).
Before we head off on our travels into the wilds of Europe, I want to make a quick mention of this season's Television.
I had a brief flurry with Dark Skies and enjoyed the premise of re-writing the whole of contemporary American history through a conspiracy theory based on an alien invasion. Particularly winning was Eric Close in one of the main roles as John Loengard. However, the whole thing has been so turgidly slow that I've given up on it. I'm not surprised to hear that it's likely not to be given a second series.
Murder One has been a great disappointment after the first series. Daniel Benzali as Teddy Hoffman has been axed. They've even got rid of Lewis, the gay PA. Anthony Lapaligia is no substitute in the title role and the whole thing lacks substance. It's been prettied up in a way that denies the basic premise of the programme as a whole .
The one bright spot has been This Life which, miraculously, has maintained the high standard of writing and ensemble playing. And yum, yum, Ramon Tikaram who plays Ferdie is back and is playing an increasingly key role. The greatest wish of the uk.glb newsgroup is for him and Steve John Shepherd who plays Jo to go testing duvets together.
Anyhow, it's now time to tell the tale of David's much postponed trip to see Chris in Köln and his first encounter with Eurostar.
I have to say I'm much impressed by the train service. Very smooth, very efficient.
OK there were delays at the Chunnel itself on the outward journey but that's as a
result of the fire earlier this year and the return journey was back in Waterloo
within 5 minutes of its alloted time. Staff seem very friendly too (if you see what
I mean ).
All in all, it gets my vote of confidence and I would certainly choose it for preference for going places like Paris. The only problem with the trip to Köln was the stop over in Bruxelles. That's not a comment against that particular city but more a comment about the way we organise ourselves in Europe at present. Two hours is not a lot of time to do anything really and certainly no time to go through the hassles of exchanging money just for a cup of coffee. Good job I took some provisions with me on both legs of the journey.
I was met in Köln by Chris and Eva and then it was on to Chris's flat for something to eat and a quick gossip. I've not been in Chris's flat now for some six years. Much, of course, had changed. The kitchen, which was always the heart of the flat, has remained pretty much the same with the addition of a few more modern pieces of electrical equipment. If anything, as I said to Chris, the main change is that it has metamorphosed from a students' flat to a working person's flat.
As well as the six year time frame since I was last in Köln, it's also hard to credit that it's now nearly a year since I was in San Francisco and met Chris at the Cafe Flore on the corner of Market and Noe. Golly, that's been a quick twelve months.
Saturday gave us a lazy morning and then into town for some shopping. I pigged out on CDs, buying all sorts of stuff that I've been putting off buying London because of price. Most CDs are about about a third the cost in Germany. We dined out in style in the evening at a gay eaterie, Brennerei Weiss, which used to be a local inn with its own brewery and has been taken over by gay entrepreneurs. Food was great, service swishy and the clientele very interesting.
We then set off on a small pub crawl. The best of the places we visited was Das Transfert which advertised itself as a trance cafe - beers, coffee, people mingling and their own resident mixer who was performing on a set of turntables behind the bar. At my suggestion, we hit a more trendy bar, where the men were tolerably good looking, the mirrors were ubiquitous and the attitude was dripping down the walls. We did not stay long. A last stop at a more homely venue Champagne which I had frequented with Chris some eight years previous. Well, it hadn't changed much but that is both the virtue and the curse of such places. They are attractive because they are as comfortable as a well-worn cardigan but they are superseded by the new and the trendy.
Back to Chris's flat and we talked for a long time into the small hours of the morning. I guess that, over the years, this is one of the things that we do best together. We talk through life, love and relationships. The tone of our conversations may have changed. We certainly have more shared references. But that image of the two of us in that kitchen with a couple of drinks, an overflowing ashtray, lit from above by a single central light is one that has resonated through the past eight years.
Sunday Chris and I spent quite a bit of time with Thomas, who I also met on a later occasion in San Francisco. We tool around town, visit a cafe, look (unsuccessfully) for videos, etc. Eveningtime, we meet up with Eve and her partner Heike at Heike's flat and there from the roof balcony high over a clear night sky like crystal is Hale-Bopp, crisp and distinct.
Back home, Chris and I talk more about the world and relationships, then bed,
sleep, up and home. It's almost as simple as that. It's been a wonderful trip.
The only real down side has been travelling alone. Next time, I'll twist Ross's
arm. 