Ozbrecht 2017 - Europe's Rhine & Danube Rivers
Cologne, Germany
Day 6 - June 28
Cologne (Köln), Germany. The Cologne Cathedral. It’s a panorama, so a little curvy
Notice the detail of this Gothic-style cathedral
Not sure who these guys are - popes, apostles, saints? There are many like these surrounding the outside of the cathedral
Huge. If you saw an aerial of this cathedral, you would notice it’s shaped in the form of a cross; all cathedrals are
It was cloudy and raining in the morning. We returned later in the afternoon for our beer culture dinner and caught some blue sky
One of many stained glass windows inside the cathedral
Just some of the organ pipes. I think the larger ones sit behind these
A view down the long end of the cathedral
This was one of the largest cathedrals we would visit - Cologne is one of the largest cities in Germany - but the cathedral is not one of the prettiest, or even one of the most ornate
No. 4711 is one of the most recognized Eau de Colognes in the world. I guess
The Fruh is one of the largest brewhouses in Cologne. It is in Komodienstrasse, the Cologne city center, and is just a few hundred feet from Cologne Cathedral. We will visit it this evening
Cologne’s Old Market Square - The Town Hall clock. Notice the fella below the clock sticking his tongue out. The old European architects certainly had a sense of humor
Its citizens have a sense of humor too. This was the statue that sits in the center of Old Market Square. She’s thirsty
In Old Town Market Square. Moon shot
The priest and his acolyte
I love the way Europeans use color
Love locks, a very popular item in many European cities. The love locks in Paris - all 45 tons of them - were taken down from the Pont de Arts bridge. This was due to safety reasons - the weight was causing the bridge to sag. Cologne’s Hohenzollernbrucke Bridge, which crosses the Rhine, is thick with them
It’s evening, and we begin our brewhouse tour. There were a number of Modi travelers who joined this optional tour, so we were split into 3 groups with 3 guides. Our guide’s name was Peter, and he was very tall; his nickname was 2-meter Peter.
One of the other guides was also Peter, and quite short; his nickname: 2-liter Peter. Our guide took us to three establishments. This is Fruh - we are about 3 floors down from ground level, and have our dinner here. Typical German fare, and delicious!
The music player at Gaffel-Kolsch Brewhouse. Its jukebox gives you hundreds of songs to choose from
Wanna hear a tune? (video)
Cologne at night. Get ready, there are a few pictures coming. Gorgeous. All of the larger cities we visited are beautifully lit
Cologne Cathedral and Musical Dome
Basilica of St. Cunibert and Cologne Cathedral
I was surprised by Cologne. I pictured it to be highly industrial, dirty and gray. But it is not. It has a large university, and the students bring life to the city. Although highly damaged from World War II bombing, it has done a remarkable job of rebuilding its culture. I really enjoyed it
Auf Wiedersehen, Koln
Day 6 - June 28
Cologne, Germany
Cologne is the 4th largest city in Germany (Berlin, Hamburg, Munich). We spent the day in this marvelous city; the morning on a city tour, an afternoon of free time, and the evening visiting 3 pubs. Cologne’s old town, where we visit, was largely destroyed in World War II. I was expecting a rather dirty, industrial feel. Instead, a very upbeat, positive vibe – maybe because there is a university here. Young folks have that effect on a culture.
The tour takes us to Koln Dom (Cologne Cathedral). It is the tallest twin-spiked cathedral and the most visited landmark in Germany. An amazing architectural feat. It too was largely damaged during World War II, although its twin steeples survived. It might be the largest cathedral we will visit – and we will visit many. But it is not my favorite. The inside is rather bland compared to others. Following our visit to the cathedral, the tour will take us to the Old Market Square and to the riverfront. A delightful city.
After an afternoon of free time, we headed out for our nighttime excursion – the Cologne Beer and Cultural Dinner. We visited 3 pubs, with dinner at the first. In this region of Germany (unlike Bavaria, where the beer is served in large steins), the region’s Kolsch beer is served in small 7-ounce glasses. That is so it stays cold to the last drop. Once you are finished, they will bring you another, until you place your coaster over your glass. Dinner was typical German fare – meat and potatoes. The second pub had a marvelous jukebox and life-size pair of musical puppets. Finally we visited a small pub; everyone there knew our guide, and it was his birthday, so we celebrated!