Tuesday, October 7th
Much to our dismay, we awoke to another grey day. No rain, though, so we can't complain, but Vialula says blue skies make for nicer photos. This is our next to last day on this amazing trip, and our last stop in Germany, and the adventure has been truly amazing. We have learned so much, and seen so much. The cathedrals and castles dance in our heads at night as we sleep!
Cologne on a sunny day, not our day
(thanks @Brittanica)
Speaking of cathedrals, today's visit to Cologne Cathedral promises to be one of the most fabulous. We get an up close and personal look this afternoon which only 550 stair steps can afford!
Cologne Cathedral coming into view
Our guide this morning is Sarah. She reminded us first and foremost to stay off the bike paths! Biking is the preferred method of travel in Cologne, and they have their own dedicated lanes. Pedestrians beware! She also loves chocolate and recommended this one next time we're in town. It was closed.
Sarah, the redhead, our guide
Cologne is over 2,000 years old, founded by the Romans. There are still ancient ruins visible today. We saw some of the old city wall. Sarah parlayed lots of Roman history to us mentioning Octavian, Augustus, Romulus and Remus .... (ancient history book handy?) Colonia Claudia Ara Agrippensium was the first name given to this city in 50 AD, later to become Koln (o has 2 dots over it) or as we call it today, Cologne.
Romulus & Remus Fountain
reminding us of Cologne's ancient beginnings
part of the ancient wall
shout out to ancient Roman history
It is almost impossible to get lost in Cologne as the Cathedral is visible from every angle possible. Nothing is taller than its 515 feet. At one time, (up until its completion in 1880), it was the tallest building in the world. It is still the tallest twin spired building in the world. Today it is the 3rd tallest church in the world, and the tallest church in all Germany. It is difficult to show this in photos, but we will try.
view from front
the fountain on the right side
we're in - looking at altar
There is so much to tell about the cathedral ... it would take a ream of paper to list it all. It is awesome in the truest sense of the word. LeRoy and Vialula were dumb-struck. "Oh wows" and "Oh my goodness" echoed all around the cathedral. It took 632 years to build, with a 300 year break. It all began in 1169 when the Archbishop of Cologne brought the relics (bones) of The Three Wise Men to Cologne. Shortly thereafter a gold shrine was built and the relics were stored in this shrine. It sits at the front of the cathedral.
the shrine that contains the relics
of The Three Wise Men
Sarcophagus in the cathedral, some are saints,
some are bishops and some, just wealthy patrons
Back in the days of yore, a pilgrimage to see the relics of the Wisemen became very important, and soon it was decided to build a cathedral worthy to house this treasure of Christianity. As mentioned, it took 600 years with a 300 year break for the Protestant Reformation and The Thirty Years War.
copy of original blue prints that
still exist in the Metropolitan Museum of Art
builders stuck true to form
During WWII, the Cathedral was hit by 14 bombs but miraculously survived, especially considering the destruction all around. We were told that the Cathedral was a marker for the bombers and they used it as a reference point, and hence, didn't want to destroy their marker.
The ruins of Cologne 1945
courtesy of www.rarehistorical photos.com
Unfortunately, nearly every stained glass window was damaged or destroyed. The work to repair and replace them all is still ongoing. As mentioned in other blogs, cranes and scaffolds are visible in all these old cities, but they are for maintenance not new construction.
Believe it or not, the Cathedral was not all we saw in
Cologne, but for Vialula, it was the most significant. Later that day,
she went back to the Cathedral and took a tour climbing 555 steps to the
top. She saw the gothic gargoyles, the flying buttresses, the amazing
organ suspended in the air, the swastika engraved on a pillar at the top (think
of who was coming to power then), the original gold cross and some amazing
vistas of the city.
the gargoyles
view of the altar from up top
our friends, Mark and Beth, overlooking the city
the original golden cross
the last stairwell to the tippy top
a cool view of the Rhine River,
from amongst the gothic spires
Our guide that afternoon had grown up in Cologne and was a walking/talking encyclopedia of all things Cathedral. She gives that Top of the Cathedral Tour twice a day, Monday thru Friday, and once on Saturday. Her knowledge was matched only by her level of physical fitness!
Suzette, Cathedral guide
To short the city of Cologne by not mentioning other aspects of it wouldn't be fair. We've mentioned bicycles, Roman beginnings, the Cathedral ... what else? Oh the obvious, Cologne is from Cologne! Several colognes in town claim to be the original, but best we could understand, the Farina Cologne from 1709 is the original. Of course, Vialula had to get some for herself and a few for souvenirs. It really smells nice .... a light citrus smell. She likes it!
Farina Cologne since 1709
Steiffs and Steins abound
When you travel, it's sometimes easy to forget the rest of the world, and that it's still spinning. On October 1st, the real world came crashing into us in the form of a bomb threat in Munich during Octoberfest, but today on the Cathedral grounds, we had another reminder that the world is more than fun and games. October 7th, two years ago today, marks the attack on Israel by Hamas and other Palestinian militant groups. We were told that there are demonstrations around the Cathedral all the time. As such, a somber yet poignant gathering of Jewish people was forming as we were descending the cathedral. You could hear the singing and see the throng of people and the empty chairs, one each for each hostage.
As I type this, in arrears and many days after the fact, the Israeli hostages have been released, and there is a fragile peace agreement in place. Praise God. May peace abide, here, there and everywhere.
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