Saying Farewell To Cologne

"I never weary of great churches. It is my favorite kind of mountain scenery. Mankind was never so happily inspired as when it made a cathedral." -Robert Louis Stevenson

Neil worked a half day on Monday so that he could meet us and actually see Cologne before we had to leave. This was our view of the cathedral as we waited for Neil to join us.

Of all the street performers we enjoyed, this little trio I adored more than all of the others. Yep, you got it, two accordions and a tuba. And guess what they were playing?...Bach's Tocatta in Fugue!!! That probably means nothing to anyone but my family members. Everyone knows this piece even though they don't know this piece. It is basically the music that always accompanies Dracula, usually played on the organ, but today it was played by two accordions and a tuba, and it was FABULOUS! It was so appropriate for our final visit to the great gothic cathedral. I wish I could have teleported Jessica into the square to experience what I was experiencing. I had been stingy with my Euros and street performers thus far, but this trio received an enthusiastic 2 Euros from this stingy tourist. As we walked into the Dom, the trio began to pleasure us with one of my favorite Vivaldi Four Seasons pieces, on two ACCORDIONS and a TUBA! I gave a quiet giggle and a sigh as I moved into the cathedral. At which point everything grew silent.

The cathedral was less tourist saturated on this day, and there was sunshine this lovely morning, thus leaving the cathedral more beautifully lit than the day before. I had to go back and retake all of the pictures I had taken before, because the natural light was in greater abundance.

It was fun to watch Neil marvel at and fall in love with the building that Angie and I already loved, and quite frankly didn't want to leave.

We sat in the pews and took everything in just one last time. If the great designers of these cathedrals intended the interiors to cause one to look up at the heavens and experience an elevation of the soul and a closeness to God, then I believe they were successful, for that is what I experienced. Angie and I discussed how very much we loved this building and that we worried that all other cathedrals would pale in comparison to our experience in the Dom. We had chosen Europe's largest cathedral for our first experience with a European cathedral, and we feared nothing else would be quite like it. And I believe our predictions were correct. For me, even Notre Dame was not as breathtaking as the great Dom Cathedral in Cologne Germany.

We stepped outside and had one last paparazzi experience with our dear cathedral.

I can't believe that we almost forgot to get a picture of the oh- so-great and mildly grotesque gargoyles.

By now, we were hungry. Dining in Europe was always a little nerve-wracking. But we were pleased to find that most of the servers spoke a little English, and we could decipher the menus well enough and at least point to what we wanted. I really enjoyed the Orange sodas in Europe. It was an adequate substitution for the complete lack of Dr. Pepper. It was also a little more difficult just to get a glass of water. They mostly served carbonated water. "Table Water", as they called it, was difficult to come by, and ice was unheard of.

But the food was delicious! It was extremely fresh. I found myself not suffering from my normal tummy issues, even though I was not making healthy food choices. I think it's because everything was less processed.

I found myself wanting to take pictures of every street, because every street was so "European", with the cobblestone streets, and cafes, and colorful buildings mixed with old old buildings.

We came across this church that was even older than the Dom, dating back to around 900 A.D. I loved loved this building that didn't seem to get the same attention as some of its more showy counterparts.

What I loved about the churches in Germany is that these ancient structures were still active places of worship. Every church had candles lit. We caught someone praying or meditating in every building. There were hymn books next to the pews, ready for Sabbath day worship. To imagine how many people have worshipped in these buildings over the centuries and continue to do so today, was quite a thought.

The night ended with dinner at a local Bruehaus. The management team wanted to treat their European representatives to a nice meal. The German, French, and Spanish reps were all present. But the Mormon Utah employees were the first to show up. Let's just say that the server was shocked and dismayed when he showed up with a tray full of beers and we asked him if he had any orange soda. We assured him that the rest of the party would most certainly be drinking, much to his relief.

It was a delightful meal. I was thrilled to finally try some schnitzel, which one of the accountants so eloquently pointed out tasted just like a massive chicken nugget only pork. The fried potatoes with the meal were heaven! And how perfect to end this traditional German meal with some delicious apple streudel, swimming in cream and cinnamon. 

Even more delightful than the food was the company. I sat next to the French rep who filled me in on all of the places I needed to see in Paris. He pulled out the map and marked it up for me. Then he proceeded to tell me about the trip he and his wife took to the Florida Keys. It happened to be during a carnival for exhibitionists. He told me all about the alarming spectacles during his stay. He was glad he hadn't brought the children with him. The Germans and French alike were just warm charming people. I could have chatted with them all night. It was a delightful evening.

We said farewell to our new friends. Well, they were my new friends. Neil had already rubbed shoulders with them. They were a lovely bunch of people. But of course they are. How could you be anything but lovely living in such a place?