Today I took the train into Cologne again, hoping that some of the stores might be open on a Sunday because it's a big city. They weren't. The little shops in the central train station were open, but they're mostly souvenir shops and they're really tiny. So I bought myself another candle holder, a loofah, and a watch. Now I just have to learn how to read a clock :)

I was going to cross the bridge and see what was on the other side of the Rhein, but I was worried about time so I didn't. I don't really know when the last train runs, but I didn't want to risk anything (especially after already getting the car locked in a garage yesterday). But I did get to go into the main part of the Dom. I kinda felt like an ass for taking pictures inside a cathedral during mass (something just feels a little disrespectful about it) but I wasn't the only one. Plus, it's too gorgeous to not take pictures.

I got on the train headed home at about 3:30, and about 3 stops before Koenigsdorf the train sat for several minutes. The conductor made an announcement but I wasn't paying attention because I just figured that we were waiting on another train further down the track. Then the people on the bench next to me get up, and tell me that I should get off the train and go back, too. So I did, figuring that since they speak German and the know the train system and they heard the announcement that it was a good idea to listen to them. So we all switched to the train that had just pulled up in the opposite direction and took it back to the central station. I asked what had happened and the guy said "Die Bahn ist kaputt." It's a good thing I listened to him, because otherwise I would've been sitting on that broken train for who knows how long. At the central station I had to wait 20 minutes for the next train going in my direction, then I had to get off at the next station and wait for another train to take me to Koenigsdorf. Good times, good times.

I took quite a few pictures today, considering that I didn't really do anything or see anything new. Everything here is just so beautiful, probably because it's so not home. The only thing that's really kept me in Southern California for the past 6 years has been my family and close friends. Aside from people, though, I don't really miss one thing about it. Maybe further down the road I will, but for now I'm just going to enjoy being somewhere else.