Too many people

After leaving the Volksgarten, we took the tram back to the pedestrian zone. Unfortunately, it was now late afternoon and the pedestrian zone was absolutely packed.

I've since been told that overcrowding is a serious problem in Cologne on Saturdays. During the holidays, they actually close off the pedestrian zone and set up barricades so that too many people don't go in. They wait for 30 people to leave, and then they let 30 people in. So, I don't think we'll be going to Cologne during the holidays on a Saturday.

It felt pretty much like Times Square, with wall to wall people. We had wanted to look at some clothes for SJ (there are actually four H&M stores in the pedestrian zone in Cologne), but everything was just too packed. I had also hoped to visit the Dunkin Donuts store for a 'Coffee Coolatta' (Cologne has the only DD around), but you couldn't get in the store as it was too crowded.

So, we decided to just go home and tried to make our way to the train station.
Just as we hit the last stretch, our path was blocked by a "Down with Israel & the U.S." parade. Real fun. The parade was quite long, and we were quite ready to leave, so we had no choice but to wait for an opening and push the stroller through the throngs of angry Arabs. Ahh...the memories.