This past week has gone by in a blur. All week I had exams: French, German, Dutch, and English. They all went well with the expected exception of French.
Thursday was marked by the visit of my exchange friend Lily from Florida, staying north in Noduwez, Beglium. It was a pleasant afternoon, I showed her around Mons, seeing the Grand' Place, Christmas market, and all the other sites that my Belgian home town has to offer at this time of year.
Yesterday I went to Cologne (Köln am Rhein) in western Germany for the day. I went with a Canadian exchange friend named Shae who's staying nearby Mons. We went with a bunch of others in a travel agency's double-decker bus.
After a three-hour ride, we got off at the Neumarkt, one of Cologne's many Christmas markets. I would soon realize that it is indeed true that German Christmas markets are the best in the world. It was amazing, the vendors' stands were ornate with beautiful decorations, and the whole atmosphere of the place was fantastic. Our day was spent walking around the city through the snow, visiting lovely churches, more Christmas markets, and seeing old and prominent city sites. One such site was the old Eau de Cologne house, where real cologne used to be made. Another was the Rathaus, or Cologne's City Hall.
The day was wintry but highly enjoyable, and I had a great time seeing this old city along the Rhine River.
This coming week I finish exams and have various things planned for those days that I won't be taking exams. I will also start preparing for Christmas, and enjoy the last full week with my current hosts.
I'm so glad you had fun in Koln! You got to see things other than those I saw, but it is a lovely city, isn't it? Could you post some photos? also of Mons this time of year.
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