Cologne welcomed me with the warm breeze, contrasting rain and sunshine, but most importantly, with an uplifting feeling of a new start of an awakening spring season.

My city tour adventures started through the lively Breiten Strasse with its vibrant atmosphere of chilled Reggie tunes, and the local cafés and bakeries, beckoning me with the aroma of freshly baked pastries and neatly arranged breadbaskets.

Colourful decorations of the Hussel Chocolate artisan shop caught my eye.
Chocolate is the answer, I thought to myself! It has been always known as ‘food for soul’. The chocolate may not solve your problems, but, hey, an apple won’t solve them either…! 🙂

When entering the kingdom of Hussel Chocolate, I instantly knew, – ‘I don’t need to be nice anymore, as I can get the best sweets myself!’  🙂
My favourite pick were the hazelnuts coated in the dark chocolate. Truly irresistible! Obviously, the pack of those hasn’t ever reached an initially intended recipient, as I have instantly opened the Pandora’s box of chocolate indulgence.

Spin forward: after catching few Sun rays by the Cologne Cathedral, I am at the piano bar of Excelsior Hotel sipping on a fresh mint tea with honey, while listening to the tunes of soulful piano jazz and planning my tour through the art galleries. I had a double luck: after the long conference the day before, it was the time to explore the best of this culturally rich city. And what a coincidence, – it was the opening day of Art Cologne (26-29 of April 2017)! Moreover, I was lucky to have a fine Art expert as my personal guide, who I happened to meet by chance on my way to Art Cologne.

Art Cologne is a contemporary art fair, where established international galleries like Ben Brown Fine Arts and White Cube from London, David Kordansky from LA, Pearl Lam from Hong Kong, and other global counterparts are joined by successful young gallery owners like Antoine Levi and Joseph Tang from Paris, Project Native Informant from London, Kai Matsumiya from NY and Teminkova & Kasela from Tallinn, my home Baltic region amongst others, overall showing works of around two thousand artists.

My personal top five selection of the international rising stars may not indicate the next Damien Hirst or Jeff Koons! Nevertheless, they would be serious contenders to replace the current artwork in my office and remind me of the short but sweet memories of my Cologne adventures.