March 2026. Cologne.
A final Cologne post (promise) as Mrs RM gets to tick her tourist essentials by the waterfront,
including the Lindt chocolate museum (not as much free stuff as Cadbury world) and the Kranhäuser im Rheinauhafen,
a weird modernist housing estate/office complex where you’d expect to see craft bars there’s a cafe called “Coffice” (coffee/office, geddit ?).
Untappd comes to the rescue, finding us Zappes Süd in the Stollwerck, a community venue with gigs and art and a beer festival and burgers. Great burgers (and salads).
The folk in the beer garden look just like the ones in the Zappes advert.
Time for a shandy.
Nope.
Mrs RM gets a pic of the mustard museum on the way back to the station, we’re at the airport an hour earlier, and home in Stansted by nine.
The boys are on the Manchester flight, which decides to be 3 hours late. I’d normally say the sun shines on the righteous but that would be mean.
Anyway, I’ll leave you with those Cologne pub scores.
Gaffel am Dom ***
Sion ****
Lommerzheim (Lommies) *****
Sunner in Walfisch ****
Pfaffen ****
Kupferhut, Mulheim *****
Rhein Hotel St. Martin **
retiredmartin 
Can your sons claim compensation for the delay?
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Kolsch of Früh and a 300g Milka bar for dinner, courtesy of Ryanair
– Matt
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I wondered about this https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/holiday-cancellations-and-compensation/if-your-flights-delayed-or-cancelled/
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Sounds like a bribe not to sue them for millions Matt.
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That was actually the first thing we said to them when we heard !
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I don’t think that Ryanair are very proactive about paying compensation. There was a recent news report about bailiffs attempting to seize a Ryanair plane in Austria after failure to pay a court order for compensation.
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I guess the mustard lady is supposed to be yellow? The housing/office block is dire, especially those units with no solid foundation directly underneath. Bummer about the flight delay for your lads. Ooof. That aside, it has all looked like a fantastic time 😀
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Being delayed is character buliding, as is driving the Snake Pass at 2am in the morning !
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The mustard in Lommies bar was the strongest I’ve ever tasted, terrifying.
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