Cologne, Germany

After twelve consecutive hours of travel, considering layover time, we finally made it to Cologne. Exhaustion, fatigue, and jetlag all set in, but we were too excited to care. Caffeine also helped. We stayed at a hotel in Dusseldorf, which is only ten minutes away from Cologne by train. After a quick nap, we decided to venture out into the city. We walked for about an hour back to the train station, meandering along the bike path next to the rural roads. Once we reached the station, we quickly fell back into intense fatigue. We have learned, so far, that all of the stations have a Starbucks, and all Starbucks offer free wireless internets. This is exciting news because this country (and I’m sure most others in the EU) will charge you for everything they possibly can. For instance, the hotel doesn’t feel obligated to offer amenities such as sheets or blankets. Go figure. It was late by the time we arrived and we were starving.So instead of going into downtown, which our shuttle driver assured us really came alive after 9 p.m., we decided to get food at one of the many cheap and quick shops at the station and return to our room.


By noon the next day, we were on a packed train headed for Cologne. The first site seen upon arrival as the train pulls into the station is the Dom. The towering, five century old gothic cathedral is the cornerstone of Cologne, attracting (supposedly) thirty thousand guests a day. It was surreal and fantastic, yet frequently overpowered by magicians and costumed look-alikes competing for tourists’ attention and spare change. Inside, there are rows and rows of pews filled with guests. Surrounded by stained glass and tall pillars, we started making our way around the church. The Dom offered tours in English, but we were too late. There really was no literature available, so we tried to soak up the mystique and take as many pictures as possible. After that, we went to Starbucks to get on the internet and wikipedia’d the history of the Dom. Apparently, construction began in the late thirteenth century but was not complete until almost the end of the nineteenth century.

The city stretch along The Rhine was lively and colorful. We really wanted to take a boat tour, but it was too late in the day and the tours were finished. Mark was delighted by the so-called “beer bike” which he dubbed the party bike. It’s hard to explain, but it was pretty neat. There were tons of restaurants with outdoor seating and shops peddling everything from high end fashions to souvenirs made in China. We stopped into the Lindt Chocolate factory store, but did not take the tour. They make chocolate everything: chocolate teeth, handcuffs, cell phones, even chocolate beer bottles.

It was easy to walk around the city, and we encountered a lot of interesting places along the way. Cologne is definitely an open and vibrant city, with a historic backdrop yet a young culture.

Onward to Amsterdam.