We spent most of this Monday at the house. They got in plenty of playtime before the rain started. And Stefan even started the day with a run!

//Stefan Note: thats right wacker

The kids played by themselves for awhile, which was nice. Lillian is into the binders I made them, always wanting to update them with pictures or local mementos.  They also played in the backyard between downpours of rain, and Stefan and I worked on getting this blog up and running. It’s a lot more work than it seems! I had no idea until it was too late.

It was a fantastic day though. Around 3pm, we set out for the city. We went straight to a wonderful bakery we passed the other day and shared two pieces of cake. Well, we shared the strawberry cake. Oly fiercely protected the other one, which we think was a plum cake. It poured while we sat under the awning having our afternoon snack. I loved watching the people working at the cafes quickly prepare everything for the sudden rain before we had a clue. It was impressive.

We walked through the rain, splashing in every puddle we passed, until we got downtown. We stopped for a Kolsch at another place RateBeer recommended, Brauhaus Sion. It was alright. I think I’m realizing I just don’t care much for Kolsch.

After a beer, we went to a restaurant Stefan found online, Gilden im Zims. It’s in the very touristy area of Cologne, but everyone inside seemed to be locals. The food was amazing. Stefan has had pork knuckle about every day now, and this was his favorite. I had a pork chop that was awesome. We also shared a local specialty, creamed spinach with fried eggs and fried potatoes. Actually delicious. The kids played on their ipads while we watched Sweden tie 1:1 with Ireland in the EURO2016 game.

//Stefan Note: HEEEJJAAA SVERRRIGGE and clark for the OG

Simple and perfect day.