Cologne is wonderful

Well I left Frankfurt and got into Cologne this morning at around 10:30, they are only about an hour apart by train.  I had to wait on my room to be ready for a while to so I went exploring saw what seems like, after only day, like a very nice city not too different from Portland.  It seems to be of good size but not a huge metropolis and there are only a couple of tall sky scrappers but nothing too big.  I walked through town and saw the Prince Whelm Rose Garden, the park with some modern art in it and then walked along the Rhine river back to my hostel.  I saw a church that was maybe the biggest I have seen since I have been here.

This church, affectionately called the Dom, has a small museum holding several items from around the time of the Romans and of course several significant religious artifacts.  I can tell you that there was some major bling going on.  I wish I could show you but, no pictures.  It was quite amazing though.  Things from tombs that were unearthed while working on the church through the years, fine tapestry's and all sorts of chalices, staffs and even a couple of burial arc's, not JC's though.

It was a great first day and I look forward to more tomorrow.  It rained a little today and is suppose to more tomorrow, possible lightening.  Nothing new to me and with the heat a welcome addition.  Enjoy the pictures and I will talk to everyone later.

Ciao

The gateway from the original wall around Cologne.

One of the lesser famous but still nice churches

The roses in Prince Whilhelm's Garden.

Some of the modern art in the park by the Rhine.

More Art

Government building.

Some of the mural windows in "the Dom" the church in Cologne.

It is over 500 years old and has seen quite a lot.

More window.

One of the knights tombs, who supposdly protected the Grail during the holly wars, I think.

The bottom level of south tower.  Many, Many stairs to go.

The bells at the top.

Quite a view from 475 ft up.

Still smiling after 533 steps but a little more sweaty.

The Rhine and the Opera House, blue thing on the left.  That is also the famous bridge that was once bombed and put into the water during WW2.

Nice.

The other tower from inside tower 2.

From back down on the ground floor.

This fountain at the bottom seemed like a nice place for a cool dip when I was done.

The Dom at night.

German funny art.  That sign on the left side is a parking sign.

Originally the tallest building in Cologne, the Messe Tower now a news channel tower.

The Hohenzollern Bridge.

The Baysen Tower.  The farthest southern point from the old wall, from around the 12th century.  

This is Severins-gate from the 12th century was where the road to Rome went through.

Grobe St. martin, a church from around 1150-1172.

That is where I left my arc.

And this is where all the chocolate bunnies at Easter come from.  Cologne, Germany.

Inside the chocolate museum they have some working machinery to show how chocolate is made.

Don't you just want to bath in it?

Now, that is a chocolate fountain.

And that is what the bunny can bring me next year in my basket.

This is what I had afterwards.  Not as heavy as it looks.  Rather light, mouse style.

ELDE Haus, one of the Gestapo's police and holding buildings in downtown Cologne.

Lots of the prisoners would write things or scratch things right into the cell walls.

some more cell walls with writing.

The Golden Fiesta, made special by Ford for their European office, located in Cologne.