Cologne, Germany
Almost to the end of the on going trip report.
I know Cork has been very busy, with family and dealing with a lot of rain. I hope that, at some point, she will post her own thoughts and pictures here
We arrived in Cologne in the evening, around 7:00? We walked out of the station and walked smack dab into the most massive structure I have ever seen.:shock: I kept saying "holy crap"!! It was "The Dom" a most impressive church that dominates the scenery in Cologne especially at night when it is all light up.
We easily found a room close by, within view of the Dom. I told Cork...we won't ever get lost in Cologne since you can see the Dom from everywhere.
We Walked around the city looking for a funn bar. We stopped in front of a doorway that led down to a basement bar.The sign said it was an Irish Pub. I said "no"
but cork said "why not?" I was a bit leery...but down we went.:clap_1: It was karaoke night. Inside the bar some man asked me where I was from, US I said and he says "I thought you were Irish"....must have been the red shades in my hair.:roll:
We got a couple of beers and found a table to stand at along with several other people. This turned out to be one of the most funn and interesting nights! We truly got the flavor of the city and the country. There were people from all over the world in this bar! The karaoke was great...American Idol has nothing on this bar! All the songs were sung in English and most of them were American songs. The DJ was excellent. Cork & I talked to the people around us. Franc was the first one we really started talking to. Cork continued to talk to him as "Danny Boy" made his way to me...:funn:
He was a funny guy, I had funn making funn of him...I had his number...I watched him flirt with every girl as she came up to the bar...I joked with him about it. :roll: At some point a guy came in with 2 blonde bombshells that were dressed "sex" to the tee and danced around with this guy. I said something to Danny Boy about the girls and he told me that they were hookers and that the locals didn't like to have anything to do with that sort of thing. He lived in Cologne, was a local, frequented the bar and knew most everyone in there. He was really a cool guy.
Cork & I had funn listening to karaoke. It is amazing how 70's & 80's music is so popular in Europe. The most amazing part to me was when a man sang "It's My Life" by Bon Jovi!! :clap_1:
This has been my mantra for years...it's my life, its now or never cauz I ain't gonna live for ever. I have felt like I have really been living my life this past year, and this song was so perfect on this night and in Europe, a place that I had only dreamed of visiting in the past.
The Bar wound down and it was time to leave. Danny Boy asked us to go to another party with his friends, but we thought the wiser of it. It was late and we wanted to get up early. I am sure it would have been funn but ..............(sorry Kimmi.....just couldn't go there)
We did wake up early the next morning and explored the city. I love Cologne!
It is a diverse city and quite lovely. It is situated right on the Rhine River. This city is not confused as to what it is. It is a mix of old and new, but they are kept separate for the most part. The old area is where we were, near the Dom. The newer area is across the bridge. We walked all around the city, but our first stop was the Dom itself. It is just as impressive in daylight as it is at night! It is a massive building. It is made of stone that has turned black over the years. Part of the structure has been pressure washed to show what it would look like if the entire building were clean. It is a beautiful building!
We went inside and I was awestruck. It is impossible to describe the inside. It is all open with pews, alters, statues, massive carvings, stained glass....it is overwhelming. A feast for the eyes and very reverent. It felt almost surreal. If someone can be in love with a building, this would be it for me....
Walking outside we decided to walk over the river and check out the other side. As we walked towards the river we walked through a square. Inside this area was the most hilarious thing I have ever seen...a hideous sculpture of David...pic included!
Here I must interject...I do not know what the meaning of this particular David was...but it made me realize why I love Cologne. It is a wonderful city that is old and reverent, knows it's history, has strong roots, but is still able to have a humorous side, a modern side, a funn side. It is a wonderfully diverse city!
We walked over the Rhine River...and looked back at the city...WHAT A VIEW! The Dom is omnipresent for certain!
Cork & I walked back across the river and went to the shopping area of the city. We walked around for what felt like hours...it was easy to get turned around in this area...
We finally found our way back to the hotel, picked up our packs and headed to the station.
Our next and final destination
...Amsterdam....again...ending up where we had begun.;-)
