THE city that gave the world the word for nice-smelling fragrances is one of those places you'd love to spend more time in but it would probably spell trouble if you did.
We were having a drink on the grass of the Frankenwerft promenade as the Koln (in German) - Dusseldorf party boat moored in the Rhine River almost in front of us.
Cheering exploded over the loud "doof-doof" music blaring across the Sunday afternoon parkland and hundreds of dancing, singing, laughing 20-somethings took their time getting off to find the next big thing.
Hubbie commented how much the area seemed like a more laid-back South Bank in Brisbane, but one without "fun police". No one seems to mind alcoholic drink sellers parading up and down with their baskets, offering their liquid refreshments to singles or couples and families having a chat and picnic with an ale or two.
Behind us, the hotels with their al-fresco cafes were doing a roaring trade, and one even had a big-screen TV showing the German women's team winning the World Cup.
One street back from our cosy riverside Rhein Hotel St Martin, we were coaxed into one of the many dining establishments sitting side by side and offering great steak and schnitzel deals.
We'd only arrived an hour earlier and seemed to be swallowed up by the buzz in the Altstadt (Old Town) whose main attraction for the thousands who alight from the Koln Haupbahnhof (train station) is the humungously majestic Dom (cathedral) with its twin spires.
The city was founded by the Romans nearly 2000 years ago and has a wealth of art culture and entertainment to offer including the well-respected Koln Philharmonic Orchestra.
But the river and surrounds is really where it all happens in Germany's fourth-largest city ... as we unfortunately realised as we tried to sleep and the party continued below us well into the early morning.
Lesson of the day: Never were we so glad we listened to advice and reserved seats (despite already having our Eurail Global Saver Pass - Two-month Continuous, 1st Class) than the trip from Koln to Berlin. Reservations are compulsory on some trains (night trains and virtually any long distance ones in France); others are not. But in the busy summer season and on popular routes, even those with Eurail passes may be vying for the limited seats in first or second class. While we were fine, those who hadn't reserved seats were forced to sit on luggage in passageways, outside toilets or stand in the aisles for long periods because they hadn't paid that little extra and planned ahead.
Number of dogs staying in hotel rooms, on long train trips, at cafes, in shops, in bars, in market squares: 1254.
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