On the 14th December 2021 at 07:59 am, the Q3B took the ICE in Berlin central station towards Ludwig van Beethoven’s birth city, a beautiful city called Bonn. Yet the mere possibility of us traveling to Bonn wasn’t self-evident. Only days before the trip, multiple organizations we had destined to visit in Bonn had closed due to heightened regulations. The fees were increasing and it seemed there was less and less we could do, when we visited. Thankfully, we did end up traveling and most of the restrictions and cancellations had been lifted in time and our favor, so we packed our luggage and headed our way.

It was a Tuesday afternoon when we had finally arrived and after a 5-hour train trip, we were feeling exhausted but excited simultaneously. Then followed the default arrival scenario: arrive at the hostel, unpack your luggage, apply bed sheets then freshen up and eat. 

As previously stated, we weren’t loaded with sufficient energy to survive sustainably over longer times, so enjoying any museums or sightseeing attractions wouldn’t allow us to grasp the full potential the views provided us. Instead, we decided to visit Bonn’s Christmas market: An aesthetically-pleasing, warm-lighted market with a splash of the classical red-green color palette, filled with the aroma of roasted almonds and mulled wine, along with Christmas music to fill all five senses.

After the joyous rummage through Bonn’s Christmas market, and a short reunion with Jim, a former classmate who now lives in the city of Bonn, we headed our way back to rest up for a new day.

Text: Sean Richardson