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May 24, 2010
German Hospitality: Making Friends in a Cologne Brauhaus
The summer after I graduated from college, three of my girlfriends and I decided to celebrate by spending it backpacking across Europe. Looking back, I’m astonished to think I spent two whole months traveling across the continent with only the clothes on my back and whatever would fit into the tiny knapsack I’d bought at an Army/Navy surplus store. (Suffice it to say that, these days, I never pack so lightly!)
My friends and I dubbed this our “Summer of Discovery,” and as we made our way across the continent, discover we did—learning as much about ourselves as the countries we visited. (For example, I learned—to my surprise—that I was quite comfortable with spending a night in a cow-filled meadow in Switzerland.) I also learned that Germans are wonderfully warm and welcoming people.
We enjoyed our first encounter with German hospitality in Cologne. After marveling at the city’s Cathedral, a Gothic masterpiece for which Cologne is justly famous, we headed to a local Brauhaus for a closer look at Cologne’s other claim to fame: Kölsch beer, the city’s exclusive brew. At the time, I wasn’t really a beer-drinker, and I hadn’t been to that many bars back home, so I wasn’t quite prepared for the scene that greeted us as we stepped inside: long, communal wooden tables; waitresses carrying heavy trays laden with special glasses filled to the brim with frothy beer; and raucous singing and laughter. It seemed a fun and festive place, so we sat down and ordered our beers.
As soon as our Kölsch came, a group of men in their 30s who were sitting further down the table slid down the wooden benches to sit next to us. After teaching us a traditional German toast, they asked about where we’d been and what we’d seen, wanting to make sure we’d enjoyed our time in their country. They also bought us dinner—and I’ll never forget the massive, meat-filled platters we were served: towering piles of pork knuckles, dozens of plump Wursts, and thick slabs of Sauerbrauten topping mounds of roasted potatoes. It was quite a feast—and although our stomachs staged a revolt the next day, our hearts were warmed by the friendly and gracious German people.
In your own travels, have you ever enjoyed a special meal made memorable by the kindness of local residents? If so, I’d love to hear about your experience. You can share your thoughts with other travelers by posting your comments below, or can email me directly at harriet@gct.com.
In the coming weeks, we’ll be featuring France, the South Pacific, and our Grand European Cruise. If you’ve explored these destinations with Grand Circle, send your stories (and pictures!) to me at harriet@gct.com.
Harriet Lewis
P.S. Cologne is one of the stops you’ll make on our Great Rivers of Europe River Cruise. To learn more about the charming cities you’ll visit along the way, check out our newest video presentation featuring highlights of our Great Rivers vacation. Simply scroll down to the middle of the web page and click on the "Video" box to view.