🇩🇪 GERMANY (Baden-Württemberg, Cologne)

Towers, Villages, and Festive Square

Germany was the sixth country on our European journey, and I felt a genuine sense of pride simply stepping foot there. After leaving Lucerne, our first stop of the morning was a small town in the state of Baden-Württemberg. It looked like a classic German village—colorful, quiet, and filled with festive holiday charm. Walking through those streets was the exact moment I developed a deep appreciation for Christmas Villages, something I now love recreating with Legos for our home holiday decorations. Since it was early in the morning and during the holiday season, most of the shops were still closed. The only open spot was an outdoor stall selling hot beer, a famous local tradition. I hesitated to try it, worried that getting drunk or catching a hangover might ruin the rest of the day, so I passed on it. Looking back, I still regret not taking a sip. Still, that quiet morning left a lasting mark, inspiring my fictional city of Fitzland in SimCity BuildIt and giving me a new goal to visit other Christmas villages around the world in the future.

By lunchtime, we arrived at our second stop: Lake Titisee. Unfortunately, our time there started with a bit of friction as my parents and I got into light arguments over where to eat. We ended up walking around for a long time just to find an open restaurant, which wasted valuable time we could have spent exploring. Because of the delay, I missed out on visiting the Drubba shop, where our tour group was scheduled to watch a live demonstration on how traditional cuckoo clocks are made. By the time we finished lunch, I couldn't find my group anymore, but I decided to move on and make the most of my time.

I spent the rest of our stop walking around Lake Titisee on my own, taking photos, and browsing for souvenirs. I also picked up a famous German sausage for lunch and was genuinely surprised by its massive size—it ended up being more than enough to fill me up for the day. Before we headed back to the bus, I was surprised to see that my parents had actually managed to buy a cuckoo clock during their walk. I was a bit annoyed that they didn't invite me to come along when they bought it, but I was still glad we managed to bring one home.

We reached our final destination of the day, Cologne, in the early afternoon. The moment we arrived, the first thing that struck me was the towering Cologne Cathedral. Standing in front of it, I was blown away by its incredible height—by far the tallest cathedral I have ever seen—and it immediately reminded me of the Sagrada Família in Spain, which I hope to visit one day. We went inside the cathedral, where I took a quiet moment to pray, thanking God for the safe travels, the experiences of the past few days, and the blessings so far.

After leaving the cathedral, we spent the rest of our time exploring Cologne Square. The area was packed with tourists, and the holiday spirit was everywhere, complete with towering Christmas trees and festive decorations. I walked around the shops with my parents while they looked for extra jackets and a new piece of luggage to fit all the souvenirs we had collected along the trip. Seeing the shops that day made me realize I should have bought myself a nice jacket or formal coat for the rest of our destinations and future travels, another small detail I still regret missing out on.

Germany turned out to be a truly special stop on our tour. It sparked my love for Christmas villages, influenced my Lego hobby, and served as a direct inspiration for building my fictional city, Fitzland. After spending our day exploring these wonderful stops, we didn't stay the night in Germany; instead, we boarded the bus and proceeded directly to our next destination. Crossing into Germany was a proud travel milestone for me, and it is definitely a country I hope to revisit and explore much deeper in the future.