Al fresco, Köln

It was dark by the time I reached Bonn, and I forced myself not to succumb to the series of mechanical actions which had taken hold of me in five years of traveling back and forth: down the station steps, up the station steps, put down my suitcase, take my ticket out of my coat pocket, pick up my suitcase, hand in my ticket, cross over to the newstand, buy the evening newspaper, go outside and signal for a taxi.

To the airport for Eurowings (by Lufthansa) to Köln/Bonn. Taxi with Joe to the Pullman hotel where I attend the scintillating XP SC committee meeting.

I check into my AirBnb apartment and return to the Pullman. We wander to the Stanton (on the recommendation of Nico, absent but knowledgable). It's warm. We sit outside. I learn a new word: überraschung - surprise. My 3 course, fishy, surprise menu comprises prawns in garlic butter, salmon with asparagus and potato salad, finished off with a trio of desserts. All washed down by a surprisingly delightful local Sauvignon Blanc.

I learnt 2 things:
1) (Some) Germans have a snobbish attitude to asparagus - white good, green bad
2) 'Desserts' written backwards reads 'stressed'.