Our floating hotel docked this morning right in the heart of Cologne, Germany, the fourth largest city in the country. After breakfast, our day started with a walking tour of the Old City and the great Cologne Cathedral, one of the great Gothic cathedrals of the world. Our guide was a history major from Oxford who had moved to Cologne to teach, and decided to stay. He was superb.
After lunch we were on our own, so we walked first to one of the Romanesque churches that had been badly destroyed in the war, but rebuilt in a fine restoration. We walked back to the cathedral to tour it at a more leisurely pace and then checked out the excavated Roman praetorium (governor's palace). The Romans founded Cologne and made it their northern-most outpost in the Roman empire, so there is much excavation going on all around the city. And most of the churches were built on top of Roman temples, homes, etc.
Not all of Cologne is historic or seriou
s. We finished our day with a trip to the Schokoladen Museum, dedicated to the story of chocolate and how candy is manufactured. Of course, we had to buy some to keep our chocolate levels up to healthy levels. As usual, the dinner was great.
s. We finished our day with a trip to the Schokoladen Museum, dedicated to the story of chocolate and how candy is manufactured. Of course, we had to buy some to keep our chocolate levels up to healthy levels. As usual, the dinner was great.Tomorrow is "castle day" when we will visit one, and watch for the many others we will pass on our continuing trip up this great river. More to come...
