Comfort food in Cologne

Posted on July 16, 2014 by Ody

It’s always nice to find something that reminds you a little of home when you’re traveling. I went to Feynsinn Café, which the Wallpaper* City Guide listed as one of the restaurants with delightful ambience and hearty food in Cologne. It was tempting to go for one of the burgers with sumptuous descriptions in the menu and organic ingredients, or delicious home-made pasta with fresh tomatoes from the café/restaurant’s own garden. When I saw that there was Leberkäse, (a type of meatloaf) on the menu, though, I had to order it. In Vienna, a Leberkäse in bread is what I would usually buy from a snack stand or the meat section of a supermarket for a quick and delicious meal. Feynsinn’s version was like a gourmet version of my favorite comfort food. One bite into it and all was fine and good again.

Feynsinn Café
Rathenauplatz 7
50674 Cologne
Germany

Cologne Cathedral

Posted on July 15, 2014 by Ody

The most visited landmark in Germany, the Cologne Cathedral impresses with its massive size and beautiful Gothic architecture. This UNESCO World Heritage Site is really worth seeing.

Currywurst in Cologne

Posted on July 13, 2014 by Ody

It’s a cool and rainy Sunday, and I’m just chilling out at home. The evening will be more exciting, as I’ll be watching the World Cup finale at a friend’s place. In the meantime, I’ll be daydreaming about fattening food like this currywurst I tried in Cologne.

Have a great Sunday!

Eau de Cologne from Cologne

Posted on July 13, 2014 by Ody

I usually get two souvenirs for myself when I travel – a postcard that I mail to myself and a small snow globe. Then, I look for either really cool or classic local brands and products. When I went to Cologne, I just had to get an original Eau de Cologne.

When I was a kid, I used to carry around a sample glass bottle of cologne with me. I just loved it. When I used up the 3 or 5ml of cologne, I just started filling it with water and continued to bring it with me everywhere.

In 1709, Giovanni Maria Farina, an Italian perfume maker who moved to Cologne, Germany, concocted a scent that reminded him of “an Italian spring morning, of mountain daffodils and orange blossoms after the rain.” Farina named his fragrance Eau de Cologne in honor of the city of Cologne, his new hometown.

I got this small 30 ml bottle of the original Eau de Cologne from Farina and now I wish I got a bigger one, because it smells amazing! And also because I don’t want to refill it with eau.

TNT Travel Edinburgh

Posted on December 29, 2013 by Ody

Aside from the city’s beauty (even when it rained!), Edinburgh is memorable to me because I got to TNT, or Try New Things there! 🙂

While I do ~~enjoy~~ appreciate alcohol, I have never tried Scotch Whisky. Thanks to Mad Men, the drink looked sophisticated in my eyes and made me fantasize about offering Scotch to anyone who would visit me in my office. What better place to try Scotch than its origin? After hiking to the Edinburgh Castle, I went on a Scotch Whisky Experience to know more about the whisky making process, the regions where Scotch is made, and to taste-test.

The Barrel Ride is similar to theme park rides, but instead of little dolls singing “It’s a Small World”, there’s a ghost that takes you through the entire process of Scotch Whisky production.

After the tour, a Scotch expert introduces the different aromas and the different regions where Scotch comes from. To determine which aroma you prefer, there are scratch-and-sniff cards. From the regions of Highlands (there can only be one!), Lowland, Islay and Speyside, I chose the Lowland because of its fruity, fresh and citrusy aroma.

I chose wrongly. Haha. While citrusy is perfect for my mojitos, caipirinhas and gin fizzes, I didn’t quite like it in my Scotch. As it is the most light-bodied Scotch, it is usually preferred by beginners though. Maybe I should have gone with the Highlands with its sweetness with a touch of smoke. Oh well, that leaves more room for experimentation in finding my Scotch. When that day comes, you’ll see me swirling Scotch in a nice little low glass and sipping it slowly before I offer you a drink.

My favorite part of the tour was seeing the world’s largest collection of Scotch Whisky. The collection belongs to Mr. Claive Vidiz, who started collecting in the 1970s and has amassed almost 3,400 bottles!

The bottles range from the old…

the royal …

and the quirky. Yes, that’s Nessie, the Loch Ness Monster!

Okay now this is was my absolutely my favorite new thing I got to try in Edinburgh. Sometimes I still daydream about it.

The deep-fried Mars bar.

OMG. Look at it. It doesn’t look as pretty or special as other sweets like cupcakes and macarons, but it’s heaven.

Deep-fried in batter, the Mars bar is warm and gooey. When you bite in, the chocolate, caramel and nougat melt together and swirl in your mouth. It’s the best. This is coming from someone who doesn’t even prefer regular Mars bars over, say, Milky Way or Twix. I ❤ you, deep-fried Mars bar.