Exploring Cologne - Scent of a City

A Venturing Nomad.

It wasn't the most auspicious start to the journey when the taxi arrived late, leaving us seconds to catch the train, the first of many trains this week as we (me and my six-year-old) were inter-railing around Europe.

Yes, that's right, not students in a gap year, but Mother and Daughter on the first single mum trip since the marital separation. Excitement overtaken by apprehension and the constant nagging doubts of whether I could actually do this had me reaching for the cancel everything button on more than one occasion in the weeks leading up to this moment. A late taxi and a mad dash were not helping.

Departing Amsterdam, we settled into our, very gorgeous first-class seats (in Europe children under twelve travel free in first class, so it was actually cheaper!) Our first stop was Baden Baden where we had a night and a day booked to explore this wonderful little spa town - anxieties were reducing as the complimentary coffee and pastries were delivered to our seats.

As the countryside gradually changed outside the window from Dutch to German and my daughter was either colouring or sewing and whatever else had been crammed into the 'activity' bag, I was beginning to regain my confidence that this trip was as manageable as it was muchly needed.

The announcement over the tannoy was ignored; we were comfortable for hours yet, nothing to do with us. The train had stopped in a station, Cologne, which I didn't recall being on the stops, yet it seemed popular as most were standing to disembark. A rather glamorous German lady in her Jackie O shades gently tapped me on the shoulder. "Everybody off, train is Kaput" German efficiency, it seemed, was also affected by broken down trains.

I clamoured to collect our belongings, spread out, and gently instil a sense of urgency into the six-year-old seamstress next to me. Moments later, we were standing on the platform, backpacks on - one with a purple unicorn strapped to the outside - as our train gently pulled away. It wasn't long before we were booked onto another train to Baden Baden; that was the upside - the downside was that it was in 4 hours!

Two pairs of expectant eyes gazed up at me - can a cuddly toy unicorn have an expression? This one seemed to. What to do for 4 hours? Looking around for inspiration, my gaze fell on the huge structure dominating the skyline. A quick organisation of luggage into a locker, and we were off for a very impromptu Cologne City adventure with zero planning.

The gothic architecture of the Cologne Cathedral is even more impressive up close, which is minute's walk from the train station. The building of the cathedral began in 1248 and took 632 years to complete. Only partially damaged in WWII, it emerged in 1945 amongst a sea of destruction seemingly untouched. Once through the imposing front door, I could tell

this was not going to totally 'cut-it' with a six-year-old's attention span of a gnat. Quickly flicking through the free guide leaflets, a vision in gold leapt out, and I guided us to the back of the cathedral.

On an elevated grey plinth supported by four-column legs is a gold object resembling a village church, solid with embossed figures on the outside; this apparently houses the remains of the Magi, or the three wise men to a six-year-old. Having only recently completed a school nativity, the wide-eyed expression was exactly the awe and wonder moment needed. In 1200 the cathedral chapter commissioned the creation of this golden shrine to house the bones of the Magi, relics that were brought to Cologne from Milan by Archbishop Rainald of Dassel in 1164 and have remained here ever since.

Both needing some fresh air whilst we processed witnessing something so majestic, we exited the cathedral into the warm spring sunshine and immediately came across a street artist with a bubble-making act, enticing 'children' of all ages to dance and chase with delight.

Just a minute's walk behind the cathedral is the Hohenzollernbrucke, the rail and foot bridge spanning the mighty Rhine River that dominates the city. The most heavily used rail bridge in the country, it has also a more amorous identity with love padlocks being fastened. An estimated 500,000 locks are said to be here, with a calculated weight of approx 15 tons! A quick game of finding the oldest, as each has names and a date written on, found us April 1978, a very rusty red lock. Here's hoping the couple have enjoyed the same longevity as their symbolic robust padlock!

After a simple lunch, our thoughts were turning back to the railway station to continue our journey. A slow walk across the main square and a sign caught my eye: No. 4711 in a distinctive turquoise. Why was that so familiar?

On closer inspection, it was the shop for the famous Eau de Cologne, the very first perfume my mother bought for me as a young teenager. All these years, I had no idea that cologne actually meant the city, and here I now was with my own daughter—a strangely symbolic circle brought on by the serendipity of a broken-down train.

As our replacement train pulled out of the station, resuming our journey south and my travelling companion resumed her sewing, I smelled my wrist and closed my eyes with the familiar scent of my recently purchased 'souvenir' transporting me back to my youth, which now has new-found memories of a beautiful city brought on by chance.

Not travelling overseas until age 19, this Venturing Nomad's work and life have taken her to just under 70 countries, with more adventures always planned. Twelve years as a Diplomat led to excitement and adventures across the globe, and she is now enjoying travelling with her young daughter and seeing the world afresh through her eyes.

A published author in fact and fiction, she firmly believes in the mantra "take only photos - leave only footprints". More of a feeder than a foodie, she has cooked her way around the globe, from the hill tribes in Thailand, Nonna's kitchen in Italy to the beachfront hotel in Morocco. There is always a story and, more importantly, a recipe.

You can contact her at [email protected]  or find out more on Instagram