First trip back to Köln

A long weekend in Köln, long planned in advance as I wanted to be there for my friend Friederike's leave to her 7 months trip around the world. I arrive Thursday evening. My friend Katja picks me up and soon we are on our way to Köln-Nippes to meet Tatjana in a restaurang. Now only Friederike is missing to complete the great four. She is still at home, busy with travel preparations, but we need her with us. We command that he has to take a taxi to join us and soon we are united again - after three months!
Friday, I finally manage to visit Tatjana in her new shop that she has just opened in the beginning of August. I haven't seen it so far and I am absolutely curious how it looks like! And of course it looks fantastic, just as I expected ;-) I spend a couple of hours there, watching her dealing with the customers and it's very obvious that she loves it! The shop is very pretty and nicely renovated, selling fruits, vegetables and some other selected yummy items like wine and italian desserts. A little paradise!
Later on I go to see Andrea. We spend a cosy evening in her kitchen, eating and drinking together and catching up with whats happening in our lives.

Saturday morning means packing! I assist Friederike and try to advise her what to take and what to leave. I can remember well how difficult this was for me when I went travelling... We argue a bit about the amount of pants and socks, but in the end there is even some space left in her backpack - good job ;-)
After that I meet Steffen for a late breakfast in one of my favourite cafés in town. He has his computer with him and he shows me pictures from his trip to Canada this summer. Now Canada is even higher on my travel-list!

In the evening Friederike has invited some friends to a pub and many many come for some Kölsch and to say good-bye. It reminds me of my saying-goodbye-evening three months ago...
Some close friends and I are taking her to the airport early in the morning. Friederike is sad and tearful, but eventually she goes courageously through the security and disappears into her great adventure...

Tatjana and me have another mission on this Sunday. We have a performance with Lamäng, the playback theatre group I have been a member of for the last 2,5 years. One of our members Albert celebrates his birthday and we are playing for him and his friends. I have been a bit unsure whether I would manage to just join in again after some weeks without rehearsal. But we are all in a good shape and the audience delivers great stories for us to play! We all have fun and I really enjoy to perform with my group.
After a calm and cosy evening with Katja in her flat and another night, it's already Monday morning and I have to pack my bag again. I have still one bike in Köln that I want to take to Sweden on the plane and it has to be prepared and properly packed for that. Fortunately I have my friend Cornelia to help me, as it turns out to be a bit more tricky than expected... But eventually, after overcoming several hurdles at the airport, we manage to get rid of the huge package and I catch my plane back to Stockholm.

Both my bike and me arrive safely in Arlanda and Richard already waits for me to take me home. Well, yes, it feels more and more like home here. My first trip back to what was my home for a long time has been really good. I enjoyed it very much and I managed to see nearly everybody who is important for me.
But I am also very happy to be back here! And that's probably a good sign, isn't it?!?