Up early to get to St Pancras for the Eurostar. Train really is the way to travel. No long check in queues, no long trek out to the airport, no hassle of getting into the city once you land. Just door to door in 5 hours.

Cologne is an ancient city set on the banks of the River Rhine. Headed up to the Cathedral, just up the road from the hotel. It is a massive monument, towering over the city below. For four years it was the tallest building in the World, until the Washington Monument trumped it, and you certainly get an outstanding view of the city from the top of the tower. It's worth the log slog up the stairs. The Cathedral took 632 years to finish, but there is no truth that the same architects are behind the BBC West 1 project.

In the afternoon looked round the chocolate museum. Not that is what I call a museum, free samples as well.