Frohe Ostern in Köln

Still two weeks behind and scrambling to catch up. Finally going to write about my trip to visit Uwe and Mira, my mom's cousin and his wife in Köln for Easter. Which was two weeks ago. But its been an insane two weeks. Anyway, here it goes.

There is something absolutely wonderful about staying with relatives when you have been away from home for months. Not that I haven't had a good time everywhere else I've been, but being with relatives is complete different. The four nights and five days I spent with Uwe, Mira, and their kids, Max and Louisa, were definitely some of the most memorable of my entire time in Europe.

I arrived in the Köln airport after a 50 minute flight that took me from the Eastern side of Germany where Berlin is situated, to Köln in the west. Mira and 6-month-old Louisa were there to greet me. That first night I had a wonderful time catching up with Uwe and Mira who I hadn't seen in five years. It was a blast to meet Max and Louisa as well. Max, who is three, spoke German at exactly my level, and sometimes better, so at least I know I can speak German like a three-year-old.

Friday, Uwe took me around to explore Köln, which is overall a beautiful city.

The Kölner Dom is one of the largest, most majestic buildings I have ever laid eyes on. This picture does not even begin to describe how huge it is.

People for perspective.

We climbed 570 winding, narrow steps to the top of the Cathedral. This is me in the bell tower, and we aren't even all the way up.

View from top of the Kölner Dom.

I thought the architecture inside looked a lot like the Mines of Moria in Lord of the Rings.

After a day of wandering the city, Uwe and I met up with Mira, Max, Louisa, and Mira's mother at a place called the Chocolate Factory were I got this lovely chocolate cake.

And then we wandered along the Rhein River

On Saturday, Uwe, Max and I visited the Deutsches-Römer Museum. Köln was originally a Roman fort, and so any time new buildings are built, the construction almost always runs into ancient Roman ruins, which makes building annoying. I highly enjoyed the museum, as well as a glimpse through the Köln Stadt Museum, which displayed the history of the city.

Sunday was Easter, and it was nice to take a day to really enjoy my time with family and not run around so much. We began the day with a leisurely brunch at a nearby bakery with die zwei Omas (the two grandmothers), Uwe, Mira, Max, Louisa, and Mira's brother Oliver. 

Tante Ruth (my Oma's sister) with her granddaughter, Louisa.

Louisa with her two Omas.

After brunch, we headed back to the house where we had an Easter egg hunt for Max, though I secretly loved it too. I've done an Easter egg hunt every year of my life and was happy I didn't have to miss out on it this year!

Max and I search for eggs

Max found a few

Tante Ruth helps me examine my new gift.

Maxi found another present

The rest of the day was spent chatting and laughing. I was happy I was able to see Tante Ruth again after more than five years. The last time I had seen her I had not been able to speak any German and she wasn't able to speak any English, and so finally being able to communicate with her was a blessing. We had a blast as she showed me old pictures, including old photos of my mom and oma.

Tante Ruth shows me old photos.

Me and Louisa

Me and the two Omas who aren't actually my Omas.

Mira's mother, Louisa, Tante Truth, me, Mira, and Uwe in front.

Another upside to Easter is, of course, the chocolate. Between Johannes's family, Uwe and Mira, and my host family, I received enough chocolate to keep me busy for the next few weeks.

I had a blast in Köln with Uwe and Mira. It was wonderful to spend a few days in relaxation, as well as in the comfort of a home with relatives. The weekend was thoroughly enjoyable, and I was genuinely sad when it came time to return to Berlin. Thanks so much to Uwe and Mira for your hospitality, it was truly a blessing.