Biker models police downtown Cologne

Just visited Cologne, a lovely little town near the western border of Germany. Cologne (or Koln with two funny dots over the o and pronounced kern) boasts a stunning Gothic cathedral (finished last century), that sits squat in the middle of the city. shops crowd up to the cathedral and the train station is just next door. Everytime I strayed from a side street and stumbled onto the main street, the cathedral would burst into my view of vision and take my breath away.

Cologne is relaxed and just lovely to stroll through. It was on one of these strolls that I saw the future of urban policing. How do I describe them? Imagine a young sporty photogenic couple. Deck them out in the latest bike gear - lurid bike pants, high-tech contoured helmets and riding shoes. Give them each the latest in urban moutain bikes.

Then, blaze the "police" logo down the side, put on a funky style jacket. As it's uncomfortable wearing a belt with skin-tight bikepants, let the gun hang loose from the hem of the jacket. And finally, let those handcuffs dangle from the, quite trendite, jacket.

This is the uber-polizei of the 21st century.

English: the French connection

Remembering that the Normans (now part of northern France) invaded and conquered England in the 12th century illuminates much about the English language. Half of it is made up of latin words. Now that I'm learning French, odd words here and there reveals even more of the history of the Norman invasion. After the invasion, the Normans killed every English aristocrat they could find and replaced them with French lords. As such, in French, to ask is "demander", whereas in english, "demand" means to order. In French, to tell one to stop, or stick 'em up, one uses "se rendre". In English, to give up is to "surrender".