Cologne was our first stop after landing in Frankfurt. As soon as the airplane landed, we bee-lined to the airport train station, avoided getting ripped off by some random guy trying to sell train tickets he "couldn't use", and had the nice man at the DeutchBahn (DB) help us with purchasing our tickets to Cologne. We were far too confused to figure out the train ticket booth at that point, so standing in line and waiting for a human being to process the transaction was worthwhile.
Two and a half hours after getting off the train, we were in Cologne. It was there, in the bustling Cologne hauptbahnhof, we first encountered a singularly intoxicating thread that wound through our entire trip.
Bread.
The Germans, like most Europeans, treat bread with the love and respect it deserves. They have bakeries everywhere, and in that train station alone we ran into at least three, all pulling fresh loaves, buns, pretzels, pastries, and other dough-based wonders out of their ovens. We were very hungry. The sandwiches at the third bakery didn't stand a chance.
Our B&B was only two blocks away from the train station. We passed two more bakeries on our way there.
The B&B (called 'pension' in ze deutch), was a delight. It was quiet, comfortable, clean, and the staff were helpful. The delicious and ample breakfast was served in this delightful, grotto-like room which had an equally pretty garden patio out the back door:
We arrived in Cologne in the early afternoon, and after a power nap (and some blank, frog-eyed staring at the wall) to fight off jet lag, we headed out to explore the city's main attraction: the Cologne Cathedral. It is one of the best examples of gothic architecture in Europe, Glen had studied it in art history, and we were determined to do it justice.
The cathedral, just off of the main square and smack outside the main train station, is huge. From the exterior it is an imposing mountain of black stone that dominates the centre square. Ancient stone weathered black contrasts sharply against new stone used in restoration. It creates an odd, mottled look with the occasional white stone against the black, and new white statues flashing alongside their original patinaed mates. It is a marvel of columns, spires, statues, and stone lace.
Did I mention that it's huge? Our impression of the outside was as follows:
Oooooooohhhhhh....
Impossibly, it feels even larger from the inside. We had quite a bit of time to explore the interior, as we attended mass there that evening and the following morning took a guided tour of the church (thoughtfully provided in English). This place is a marvel of architecture. It was started in the thirteenth century and was not completed until the late 1800s. When the construction on it began, the architectural innovations being developed at the time allowed it to accommodate huge windows that flooded the interior with light. The delicate columns and arch ribbings soar up and up and up, making you feel like a tiny inhabitant of an immense, light-filled forest. It is beautifully meditative.
The art on the interior is just as magnificent. We were fortunate enough to be there during the exhibit of the Rubens tapestries, which are only on display three weeks out of the year. I found the medieval statuary around the central nave and altar to be the most interesting. The ones nearest the congregation look grayed and somewhat dull, which is due entirely to the pancake-like layer of dust on them. Apparently the previous building master was concerned that any dusting would remove particles of original paint, and simply let the dust build up. Fortunately, the current building mistress has more sense. All of them are being cleaned and restored. The statues that have been properly dusted glow with beautiful, lifelike tones and ornate details on their robes, which are just barely distinguishable under the dust on the statues that have not yet been cleaned.
The remainder of the cathedral was bursting with the expected stained glass, tombs, statues, and mosaics. The item that attracts the most attention, however, is the reliquary holding the supposed Bones of the Magi. This sucker is big and gold. Really gold. The majority of the reliquary is made of gold plated silver, studded with precious gems:
The faceplate, however, is not gold plated silver. It is solid gold. A big, big hunk of solid gold (with the exception of the bits which are covered in MORE precious stones):
Really, you can never have enough precious stones.
We spend a considerable amount of time crawling around the interior and exterior of this place, and loved every minute of it. You'll simply have to wait until the next post to read about it!
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