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Friday, 2 June. The ship had crossed into Germany during the night. The emergency boat drill was held at 09:30, then there was a brief stop at Dusseldorf to pick up the lecturer for our 10:30 briefing on Köln (Cologne). We arrived in Köln after lunch. The ship tied up right in the heart of the old city, right in front of Great St. Martin's Church (1172) and only a block from the Cathedral. The weather had improved considerably, but we still needed jackets as we left the ship.
Approaching Cologne | 
Cathedral seen from the Rhine | 
Great St. Martin's Church |
Our walking tour started at 15:00. Most of the city (95% according to our local guide) was destroyed by allied bombing late in World War II, but some of the old downtown has been faithfully restored. Our tour started in the old Fish Market, where some original buildings survive. We continued on to Rathaus Platz, with the old city hall whose oldest section dates to the 14th century. Also on display in the square are the remains of an old Jewish bath house (Mikwe). The area of the square was once the heart of Köln’s Jewish Quarter, but in 1424 the Jews were driven out and most of the buildings burned, clearing the space for the large open square.
Former Fish Market | 
The Old Rathaus | 
Dionysus Mosaic |
Köln was also a major Roman city (Colonia), and there are numerous Roman remains. Our group walked to the Roman-Germanic Museum, built over the well-preserved Dionysus Mosaic. We didn’t go in but had a great view of the mosaic from the sidewalk. The mosaic, part of a Roman villa (200 A.D.), was excavated in 1941. The Museum was built over it after the war.
Cathedral nave |
Front of Cologne Cathedral |
Our walking tour ended at the Cathedral so we could each visit it on our own. By now the weather was sunny and pleasant. Unfortunately, Jane and I got separated when I said I wanted to walk a short way down the street to see if I could get a full length picture of the church. When I returned, I couldn’t find her. After a good half hour of searching inside and out, I finally figured that, by this time, she must have gone back to the ship, only a block away. So I took the opportunity to go back into the church and climb the 500-plus steps into the spire. The view was fantastic.
Jane in front of Cathedral | 
Cathedral window | 
Ship & St. Michael from Cathedral tower |
Imagine my surprise when I came down and walked out a front door of the Cathedral, and there was Jane, looking very frantic. This was at least an hour after we were separated. It turned out that she had everyone looking for me, not only other people from the ship but the German police as well. She had seen an ambulance race up the street I’d taken, and she was sure something terrible had happened to me.
Once all the searchers had been called off, Jane and I made a leisurely visit to the Cathedral. Construction of the church (officially the High Cathedral of St. Peter and Maria) began in 1248 to house the relics of the Three Magi. However, construction was halted in 1520 when funds ran out. It finally resumed (faithfully following the original 13th century plans) in 1842 when King Friedrich Wilhelm IV took an interest in the project. Kaiser Wilhelm I dedicated the building in 1880. At the time, it was the largest building in the world.
Darrell & stained glass window |
Jane at Fish Market after dark |
It was almost 18:00 when we got back to the ship. As usual, there was a port briefing at 18:45, followed by dinner at 19:00. When we finished dinner, we could hear constant singing coming from the old city. Someone was having a great time, and we decided to investigate. It was 21:45 by now, but the weather was very mild. The town was really rocking! The streets were crowded, and almost all the bars and restaurants were jammed with people singing in unison. Germany was hosting the World Cup (soccer) in July, and the celebration was already well under way. This was Friday night and there was a soccer game on TV, and that helped fuel the enthusiasm. We got back to the ship about 22:30.
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