TRAVEL AND LIFESTYLE DIARIES

On my last night in Rodenkirchen I had dinner at Artistanbul Restaurant just around the corner from my hotel. I am being lazy. This is what happens when you are at the tail-end of a business trip. You do not want to go anywhere anymore =) I initially thought of eating at the famous Zum Treppchen Restaurant but after taking a peek inside the restaurant, I found it to be a bit too formal and sassy. I have had a very busy 4-day trip in Cologne, Germany with dinners and meetings, so on my last night I wanted to just eat in a low-key and more casual place. The Artistanbul Restaurant  around the corner from my hotel have caught my eye. It is a very colourful place, not something I would prefer really but it is a more casual option than swanky Zum Treppchen and is the first Turkish restaurant in Rodenkirchen. I have also been to Istanbul recently and very much enjoyed my Kavurma dinner so I thought I will try a new Turkish dish this time. While I was perusing the menu a friendl...

The town of Rodenkirchen is part of the greater Cologne area and lies along the River Rhine. I stayed here for 4 days last year for business matters. The hotels in the centre of Cologne were fully booked on the week I was visiting and the only available rooms were either too expensive and way beyond the business budget or too cheap and dodgy-looking that I wouldn’t want to be caught dead sleeping in it (read: safety precautions and bed bugs alert). So I did a wider search and came across this small 4-star hotel in the Rodenkirchen area, approximately 20 minutes with the car to the city centre but perhaps 30-40 minutes with the traffic and roadworks situation in Cologne. Since I will be coming with the car to Cologne, Germany, commuting locally in the city will not be a problem. Here is the location of Rodenkirchen on the map of Germany. Not too far away from Cologne city centre but you need a car to stay here. The 4 days I stayed here was the longest I have ever stay...