There are many special places, significant both for Swa and myself, where we frequently like to travel to and find beauty and rest. Whether this will be a short romantic weekend trip, or a longer holiday, the roads to France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Turkey, Greece… seem to know our trails. Every holiday holds a pleasant experience and a new discovery, an exhilarating happiness beaconing us to come back. And we frequently do. Once in love, we remain faithfully always in love… with a place, with a hotel, with a city and with all our treasured memories associated with a stay.
All places are special, but none like Aachen. We have discovered the city almost by coincidence a decade ago. In a moment of inspiration, we have decided to take the car and travel to Germany for a weekend with no reservation, no particular city in mind, just following the road and letting fate guide our way. And it did. One of the first cities we have crossed on our way was Aachen. Driving in, we saw an amazing looking building with white marble columns, looking like the most luxurious hotel we have ever seen – Aachen Quellenhof. We have decided to stop, enter in and ask for some direction and a map of the city.
While still admiring the lobby bar and the entrance of the hotel Swa, in fluent German was already conversing with the hotel staff at the reception desk. Not after long, he came to me with a smile announcing that he has booked a room for us for the night. My first reaction was of a complete shock. How could we afford this? It appeared that we could. The hotel did not only come with the most spacious and elegant accommodation one could imagine, but with a SPA Center, fitness and a swimming pool, large ground floor sitting area with a fire place, a library and a piano, but most of all with an abundant breakfast in the morning including all sorts of delights.
Little did we know how special and dear this place will be for us in the coming years. The hotel has seen us in the past decade, passing through all stages of life, it has heard us cry, it has heard us laugh, it has heard Swa improvising on the piano, seen us dancing at midnight, admiring the fireworks at new year, celebrating my birthday… And this is only the start.
The hotel has become one of the reasons we would frequently travel to Germany through the years, but the city on its own has made as fall in love as well. Ancient history, baroque architecture, cosy restaurants, classic music entertainment next to the cathedral, flower markets, antique markets, delicious coffee and cakes… and beauty and peacefulness and magic.
Every trip, brings us home happy and with a smile. Every trip, offering a new experience and an unexpected adventure.
The last trip, among all the rest, was also a culinary delight. We have admired our hotel for such a long time, but only vary rarely have enjoyed its restaurant. This time we took the time to refresh and enjoy the night, starting with a class of champaign in the elephant bar, then followed by a splendid dinner at the restaurant. What a culinary delight! Delicious starter of a cream soup and fish tart, followed by an asparagus soup, with vanilla, shrimps and ravioli, gratinated aubergines for me and grilled stake with mustard-seeds sauce for Swa. A memorably tasty adventure…
