Cologne; Sites, Sweets and a Reaquaintance October 22, 2006

It was Sunday morning and we decided to treat ourselves to a riding tour of Cologne. We had found a brochure in our room at the Allegro Hotel that described the tour starting at Cologne’s Notre Dame Cathedral. The Dom, as it is known here, is a 15 minute walk along the river from the Allegro, so it was no problem to be there on time. As we approached the Dom the bells began to ring. I should spell that RING because the bells although hanging high overhead were loud enough to drown out normal talk from several blocks away. They rang for about fifteen minutes at which time what little hearing I have was diminished by the echo of the massive carillon.

The Cologne Notre Dame Cathedral (another UNESCO site) was begun in 1248. The Chancel was consecrated in 1322 and construction continued until 1520 when a lack of funds forced a halt. It wasn’t until 1880 that the building was completed. The twin towered religious edifice was built in French Gothic style and the exterior looks as though it is dressed in lace. It is also said to be one of the largest churches in the world with the north tower soaring to 157.38 meters (520’) above the ground. Even without the spires, which were built between 1840 and 1880, it was the tallest building in Europe until the Eiffel tower was built. It also houses the world’s largest working bell (we could have told you that!) the Peter Bell which weighs 24 tons. Although we did not enter as Mass was in process, we have read that the interior is inspiring and there are several must sees. The stained-glass windows, enormous Gero Crucifix, altar paintings and the1318 carved oak choir stalls all add to the Dom’s legendary status but the piece de resistance is the Shrine of the Three Magi which is said to contain the remains of the three kings. For any of you that may attend one of Cologne’s many trade shows, treat yourself with a visit to the Dom.

We boarded the double decker bus for the two hour tour around Cologne. Cologne was founded by the Romans during their occupation of the area about two thousand years ago making Cologne one of the oldest cities in Germany. The one-million-strong population makes it the country’s fourth largest city. Remains of the Roman walls, gates and towers still stand in several areas and we visited some of these sites. We found out later that a stone archway in front of our hotel is also part of the early wall. The tour stopped at the Cologne City Museum and we were given twenty minutes or so to browse through the history dating from the Roman times until post-WWII. We were given a short talk on the beginnings of Eau de Cologne which still survives today from a few local factories and under several brands. The balance of the tour was a roaming drive around present day Cologne with the guide sharing information on points of interest in both German and English. We crossed the Rhine River to the newer section of Cologne where we were treated to nice views of the historic section although it had clouded up and everything seemed more subdued.

Our guide told us that while you have the Right Bank and the Left Bank of the river in Paris the residents of historic Cologne, the left bank, say the people who live in the new section of town live on the “Wrong, Right Bank”. Almost half the populace now lives along the Right Bank, so the Lefties better watch out.

After the tour we had lunch at a local Brat Haus which was over filling and very good. We then went to tour the Schokoladen Museum (Chocolate Museum). We weren’t expecting much, but were pleasantly surprised to find information and exhibits stating with how cocoa is grown and processed, how it was brought to Europe from the New World, marketing strategies over the last three hundred years and even a mini factory where you can watch hollow and solid chocolate being made. After the tour we hit the coffee shop for our weekly indulgence, this week being two different kinds of chocolate cake and then on to the chocolate shop. We came away with several bars of German and French dark chocolate that we’ll nibble on for the next week or so.

To end our day we had dinner Katia Konrad. Katia is the daughter of Heinz and Helga Konrad that we met while sailing in the East Indies ten or eleven years ago. The Konrads live in Sao Paulo, Brazil, but Katia at the time was going to school in Richmond where we were living and we spent a very pleasant weekend touring Washington D.C with her. Katia is all grown up now and is based in Cologne for her job with Bayer (aspirin). She is a lovely lady and we had a great time reminiscing and catching up on all that’s happened over the last few years. We wish her much luck and happiness.