Got back from "Koln" on Sunday, since which time been taking it pretty easy due to feeling a little bit poorly. A-Gain. Seriously hope that a change in the work circumstances also helps my health situation.

Cologne was lovely and beautiful, we really chilled out - went to a wander and coffee and cake as soon as we arrived, while we waited for Mia and Ingmar to arrive (Mia had been a little bit ill too), and then we all wandered around the shops. I would rather have sat in a cafe and drank wine - really trying to be good on the shopping front and it's not good to get tempted. Luckily Mon and Mia's styles are very different to mine, so although I went into a lot of shops I saw nothing I liked at all...bonus!

They went into Habitat, I went back to the hotel for a snooze, I slept REALLY badly on sat night, and so needed a disco nap. We went back out to a great German place for dinner, so incredibly funny to go there, it was the type of place they just keep bringing beer until you run out, there's lots of liver and sausage and pork knuckles on the menu, and big German men with 'taches running around. It was an experience, because would never go somewhere like that myself by choice, and actually my Bratwurst and fries were very, very extremely tasty. Also got taken by Tom to the downstairs toilet to be shown the puke hole, which we all found extremely amusing to see.

We then went for some cocktails, but the bar tom wanted to show us was closed, so we ended up at the Cologne equivalent of al bar one, which was not quite as good as where we'd hoped to be shown...but we got a table, and the drinks were pretty good and it had that kinda buzzy, towny atmosphere that all bar one's sport so well, so we enjoyed it. After, instead of being tempted by one more drink we all wandered off hotel-bound - everyone pretty whacked, and we didn't want too much of a hangover for the spa day.

Brunch the next morning at 11, Tom took us to this fab place, decorated in just my taste, kinda modern victorian, where we had freshly baked croissant and bread, and museli with yoghurt, sooooo yummy, and less than a tenner for my entire breaky :) - need to find out what that place was called to go there again sometime.

Then it was off to the spa called 'Neptune' for the half day soaking, steaming, saunaing and pampering. Bit strange to be walking around a mixed spa totally starkers, but it shouldn't be that strange. Saw the most amount of male nudity I have in a while (was only peeking, but still), and did two sauna treatments - they put special scents on the coals, and give you things to rub over yourselves whilst your skin is hot and receptive I guess. It was lovely. Then it's into the cold pool, then over into the hot pool to sit, and then back to the steam room and floatation pool until you're properly cooked and pruned up.

We went for a quick meal before the very quick drive back (Tom drives really fast, but he's also a really good driver!!), I wasn't hungry - had that strange lack of appetite thing going on from all the steaming and saunaing, and even when got home was thinking about food as I do, but not massively hungry...probs the start of whatever I've got now.

Such a cheap weekend though - car was 50 euros including parking and petrol each, the hotel was 43 and the spa should've been 21 but ended up being 30 because of a miscalculation of the time we'd gotten into there (me and Jen were 3 minutes into the next hour - HOW ANNOYING! and it was because I waited until people had got out the way of my locker before I came out). Food was of course another 50 euros, but for that we ate pretty well.

Have to say just getting out of Ams made me feel better :)