Lis and Tyler in Germany

Last weekend we drove three hours with Miriam and Thomas (not in the clown car, I might add) to Koln (or, because “Koln” is so hard to pronounce, “Cologne”). We walked from our hostel to the pedestrian district and found a little cafe for lunch. Even though it was pouring down rain and freezing cold, I wanted a place we could sit and watch the people going by. We found a covered, half in/half out type place and Tyler, doubting my intelligence, dutifully indulged the wife. Not five minutes later, we notice several police vans. Then a curiously large number of police officers. Then it seems the armed officers with shields are barricading off the road and passersby shove into shops and cafes, including the one Tyler and I are sitting in. We get up from our seats and watch a huge group of people pass by, snap a few pictures and then, when the crowd clears, we work out through gestures and a few key words like “Iraq” from the waiter that it was a peace march. Amazing that even over here in Germany there is such a turnout for a peace demonstration.

Next we went to the famous Koln cathedral. A Roman temple stood where the cathedral stands now. The gate of the Roman city, from 50 A.D., is still standing in front of the cathedral. The cathedral construction began in 1248, including the construction of the tallest church spire in the world, and they worked on it for 100 years until they ran outof money and the construction was halted for 300years. In the 1800′s 700 workers completed it in “just” 38 years. These facts are amazing without having seen the cathedral, but seeing the cathedral, and seeing what an amazing architectural masterpieceit is, makes it absolutely unbelievable. Every nook and cranny is beautifully detailed. The cathedral houses the oldest surviving monumental crucifix, which was carved in 976. I still cannot believe that we were face to face with things that were touched by people THOUSANDS of years ago. And that these things are still standing and it pretty darn good condition.

We also went on a tour of a chocolate factory (I’m always up for a factory tour), stayed in our first hostel (in a room for four, which was a gamble), ordered Pork knuckle (which turned out to be this HUGE piece of pig…I’m not sure what part, but certainly not knuckle), and survived a storm that left hundreds of umbrellas broken and strewn about town. I’d say we packed a lot in to our little weekend away.