Every spring there is a gathering in Beauvenchain, Belgium of audiophiles called Lenco Heaven (named after a turntable) that John likes to attend. We first went a few years ago and were enchanted. The compound is owned by an artist and everything about the location is aesthetic. The attendees are a wonderful mix of interesting people from around the world, and quite a few from Germany so I get to practice my German too. Spending a few days listening to music on top notch audi

Cologne is a 2,000-year-old city on the Rhine River. The twin-spired Cathedral is omnipresent. It is a UNESCO site and like most of Germany was heavily bombed during WWII. Outside the cathedral there's a photo exhibit of the destruction, a testament to the madness of war. The train station has that modern industrial look I associate with Germany. Most of Cologne was rebuilt quickly and cheaply after the war. There is a lovely restored old town and some older architecture scat