I spent a whole day there, gorging on bratwurst and main-lining Glühwein. Heaven? Close — the Christmas Markets in Cologne. I was there with 847,352 of my closest friends. No kidding. At one point there were so many people pushing against me that if I had hopped up into the air 1 or 2 inches, I would have been carried along by the mass of bodies. Yes, there was lots of shopping to be done, but alas, there were sooo many types of bratwurst and other barbecued meats, all washed down with more Glühwein, that my shopping had to wait. And Glühwein without an added shot of amaretto is like hot chocolate without the hot.
After a morning tour of old-town Cologne, I spent the better part of the afternoon taking in the sights as I moved between bratwurst and Glühwein vendors. So, how many brats can one eat and amaretto-laced Glühwein can one drink? I am not sure. I was still working on that when it was time to board the bus for the two-hour trip home. I don’t remember the trip home. I lost consciousness shortly after I slid into my seat. (I had an unexpected day off, so I went to Cologne on a USO tour).