because of the kind of train tickets we had.  So - we decided to go to Cologne, first and then backtrack to Koblenz.  With these trips our strategy was to get to the train station, and then run around getting the "to go" goodies we all preferred - crepes, coffee, tea, pretzels, sweet pastries, and then we settled in to chat and watch the countryside.  Wanling, Gary and I enjoyed our return to Cologne because it was not pouring rain.  We actually walked along the Rhine, strolled by a "Bier Museum" (we all suspect it was a bar) and toured a Senf Museum (Mustard Museum).  This was VERY cool, and we all learned more about mustard than we ever knew there was to learn (did you know that very few mustards are made "cold pressed," as this was, and when mustard is made "hot pressed" the flavor goes out, so horseradish is added back in to give it zing?)

Carrie and me at the "Butter Market" - how appropriate.

The Mustard Museum.

These guys have been waiting well over a century to use the facilities.