Eau de Cologne

Michael and I took advantage of another Bank Holiday to visit the German cities of Bonn and Cologne.  The flight with Ryan Air was good however, on landing we had to remain on the plane, as there was an electrical storm and all ground staff had to shelter in the terminal.  We were soon on our way and after catching two trains and thoroughly confusing ourselves we decided that a taxi was a better option to take us to our hotel.  We dropped our bags off and then set off to explore Bonn.

The first impression of Bonn is of a modern city but with very few high-rise buildings.  We explored the streets and eventually found the old city, which is rather lovely.  There are large, open squares that are not over-run with tourists and many interesting shops, bars and restaurants.  We dined at a lovely local restaurant and Michael was able to have his first German beer for the trip.

The next day we caught the train to Cologne, a journey of just under half an hour.  Cologne is a much busier city and of course tourists make the trip to see the famous cathedral.  This was primarily the purpose of our visit, as I had always wanted to see this wonderful building.  I was not disappointed as the cathedral dominates the skyline and you can see it long before the train pulls into the station.  We tried several times to visit the church, however, being a Sunday, we always managed to time it during one of the services.  We were able to hear the choir singing, which was amazing and later we heard the cantor.  The acoustics are phenomenal and it must be wonderful to attend a concert there.

Cologne sustained heavy damage during WW2, with 95% of buildings flattened, so Cologne is a modern city.  There are no high-rise buildings in the main centre as there is a law prohibiting any building being taller than the cathedral.  The result is a very pleasant, spacious town, which is comfortable to walk around.  We dined al fresco at a traditional German restaurant, as Michael was desperate to have a schweinhaxe.  I foolishly decided that I would have one as well, thinking that I would only be served a half one.  I was wrong – out came the biggest schweinhaxe you have ever seen.  It was absolutely delicious however there was no way that I was ever going to be able to finish it.  This was washed down with the first beer that I have tried that I really liked – Kolsch.  The beer is brewed in Cologne and is a pale all barley ale.  I think I liked it mostly because it is served in small glasses of 0.2 litres.

We tried to walk off our huge lunch but soon gave up and opted for a cruise along the Rhine.  The Rhine runs through both Bonn and Cologne and it was great to travel along the famous working river.  I was surprised at how strong the current was, no doubt swollen by all the heavy rains which have devastated southern Germany and France.  It was nice to get a different view of the city from the waterway.

The following day we ventured back into Cologne and this time we were able to visit the cathedral properly.  We started with a visit to the Cathedral Treasury.  This is a collection of sacred objects reaching back to the 10^th century.  There were many amazing reliquaries, liturgical vessels, robes and insignia, the most famous of which are the relics of the Three Magi.  The items were all very beautiful and interesting and Michael and I virtually had the displays all to ourselves.  Next, Michael undertook the ascent of the tower, a journey of 533 steps and he enjoyed the amazing views over the city.  


 I wasn’t game to attempt the climb, as the staircase was very narrow, so I took a stroll around the outside of the cathedral.  The structure is massive and covered in some of the most frightening and alarming gargoyles that I have ever seen.  They are a real Gothic horror show.  The cathedral stonework is covered in layers of grime and one can only imagine how it would look if the façade was cleaned, although the grime adds to the imposing, if slightly creepy, look. 

 

When Michael returned from his tower climb, we turned our attention to the inside of the cathedral.  The arched ceilings soar overhead and the sheer size is overwhelming.  The stained glass windows are beautiful and there are many statues throughout.  Unfortunately a relic, a cloth with a drop of blood from Pope John Paul II had been stolen the day before our arrival.  The reliquary was still attached to the wall, and there were various members of the media filming the empty vessel and filing their news reports.  Aside from that disappointment, we found the cathedral to be a beautiful and fascinating place and well worth the visit to Cologne.

Michael wanted another schweinhaxe for lunch, however there was no way that I was going to have such a huge meal again.  I sensibly ordered a sausage thinking that would be a more suitable meal.  I was served an unbelievably enormous sausage – the Germans certainly love their meat!

Once lunch was finished, we took a stroll over to the 4711 flagship store.  I have loved this fragrance since I was a child and the store housed a small museum of old bottles of perfume and advertising.  We made our purchases and then stood outside to watch the glockenspiel – a carillon that plays on the hour, as wooden figures appear one by one. 

Our final day was spent shopping in Bonn, with our main purchase being a 2kg bag of mixed sweets from one of the enormous Haribo shops.  We have always loved the gummi bears however this shop sells all of the varieties of sweets, some of which we had never seen.  There were sour straws, sour belts, lemon drops, gummies, real fruit gummies, sore throat gummies, more gummies and just about everything you can imagine.  The 2kg bag wasn’t just for our consumption.  Michael took half of the sweets in to his work to share amongst the staff.