So, I have arrived in Cologne. It was a loooooong day of trains. Left St Erth at 0700, and arrived at Koln Hofbahnhof at 2115, by way of London and Brussells. Did I mention it was looooong. And my big suitcase was superheavy (which was partly why I got the train), and now my arm is so tired from pulling it that I can barely hold a pen to write a list of all the things I need to do tomorrow.
But my new landlord met me off the train, and brought me to the apartment, so I have a very hazy idea of where I live, except that it’s about 10 minutes walk from a direct train/tram (seriously, it starts as a u-bahn, and ends up overground like a tram) into the city centre, and that there’s a nearer stop if I don’t mind changing once along the way. I know that there’s lots of shops on a street that we walked up, including a supermarket that opens at 7am, which is good, as I will need breakfast tomorrow (having had a cereal bar and satsuma for supper). I know that the university is vaguely ‘up-the-way’, and I’m going to trot off there tomorrow to find the international office, who were supposed to be emailing me about an appointment for tomorrow, but haven’t – but I have been invited to a concert and drinks, and to a reception by the mayor, and a city tour, and offered shiny public transport deals, so I guess I can go find them about the other stuff, like police registration and banks. My German appears to be coming back – at least, I can understand a good deal, but I don’t have the confidence to talk yet. My default foreign language is still Italian, so I need to crack that habit. Tomorrow I think I will be writing lists of conjugations and declensions, and pinning them up around the apartment to help me out.
It’s all very nice in my wee apartment. The internet works – clearly – which is A Good Thing. I have a pretty large kitchen and a large study bedroom, and a wee shower room. I have nowhere to hang stuff, but I will cope, as I have only about two things that need hanging anyway, and my coat is hanging off the end of the bookcase. I have more bookshelves than I can use, since I didn’t even bring a shelf’s worth with me, so the bookcase is being used for trousers and jumpers, and make up and camera gear. I also appear to have a TV with some kind of digibox, and a PS2 for DVD watching, plus there is a copy of a Tony Hawk game a drawer. And I’m here to WORK. yes.
See, dinky wee apartment. Oh, and I have a (somewhat small looking) double bed, so people who don’t mind snuggling can come and stay. Otherwise they may have to bring their own rollmat and sleeping bag. I am going to buy more pillows though.
