Secrets of My Wonderful Travels & Leisure Trips: Winter in Germany - Köln (6 weeks business trip, 05 Jan

Places Visited:

Malaysia:

KLIA International Airport - Kuala Lumpur airport (Taking Emirates airway)

United Arab Emirates:

Dubai International Airport - For flight transit

Dusseldorf, Germany:

Düsseldorf International Airport - Germany airport

Köln - Am Coloneum, Germany:

Solutions for Media (S4M) - My office in Germany
Magic Media Corporation (MMC) - TV studio nearby my office
Route by public transport from my serviced apartment:
(a) (line 13) Aachener Str./Gürtel (KVB tram station) -> (line 5) Subbelrather Str./Gürtel (KVB tram station) -> (line 5) Ossendorf (KVB tram station) -> Bus 148 to Am Coloneum (longer route - 40 minutes)
(b) (line 13) Aachener Str./Gürtel (KVB tram station) -> (line 13) Venloer Str./Gürtel (KVB tram station) -> Bus 139 to Am Coloneum (shorter route - 30 minutes)

Köln - near 'Dom' tram car station, Germany:

Köln Cathedral - 'Twin Corn' church
Köln City Hall - Historical building, the oldest functioning building
Souvenir shops - Euro-Accecories (sells cheap scarfs, winter hats, winter gloves), Souvenir haus & etc
Clothing shops - Forever 18, Zara, Mango, United Colors of Benneton & etc
Pohland Douglas - Fragrance shop. Inside the shop have a huge pouring perfume bottle deco.
Route by public transport from my serviced apartment:
(line 1) Aachener Str./Gürtel (KVB tram station) -> (line 1) Neumarkt (KVB tram station) -> (line 16/line18) Dom /hbf (KVB tram station)

Köln - near 'Neumarkt' tram car station, Germany:

My weekend grocerries place - Aldi supermarket (cheaper), Lidl supermarket
Department Stores - Neumarkt Galerie, Peek & Cloppenburg, Galeria Kaufhof, Karstadt & etc
Clothing shops - New Yorker (bought some cheap clothes there), Zara & etc
Mayersche Bookstore - I bought my Paris travel book here!
Pommes De Luxe fried potatos fries stall - Hot and delicious fries, eating while shopping! Very enjoy during winter time!
Route by public transport from my serviced apartment:
(line 1) Aachener Str./Gürtel (KVB tram station) -> (line 1) Neumarkt (KVB tram station)

Köln - near 'Heumarkt' tram car station, Germany:

Department Stores - Mausladen (at Breite street). Found a post office there to sent my postcard back to hometown! The post office staffs are friendly!
Farina Haus - Fragrance Museum
Wallraf-Richartz Museum - Art Painting Museum
4711 Fragrance House - Fragrance shop
Lindt Chocolate Museum - Showing the chocolate making process and it sells fresh chocolate too
Clothing shops - New Yorker (bought some cheap clothes there)
Route by public transport from my serviced apartment:
(line 1) Aachener Str./Gürtel (KVB tram station) -> (line 1) Heumarkt (KVB tram station)

Köln - others, Germany:

Supermarkets - Penny Markt (not so expensive, at Venloer Str/Gürtel), HIT (quite expensive, near my serviced apartment), Heng Long Asia Supermarket (sells Asia food, near Universitätsstraβe tram car station), REWE (quite expensive, near my serviced apartment)
HIT alchohol warehouse - Located near my serviced apartment
Pohlhof Restaurant - My boss treated me a decent dinner :)
Frits Restaurant - Near to Rudolfplatz tram car station. Love the french fries and sausages a lot!
My colleague house (near my serviced apartment) - Thanks to Marc and his wife treated me a very delicious Japanese lunch! I've enjoyed a lot of chatting with both of you!

Serviced Apartment Stayed:

Domicilium Serviced Apartments - Near to Aachener Str/Gürtel KVB tram car station. It is quite small but fully equipped and clean! Every Monday will have cleaner to clean my room! It has the facilities of laundry room with washing machine and drying machine (free laundry detergent tablets and liquid softener), super duper fast internet line, small LCD TV, small kitchen with microwave, electronic stoves, dish washer, small opened area of living room with sofa, small dining area with dining table and chairs, small clothes changing room with ironing machine.

