Cologne and Flatladen

When television made you wait. I weirdly miss the days when television had the audacity to make you wait. An entire week between episodes. Seven days to sit with a cliffhanger and wonder if the protagonist survived the explosion, betrayal, or whatever dramatic nonsense the writers had planned. At the time it felt cruel. Now entire seasons drop in one go and the suspense disappears by episode three, usually somewhere between folding laundry and staring at the ceiling during the recap. The same thing happened with boredom. When I was a kid, boredom was unavoidable. Long car rides staring out the window hoping a cow would do something mildly interesting. If you were lucky, you fell asleep. If you weren’t, you counted telephone poles. Now my kids have theme songs and cartoons on demand. I’ve got podcasts for every possible whim. Entertainment isn’t something you wait for anymore. And oddly… I kind of miss being bored. But boredom and suspense aren’t quite the same thing. Suspense is closer to stress. Waiting for something to finish while having absolutely no control over it. Take Cologne Cathedral. Construction started in 1248 and finished in 1880. Six hundred years. Which feels roughly equivalent to the amount of time it’s taken me to finish the final piece of skirting board on the basement stairs. (Still unfinished, but I'm building anticipation) Cologne itself, thankfully, rewards patience much faster than my DIY projects. Between the cathedral, the old town, riverside walks, and a suspiciously convenient number of breweries, it’s a city that has more layers than an onion. Of course, not everything worth waiting for takes six centuries to come around. Some things just take a bit of creative effort. When my brothers and I were kids, my mother had a practical problem... traditional Rouladen takes time. Careful rolling, tying, and simmering. Not ideal when you're raising children with a proven ability to injure themselves on ordinary household objects. So she created something we later named “Flatladen.” All the flavours of Rouladen. None of the careful construction. The culinary equivalent of building Cologne Cathedral in a weekend. Less elegant (maybe), but still sturdy enough to get the job done. Which brings me back to suspense. A little anticipation generally makes things better. Like a good meal in a city that's best explored slowly. Or a television show that leaves you hanging for a week. But if I’m going to lose my mind waiting for something… It's going to be on my terms. Travel here: Things to do in CologneGet the recipe: FlatladenHerzliche Grüße,Eran Fulson

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Cologne and Flatladen

When television made you wait.

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