July 11 – Now that our hiking is done, what should we do with our remaining time? Rather than a long travel day back to Frankfurt, we decided to stop in four German cities along the way. Today’s goal is Cologne, or in German, Köln.
One last lovely yogurt, fruit, ham and cheese breakfast We walked to the Maastricht train station with our big packs on our backs – no more luggage transport for us…and stepped off the eastbound train two hours later in Cologne, Germany. As soon as we left the rail station, we ran smack into the Cologne Cathedral of St. Peter, or Kölner Dom, the tallest twin-spired church in the world, and the tallest cathedral in the world. Pictures cannot convey the BIGNESS of this place. It dominates the skyline.Can you see the gold sarcophagus on the main altar? It’s very far away! The building of the cathedral started in the 1200s as a place to display the reliquaries of the Magi, or the shrine of the Three Kings, but building was not completed until the 1880s.Vibrantly colored stained glassSt. Christopher carrying the Christ childThe cathedral was bombed 14 times during WWII, and remained standing while all the surrounding buildings were destroyed A richly colored Madonna and childPlenty of dead bishops lying in state…including St Engelburtus, who remained jaunty even in deathJim noticed that many of the bishops are shown with dogs at their feet, and also lions and birds. These depictions were thought to comfort and protect the deceased in the afterlife, or to represent the qualities of loyalty and strength they showed in life. You decide.Modern painting on the ceilingMother of all?I’m always looking for female representation. Are angels female?Back out on the street, we see and smell the 4711 (sieben und vierzig elf) building. 4711 is the essence of Cologne, and one of my favorite scents. My Oma wore it, and I keep a bottle of it at home to occasionally sniff.We walked across the city to the Botanical Gardens, or Flora und Botanischer Garten. Why walk in the city when you can walk in a garden?An aroma garden dominated by sweet daphne Water lilies in many colorsWe walked back along the Rhine River, where there were lots of boats taking tourists for river cruises. See the cathedral? It’s taller than any of the downtown buildings.And we’re back to the crowds, with tons of folk at the sidewalk cafes sharing lunch and beer. A fine day!
Taking Our Time 