Hey there, friends!

I am currently on the Eurostar heading back to London. We had a really great time in Germany, albeit it was a quick trip. We picked up a rental car on Monday when we arrived, stayed the night in Cologne, then headed out bright and early to go on a little road trip. The road trip was probably my favorite part. The countryside, winding mountain roads and orange leaves everywhere were absolutely beautiful. It was more beautiful than I thought it would be. We stopped at some castles and wineries in a couple of small villages, which we swear are deserted. There weren’t a lot of shops or cafes open, and no one walking around. It was a little strange but cute nonetheless. I’m honestly just really happy I did okay driving, ha! I was a little nervous! But, it was actually pretty easy. The cars are exactly like American cars. We had a Volkswagen. They drive on the same side of the road as we do. The road signs look a little different [I’ll admit – there were a few that I wasn’t sure what they mean! Should I be admitting that?] and the words are, obviously, in German but as long as you have a navigator using Google Maps to tell you where to go, you’re all good!

On Monday, Whitney and I arrived at the Hyatt Regency in Cologne, which looks directly across the Rhine to the Cathedral, around 12:30. We had a little bit of work to do, being that there wasn’t WiFi on our trains, then we decided to make the most of the rest of daylight, which was only a couple of hours. I changed into this outfit to do a little exploring. We walked across the bridge that the trains take in and out of their central train station. It was CHILLY that’s for sure but the bridge was so cute. It had locks all over it, like the Paris Love Lock Bridge, except WAY longer. The bridge takes you to the gothic Cathedral at the city center. It’s absolutely gorgeous. We were really hungry so we decided to opt out of going inside.

One thing that surprised me was just how much colder it was in Germany compared to London. I mean … it’s cold in London but its nothing compared to Germany. If you have a trip planned for this winter in Germany, pack all things cashmere, wool and goose down. Ha! I’m freezing even thinking about it. I thought the amount of layers I brought would be enough, but on this day it wasn’t. I definitely needed my scarf but forgot it in our hotel room.

This loose, striped turtleneck is a great Fall & Winter essential because you can pair it with other neutrals or a brighter color like a bright blue. J.Crew always does a great job of incorporating great winter accessories that can easily be paired together with their clothes. I picked up these gloves and this pom-pom beanie before I left just so I had something! All of my winter accessories are back in the States. Thankfully, as I mentioned yesterday, Justine – my right hand girl & assistant – sent me a couple of my favorite coats from last year so I didn’t have to buy new ones. This gray wool parka with faux fur trim hood is my absolute favorite! It’s so flattering and SUPER warm when you wear it with some good layers underneath. Plus, I think there are some coats that try and do a good hood with faux fur trim and it’s just a bit measly. I think they did THE.BEST. job with this one, personally.

Also, I know I always say this but, I seriously mean it – if you need some good over the knee boots that won’t break the bank, snag these that I’m wearing! They’re currently on sale and super comfortable. Spray them down with this suede protectant spray and you’ll be good to go, as long as it’s not mushy gross snow. You’ll need winter boots for that!

See more of my tips on how to take care of suede in this post from last week!

I’m a little sad we are heading back now. Initially, I had a friend who booked a flight to come visit today through the weekend, so we made our trip really short. Unfortunately, some things came up and they had to cancel and, obviously, that’s no problem at all so my spontaneous side is screaming at me like, why didn’t you just change your train ticket and go some other place! But, it’s okay in the grand scheme of things 😉 It just means we’ll have to come back! There are so many places on my list to go in Germany! I think next year will be a really busy year in terms of travel anyway, so Germany will likely be one of those trips 🙂

What are some of the places on your travel lust lists? 

Thanks for stopping by today, friends! Sure do appreciate it! xo.