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Published: July 12th 2017
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I am still on the train, and am going to attempt to bust out another entry for this rather nifty city. I must say in terms of the actual city, I wasn’t overly impressed by the majority of the architecture, most of it seems like many other generic cities, albeit with some old and impressive buildings interspersed with more modern buildings. My primary motivations for visiting this place were to see an old friend of mine, and of course to see the Cologne Cathedral. My kiwi friend, Erin had moved over to Germany with her German boyfriend of whom she’d met while she was living in New Zealand, and whilst he was travelling within New Zealand. She’s spent about 6 or so months living in a town called Euskirchen, not too far from Cologne. She has been learning German, and trying to integrate into the German culture, and I was really impressed and admire her for doing this. I can only imagine how difficult it would be to learn the challenging language, and being so far removed from friends and family. It must be such an intense experience of personal growth to undertake such an adventure. We talked into the night,
and then fell asleep (well tried to, it was bloody hot).
In the morning we had a traditional German breakfast which included some small buns, salami, cream cheese, a type of sausage based spread, and various jams. It was quite delicious. I approve of Germany’s commitment to carbohydrates. I would thrive in terms of food in this country. We soon ventured in to Cologne central, to see my architectural wet dream – the cathedral. I had seen the cathedral the day prior, coming in on the Eurostar into the station, but didn’t have a chance to fully grasp its beauty. I think I came out with a very sore neck after spending a great deal of the day looking up the ascending walls and spires of the building.
We went up the 537 stairs inside the cathedral to the top (well as far as the stairs go anyway). It was a knackering experience, but well worth it. The top of the cathedral offered spectacular views of the city, and a more intimate glimpse at the top spires. Upon returning to the bottom of the tower, we proceeded to go inside the cathedral. I’ve seen loads of photos of the interiors
of cathedrals, but as you’d imagine, they don’t do justice to being there in person. There is a reverent sort of feeling that settles upon you as you enter such an old and religious building. The play of light that danced around the interior from the stained glass windows was breath taking. The ascending columns and arches leading towards the ribbed vaulted ceiling were incredible. The display of engineering and craftsmanship to build such a building is astonishing. Many contemporary buildings seem to lack the grace and awe of these older ones, where you can almost feel the history seeping out of the walls. The altar was beautiful, and there was a massive pipe organ high above. I can only imagine how resoundingly impressive the acoustics of the place would be. There were many crypts of prominent religious figures around the cathedral. I am not overly familiar (sadly entirely ignorant) of the various saints and figures of this church, but still found them interesting to see, nonetheless.
I recommend a visit to Cologne for this building alone. It is one of the largest cathedrals in Europe and a UNESCO heritage site. Coming out of the building, we spent quite some
time looking at the exterior. It was the most complex and elaborate monument I have ever seen. I am hugely fond of Gothic architecture, so seeing a prime example of it before me was simply mesmerising. The cathedral was resplendent with its flying buttresses and pointed arches, all the hallmarks of Gothic architecture. I know I am using excessive adjectives here, but I really want to reinforce the insane brilliance of the place. Realizing the time, we bid our farewells and went to the train station, conveniently located next door, in anticipation of Berlin, where further exploration was on the horizon.
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