Hector Bounces Back – Day 1 – Köln

How does One get out of an Ibis from the Sixth Floor, with Luggage, when both elevators are constantly full? Ten Minutes or more were lost here.

Where is the entrance to Brouckere Tram Stop? The exit is clear. I ended up walking down to Bourse to catch the Tram to Zud. More time lost. As Dr. Stan, Kenny and Hector were sitting in different parts of the ICE to Köln there was no rendezvous. I made the Train with minutes to spare, not The Hector Way.

Kenny was staying in the Altstadt, Dr. Stan and Hector were at the Ibis at Barbarossaplatz, now City. I had phoned last night to verify that we could ckeck-in on our early afternoon arrival. Dr. Stan went back into Town to meet Kenny, Hector needed Fed, this meant Curry-Heute, Ganesha turned out to be Very Impressive.

The First Kölsch of Hector Bounces Back was consumed at Gaffel am Dom. From here we moved to Früh am Dom. The latter has a Definite Edge.  The Gravity Dispensing must also help.  In Hector’s Humble Opinion there is only One Kölsch better than Früh, – Reissdorf.

Crossing Domplatz, One is always in Awe of the Sheer Verticality of the Dom. Some of it is now White-almost in colour. This building is destined to have Scaffolding forever.

There was a Queue

A Line of People with Suitcases, Large Bags, Anything, had formed at the top end of Domplatz where those with Issues hold their Displays. There is a virtually constant anti-Israeli Banner. Given the events currently unfolding in Gaza this would have been receiving more attention than usual, if not for The Queue. At a pre-set time for around €15.00, Food was being distributed to those in need. Surely a very strange way to conduct such an activity. Those in line did not like the attention, the Distributors wanted no Photos. So why hold this here?

Kleiner Griechenmarkt, the Home of Reissdorf, has not been visited for four years. The Staff kept changing, once upon a time I used to be greeted by name on entry. No Krystal, who is the Lady on the Homepage. This Venue did not embrace the smoking ban effectively. The Bar Area remained smoking and the clean air was in the far away rooms, away from The Action. When their new premises, Zum Alten Bräuhaus, opened in Köln Sud that was it, we never returned, until today.

Alighting at Postrasse, we introduced Kenny to The Tardis, which is how it feels when Elevator emerges on to the pavement.

Sitting at The Bar, all was well. I reckoned by now that given the continual service of Food, this area would have be smoke-free. This Venue is now non-smoking throughout. I shall most certainly be returning to what has been my Favourite Köln Venue for many years.

Kenny noticed immediately that Reissdorf Kölsch has more to it than its Rivals. More Body, Seemingly Thicker, Slightly Darker and Maltier, More-ish.

There are Two other People in This Saga Today

Officially – Day 1 – as The Belgium Leg was Three of us getting here, Neil and Peter flew into Weeze this afternoon. Neil announced he was staying in, his decision. Peter would rendezvous with us eventually.

Remember Sion

Kenny had disappeared for a while, battery problems. Hector carries a Back-up. Kenny’s Handy does not have a Universal Fitting. Dr. Stan and Hector were alone in Sion for a while, then we were Four. New Blood. Peter had no Piece of Paper. Unglaublich.

Köln Sud

Despite Curry for Brunch, Hector had a notion. As we bade Farewell, I jumped in a Taxi. Severinstrasse Bitte. The New U Bahn Line still does not go beyond Heumarkt where the most astonishing U Bahn Station now exists. This rivals Westminster Underground Station.

Where Severinstrasse came from I do not know, I had not checked any Reliable Websites before entering the Taxi. With a few detours thanks to the ongoing works, I alighted at the Top End of this Wonderful Street. The Curry Café – Himalaya – is what I was looking for. I failed to find it. No Huge Bhaji for Hector.  I did spot the new U Bahn entrance virtually outside the Zum Alten Bräuhaus, Reissdorf’s aforementioned New Venue. This was closed, as was the Indian Curry Basmati House across the street.

It was late, but not too late. Früh em Veedel still had a couple of customers. I became One more, for One. Note to Dr. Stan, his Favourite Früh House is open late.

A Twenty Minute wait for a Tram back to Barbarossaplatz or a Walk? A bit of both, with Marg on the Phone to keep me amused. More Kölsch tomorrow.

The Ausschank visited today:

Gaffel am Dom – Bahnhofsvorplatz 1, 50667 Köln

Früh – Am Hof 12-18, 50667, Köln

Reissdorf – Kleiner Griechenmarkt 40, 50676 Köln

Sion – Unter Taschenmacher 5-7, 50667 Köln

Früh em Veedel – Chlodwigplatz 28, 50678 Köln

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