Whirlwind weekend of Xmas Markets in Cologne (Part 3)

*Riiiiiiiinnnnngggg* the alarm goes off and with only a few hours left before we had to head back to London, packed, checked out of hotel and off we went to Lindt Chocolate Museum. I have to say that the weather was pretty bad today as it was just raining the whole time.

Looking back at the photos, I didn’t realise how sunny it was the day before. The entrance fee is €7.50 for an adult.

After all that education on Lindt Chocolates, it was time to stuff ourselves with some chocolate! Haha…..

A number of us ordered the Knuspergold €4, which is hot chocolate with hazelnut, crunchy nut and fresh cream. This is really good.

We couldn’t just order drinks without trying some of their cakes which were silently whispering “Eat Me!”.

Chocolate Duo Gateau €3.6 (Light and dark mousse au chocolat, layered and veined)

Cheesecake €3.20 (Made from fresh quark to grandma’s traditional recipe)

4-layer Chocolate Gateau €3.80 (Extra high chocolate cake with 4 layers of chocolate cream)

Wasn’t impressed with the cheesecake as the base was a tad soggy. The 4-layer Chocolate Gateau was nothing special. The Chocolate Duo Gateau is a definite must! The contrast of light and dark mousse and flavours are surprisingly delectable.

Off to the souvenir shop we went after.

There is a tram service for €5 for a roundtrip that brings you to the 4 main Xmas markets in Cologne. As it was raining, we decided to take the tram and headed to Cologne's oldest Christmas market @ Neumarkt. Very pretty with angels adorning some of the stalls, we didn’t stay long as it was raining.

Sauteed mushrooms with onions and deep fried camembert.

I have to say that the group just loves the first market that we went and after walking around Neumarkt for a while, we went back to the Alter Mkt for more food, what else!

More meat on sticks, baked apples, apple strudels later. We were all satisfied. I managed to sneak in another oak cooked salmon on a bun which was just delicious and we ended our time with Gluhwein.

Off to the airport it was after where we were stuck with delays for like 5 hours!

But I leave you with more photos of fond memories!

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Whirlwind weekend of Xmas Markets in Cologne (Part 1)
Whirlwind weekend of Xmas Markets in Cologne (Part 2)

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Whirlwind weekend of Xmas Markets in Cologne (Part 2)

After some much needed R&R, it was shopping time. We headed to the high street and there are some bargains going on. I found myself buying 2 jackets and 3 pairs of shoes!! Saw a Lego store, an actual store.

We headed to the traditional market which is located next to the Cathedral. This is one of the popular ones as you have the backdrop of the imposing Cathedral and the strings of lights that lit up at night makes the whole place feel magical.

Cake in a jar with everything in it that you can just bake (remove the candle first though)?

This had more arts and crafts goodies.  It felt more commercialized and there were less food stalls available. The food prices were also more $$$ and coupled with having to deal with a really packed crowd and freezing weather, we decided to head to a restaurant to stay warm and eat instead.

However, missing out on my oak smoked salmon earlier before, I spied another in this market and bought one to tide myself while searching for a place for dinner

This was not as good as I expected and looking at it, I think I would have been better off with the smoked salmon from the earlier market.

Trying to find a place with no reservations on a Saturday night without going to the likes of Planet Hollywood wasn’t easy. In the end, we found a pub that was able to fit the large party of eight.

Hausgemachte Gulaschsuppe – Goulash soup, home-made style

This was seriously thick and warm and hearty! There was seriously a lot of meat in this.

Huhnersuppe mit Einlage – Clear chicken soup refined with noodles, vegetables

Rheinischer Sauerbraten – Marinated beef in almond-raisin dressing served with dumplings and apple puree €13.50

These were large portions and we were starving by the time our food came. The food was tasty and enjoyable.

With the Xmas markets right outside, it seems crazy not to head back there for dessert. Even though the party was full, the dessert lovers always manages to find some room.

We had mulled wine with a slice of apple in it. It was actually quite good and brings a different taste to the mulled wine.

I wanted some donuts and got a serve which came with 3. To my surprise, it was actually filled with apples on the inside. The apples lighten the starchiness of the donuts and it was a perfect way to end our meal.

After walking for a whole day, we all decided to retire to be fresh for the next day where we are heading to…….chocolate museum!

Related Post:
Whirlwind weekend of Xmas Markets in Cologne (Part 1)

Whirlwind weekend of Xmas Markets in Cologne (Part 3)

Continue Reading ...