Expenses:

Air Tickets (by Emirates) - RM 5,000
Serviced Apartment - £ 675 (RM 2,025)
Airport Taxi - £ 195.90
KVB Pass (KVB official website) - £ 113.50
Daily Allowance - RM 153 x 42 days (RM 6,426)
TOTAL = £ 984.40 (exchange rate * 4.895) + RM 13,451
= RM 18,269.64 (Paid by company)

After changing a new job, I'm lucky to have the opportunity for a business trip to Germany. The first time being travel to Europe country and also during winter time, never think of I will have a chance to visit Europe before. Also the first time spending my Chinese New Year alone with work in such a place that so far away from my home! I've been dreaming to touch the snow during my childhood (no chance to see and touch snow in tropical country). My dream comes true now! I felt mixed feelings, excited but worried, worried because of first time ever in my life travel alone to such a place very far from my home, but excited that I can pursue my dream unexpectedly!

First time reached KLIA airport. First time leaving my family for a long time!

Shops inside KLIA airport

KLIA aerotrain

A smart pilot in KLIA airport duty free shop

Finally reached Dubai airport by flying 10 hours with Emirates. Need to wait another 4 hours for transit flight to Dusseldorf :S

Dubai airport contest, can win Mercedes and BMW cars!

Finally I've reached Düsseldorf Airport! The weather was too cold due to heavy snow, and needed to de-freeze the airplane! Luckily the airport was re-opened after the heavy snow cleared, else I might need to arrive at another airport!

Queuing up at the custom passport control counter. The staff was quiet friendly :) After passed through the custom, found out that the baggages were delayed for 2 hours to be collected. I was worried because I scared I will be late to reach my serviced apartment and I didn't have the key yet. Luckily there was a friendly German young guy, he offered to help me to call the staff of the serviced apartment using his cellphone and informed her that I will be late. After that, he offered me to take the train together to the city, but I rejected his hospitality and took the cab directly to my serviced apartment. Anyway, thanks to him for his assistance too :)

Picture taken inside the cab during my way to my serviced apartment. 1 hour taxi ride from Düsseldorf to Köln. The most expensive taxi fare paid in my life before, around EUR 120++! Luckily it was claimable by company... Hahaha..

Snowing video captured at my serviced apartment's balcony. The first time ever I see snowing, hehe ~

First day to work in Germany office, reached there around 8:30 am, can view the beautiful sunrise! Picture taken around office area. First week in Germany the coldest temperature was -18 degrees. Chilling weather!

My company in Germany

Black rabbits sometimes jumping around the bushes around my office area

Nice Audi car found outside my serviced apartment

Fancy car again found outside my serviced apartment

Magic Media Corporation - TV Station Studio near my company!

Sunset with pink sky at my office area

Waiting for the tram car to travel to work. 10 minutes frequency. Chilling weather at the station, hoping the tram car faster arrive!

Morning time at Subbelrather Street

Sitting comfortably in the tram car, the opposite tram car is coming...

Video shooting in progress...

Sunset at my office area and many airplanes flying by. During 4:30 pm, the sky was getting dark in Germany.

2 Smart cars parked in front of my serviced apartment! Common car can be seen in Germany!

Finally weekend was arrived, I can visit around Köln area! Nice Köln Cathedral at Dom. One of the 'corn' tower!

Sculptures at Köln Cathedral

Colourful light shines through Cathedral

Colourful windows

Wonderful sunshine!

Interior view of the cathedral

Colorful window - story about new born Jesus... It is built since 2000 years ago never faded

Twin corn building

Branded shops around Dom Cathedral

Special building design

Farina Haus 4711. It's closed on Sunday... too bad

Nice ancient building

Snowy staircases

The Knight

Tower of Köln Cathedral

Fountain@Dom. Fairy tales stories..

Am I a toy? Nope, I'm alive..

LV @ Dom

Am I real? Ya, I'm real...

Tourist train @ Dom

Farina Haus 1709. It is a fragrance museum (Photo shooting is prohibited)

Wallraf-Richartz Museum. A lot nice paintings inside :) I bought Albrecht Dürer art painting book here in German language =.= (Photo shooting is prohibited)