A little bit fishy

If you like fish you're in for a treat in Cologne and Düsseldorf over the next few months. The Fischmarkt is all about eating - not just fish - it's a veritable outdoor food-fest in the guise of a fish market. On the flyer there's a fresh lobster, prawns and crab on a bed of ice with a slice of lemon. Don't expect to find this at the fish market (at least not the one in Cologne). I think it was some kind of decoy. The closest thing to fresh fish I found was a dozen fresh oysters - but I wasn't dissapointed. I managed to eat freshly smoked trout - smoked in a traditional wood oven; freshly made crepes with cinamaon sugar; back-fisch (which is pretty much like fish and chips from a chippy); freshly made quark bällchen (donuts balls); reibekuchen (potato pancakes); tyrolean smoked sausage; mettwurst (sausage) and a whole assortment of freebies from the fruit and nut stall. All of it accompanied by some smooth live jazz. So the name is a tad misleading - there was no fresh fish to be found  - but it's still well worth a visit. The next one in Cologne is at the Tanzbrunnen on 19 June, the next one in Düsseldorf is on the 12 June at the Tonhallenufer. Check it out - and maybe if you get their earlier than I did - you'll actually find some fresh fish.... www.rheinlust.de