Cologne: A Layover That Rewrote My Assumptions

Our ten day Europe trip had taken us through France and Spain. Barcelona was breaking down just in time to jeopardize our return to the United States through Cologne. Taxi drivers were on strike, ride-hailing services weren’t available in July 2017, and trains were overflowing and skipping stations. We built in a long layover so we could leave the airport and slip into Cologne for one night and one morning. That decision opened my eyes to a quiet generosity and warmth I hadn’t expected.

It was my first time in Germany, and I came with the usual mental baggage. Movies and novels suggested stoicism over smiles, punctuality over pleasantries. I expected efficiency but not much warmth. One night unraveled that misconception, leaving me marveling at how misrepresented this country and its people often are.

Arriving exhausted and hungry, we began with a simple quest for food. We stumbled into a restaurant just as its staff was preparing to close. Resigned to our fate, we pleaded with the hostess, assuring her we’d order whatever scraps the kitchen could muster. She smiled, perhaps amused by our desperation, and offered us a pared-down selection from the menu. We were relieved. But then, with a wave of hospitality, she went on to seat a few more latecomers, told us to order anything we liked from the menu, and kept the place open. As we feasted on kalbsschnitzel and gegrillter oktopus, we felt not only our hunger but our fatigue melt away, replaced by gratitude for the extra effort of a stranger who didn’t have to give a damn.

That spirit of kindness followed us into the morning. The taxi ride back to the airport felt almost luxurious. A squeaky clean, brand-new Mercedes-Benz carried us from narrow cobblestone roads through wide modern streets. Our driver, friendly and talkative, could have been mistaken for a tour guide. He shared his story of juggling studies and work with the enthusiasm of someone who is catching up with a relative. When we arrived, he got out of the car, helped with our luggage, and gave a genuine handshake that almost had me saying, "See ya later, old friend. We'll catch up again soon." It was a small gesture, yet it stayed with me.

At a small airport café, the barista laughed and joked as she took my order and attempted to pronounce my name. While I won't share the joke here, her good-natured humor brightened what should have been a simple coffee-and-danish transaction. The Luftfahrt-Bundesamt (German equivalent of TSA) agent joked with passengers, making light of a slow-moving line and nudging one flustered traveler with an elbow and a chuckle. Her humor was unexpected yet disarming, a reminder that the solemn caricatures often depicted on screen couldn’t be further from the truth.

Cologne taught me that it can be okay to presume the innate goodness of others. My visit did not erase all preconceptions, but it loosened them. It reminded me that people are more layered than portrayals suggest. Sometimes, all it takes is one night in a new city to let humanity surprise you.