The truth about Germany's long dark winter is setting in.  It is not the kind of thing where there are days without sunlight because of the latitude, just weather.  The days are short and it is never sunny for an hour together, especially in winter.  The opposite of summer in Texas, jumping from heater to heated car rather than AC to AC.

Anyway, I thought is wasn't as bad as they say, but now I understand.  I am tired and listless, unmotivated to go outside or do anything inside.  The kids are different too.  The have not even built a snow man because there have just been too many cold days strung together and it isn't worth going out: the hats and gloves and boots and snow pants and zipping and then putting everything away later...

So they won't mind school tomorrow, right?

First Cologne (Koln) Germany: locks on the bridge

There is a bridge in Cologne covered with locks of love.  If I understand correctly, the tradition is: inscribe it, lock it on, throw the key in the river.  Romantic, considering the number of locks along the bridge.

We were really there to see the Cathedral and the zoo.   I did not know about the bridge until we had to cross it from where we parked and had lunch.  The Hilton served currywurst with pommes outside.