We sailed from Bonn at dawn and arrived in Cologne by breakfast time. Our time of cruising is winding down, as Cologne is our last stop before we arrive in Amsterdam.
It was a very cool and wet morning. Chuck, Kathe, Jerry, and I walked from our ship toward Cologne's cathedral. Our first landmark was the Hohenzollern Bridge, the world's busiest railway bridge according to my guidebook. It was destroyed in WWII and rebuilt in its original style. Just like in Paris, it is covered in padlocks placed by lovers to symbolize their never-ending love. (The band of gray that looks like a solid railing is actually an open railing covered in the padlocks.)
We could see the spires of the cathedral just inland from the riverfront, so it looked like it would be an easy approach. Thanks to myriad construction projects, it was anything but straightforward. Our route involved a few stops and starts and a little backtracking, but we made our way. When you have such a huge landmark, you will eventually persevere. And it is huge! It is immediately adjacent to the train station, making for an Odd Couple of big buildings.
Much of the exterior was covered in scaffolding and netting. Unfortunately, so was some of the interior. And other parts were gated off. We couldn't walk the perimeter and view side chapels, etc. Even some of the most noted aspects--such as the Shrine of the Magi-- were not in view and blocked off. Disappointing, but the overwhelming size of the place still had its impact.
Cologne suffered severe bombing damage in WWII, and the cathedral itself was hit by 15 bombs. It's structure survived and its glass and other treasured items had been removed before the bombing.
This is the front half!
Part of the main entrance:
The Gero-Crucifix, carved in 970 AD, a favorite stop of pilgrims:
The grand interior, with a 140-foot ceiling:
After this visit, Chuck and Kathe peeled off to see the train station. We headed for the Alter Markt (Old Market Square) and the City Hall, "the only historic facade left standing after the 1945 bombings," says our guidebook.
We walked back to the boat along the riverfront park. We set sail at 1:00pm and would sail through the night to our final destination: Amsterdam. We had an afternoon briefing on the history and mindset of The Netherlands.
Dusk along the Lower Rhine:
Our evening was capped off with the Farewell Gala Dinner--lots of special treats, including lobster, and, of course, finishing off with the ceremonial Baked Alaska and crew "parade."
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