Cologne in a day

Cologne was another favorite stop of mine on our journey probably because of the Cologne Cathedral.

We've seen many cathedrals, basilicas, and churches on our travels, but this one was in a class of its own.  The twin spires are 515 feet tall making it the tallest twin spired church in the world.

Construction began in 1248 and lasted for almost seven centuries.  Another amazing door!

The stained glass windows were breathtaking.

The cathedral was hit 14 times with aerial bombs during WWII.  The glass windows were removed to protect them and they say this is why the cathedral wasn't completely destroyed.  The open windows allowed the blasts to escape.  The tall towers of the cathedral can be seen for miles and was used a navigational point for allied bombers during the war.

The reason this magnificent cathedral was built is contained in the golden shrine above.  In 1164 the bones of the Magi (three kings who visited baby Jesus) were stolen from Milan, Italy and taken to Cologne.  This attracted thousands of pilgrims to Cologne.  In 1180 the bones were placed in this golden sarcophagus.  King Otto of Brunswick gifted the church with three golden crowns that were placed on the heads of the kings' remains.  It's made of wood and covered in gold and silver and decorated with more than a thousand jewels and beads.  Due to the size of the crowds that came to see it and the money it brought into the city, construction of the cathedral began in 1248.

Don't you think they should have returned the bones to Milan at some point?

Impressive side and center aisles.

The tomb of Count Gottfried of Arnsberg

Tomb of Archbishop Wilhelm of Gennep.

Interesting story told to us by the tour guide.  The people of Cologne really dislike the current Archbishop.  He has been accused of falsely testifying about clergy that have been accused of sexual misconduct.  The people demanded his resignation.  The Pope asked for his letter of resignation which was sent to him, but the Pope never signed it.  Therefore, Cardinal Woelki continues to serve as Archbishop.  Is the Catholic church really interested in reforming?  This suggests not.

As with all medieval churches, the cathedral is always undergoing renovation.

The cathedral was built in the Gothic style and has flying buttresses to support the outward thrust.

Directly behind the bridge is the Hohenzollern Bridge.  1,500 trains cross this bridge every day, but what's most significant about it are the love locks.

In 2015 a physicist estimated there were approximately half a million locks on the bridge that add about 45 tons of weight.  Couples inscribe their names on the lock and throw the key into the Rhine to signify their unending love.

And guess what?  There was a geocache attached to the bridge that was supposed to have a travel bug.  It was a little daunting to find it, but with patience and a keen eye Irv found it.  Unfortunately, no travel bug again.

We decided to find a Brauhaus for lunch.  Of course I had to sample the local beer called Kolsch.  It is served in small glasses, but is quite strong.  When you empty your glass the waiter will automatically bring you another one until you place your coaster on top of your glass.  I really liked the Kolsch.

One last chance to have a German schnitzel before arriving in the Netherlands.

After lunch I convinced Irv to go to the Wallraf-Richartz Museum to check out some are.  We started with the Impressionist gallery which is my favorite style of art.  Above is one of Monet's water lily paintings.

Here is one of Van Gogh's paintings that he did while in Arles, France.

A landscape by Cezanne.

Afterwards it was time to head out to find the bus back to the ship.  By this time a pro-Israel rally was being held in the Cathedral square.

Across the street in front of the train station was a pro-Palestinian rally.

Next stop Kinderdijk, Netherlands!