Shopping in Bonn and Cologne

I didn't plan to do some shopping in Germany. I thought Singapore is perfect for shopping and I don't need to do much in Germany. I assume that German goods are more expensive.

But after strolling on the Bonn streets I am very surprise to find that almost everything is cheaper here comparing to Singapore. The food is cheaper, cloth is cheaper. Staying in Singapore for a long time, I didn't realize that Singapore's cost of living is climbing up so much now. It is not surprising to know that Singapore is the 8th most expensive city in the world and Bonn is not even among the top 50 most expensive cities according to a 2011 survey.

You can find many shops that are familiar to Singapreans such as Zara, H & M, Promod. I am so happy that there are so many nice clothes that I can buy. In Singapore, I normally end up with nothing after 1 or 2 hours shopping.

I didn't see any luxury shops such as Louis Vuitton or Gucci in Bonn. Bonn used to be the west German's capital. But the city is like a small town. Streets are small and friendly. I can walk from my apartment easily to the central of the city and many city attractions. If you need to go out to other cities, the trains and buses are easily accessible. There are so many cultural activies going on such as Beethoven festival and Klangwelle 2011 (Sound and Wave 2011). I just love the way of living in Bonn.

Apart from visiting the Wallraf Museum in Cologne, we were attracted to many nice shops as well. We bought several pairs of pretty and cheap made in China shoes.

Update from Bonn

Great View along Rhine River

I am taking a month break and staying in a service apartment near Rhine River in Bonn with my family. The weather in Germany is perfect in September. It is really nice for me to leave the hot and humid Singapore behind for a while.

 Love this Painting with Grays in Walraf Museum in Koln.

One of the two Van Gogh Paintings in Wallraf Museum

This is the first time I saw a real Van Gogh painting. I can see details of the strokes of the paintings. I am very excited.