Day 6 * Köln * 25/5/08

We had a lovely sleep in, though Denise had a too heavy duvet on and was dripping with perspiration. A good bread, cheese and fleische breakfast with red orange juice and coffee. I really enjoy these breakfasts. They seem to set me up for the day.
Köln
Off we went to Köln to see the sights. Bought some camera batteries while the others were recharging. Then the Cathedral. Words really fail, and, I think, so do pictures. The effect is to pull your vision heavenward - both outside and inside. Your eyes are constantly being lifted up as you look at the windows, the sculptured columns, the architecture. Mass (Heilige Messe) had just finished but there were people taking photos and wandering around. There was a sense of the surreal, and while one might have felt they were being intrusive, you then realise you are there as part of the spectator crowd also. The side chapels with their votive candles were a little more private.
Walking through the old part of the town we found buildings with dates as early as the 1200’s, and saw the beginnnings of the renovations of the Roman centre of Köln.

Lunch was at the Museum of Applied Art. We didn’t tour through it but I found a series of stained glass windows which had religious themes. That was a precursor to our visit to Kolumba. This is church that had been destroyed by the bombings in the war and on the site they have erected a modern building which has been recently opened as a Museum of Christian Art - ancient and modern. The building is spectacular as were the exhibits. In all the places visited so far there have been no restrictions to taking photos apart from the use of the flash.
One of the most spectacular parts of the whole was in the church area itself where they had uncovered ruins in the ground that the church had been built on right back to Roman times (2-300 AD). There was also a chapel which had its modern windows lit from behind giving the whole area an interesting lighting effect.
We visited the chapel named as St Mary in the Ruins. I lit a candle in the side chapel. After a bit more wandering we went back home.

After a bit of a rest, Stephan, Yvonn and Tom came around. He has grown so tall, even taller than Rüdiger, and matured very much. Standing between him and Rüdi made me feel like a dwarf. We gave our presents and enjoyed the afternoon. Dinner was a Racklette(?), a kind of table top grill on which you fried meat on top and melted cheese underneath. Amazing piece of cookware which we enjoyed very much. Then Yvonn and Tom left and I showed a selection of our photos. I thought I was getting boring but Stephan couldn’t get enough. By that time it was getting dark and the four of us (Kirsten had to prepare for school) went in to Köln to see the night landscape with the towers and churches all lit up. That was amazing.
Then (always ‘then’ and ‘next’) home for a sleep and another adventure.