ThorstenCologne's blog/

I felt uncomfortable when I visited Dresden this past weekend. It was the first time I’d been to the city in almost 15 years and a lot had changed since my last visit. The most obvious change was that the central parts of the city around the Church of Our Lady, Frauenkirche, are being reconstructed. The idea is to give Dresden back the charm it had before the city was destroyed in one night of horrific bombings, February 14 – 15, 1945.. (more) tocologne.wordpress.com/2008/06/19/dresden-goes-disneyland

Lunch at a royal palace is something pretty unusual for me. But on my last day in Bangkok, Dusit Palace is really where I had my lunch. O.K. – so it wasn’t exactly a 15 course state lunch with the Royals at one of the palace’s banquet halls. Lunch on the palace porchIt was a modest snack at a nice little restaurant next to the Moorish-looking Abhisek Dusit Throne Hall. (more) tocologne.wordpress.com/2008/06/11/lunch-at-the-palace

Taking a taxi in Thailand isn’t easy if you’re a foreigner who doesn’t speak the language. This morning, I wanted to take a taxi to Vimanmek Mansion for some sightseeing. The place was recommended in Thai Airways’ in-flight magazine as one of the lesser-known, yet worth-while sights in Bangkok. “Famous as the world’s largest teakwood building, Vimanmek Mansion is set in spacious green gardens…” it said in the magazine. Reason enough for me to go there. ... ( more) tocologne.wordpress.com/2008/06/10/lost-in-transportation