On the Cologne city tour, one of our most interesting stops was this archeology site. Throughout history, when buildings have been torn down and new ones built, the rubble was not cleared away. So, beneath each building lies an archeological history of the city. The pyramid pictured is an old Jewish ritual bath house, and this site will become a Jewish museum, as it was one of the first Jewish communities.
We also saw this bridge over the Rhine. Even from the distance we were standing, we could see the glittering gold of hundreds of locks attached to the bridge. According to local tradition, a young couple can buy a lock, have their names engraved, lock it onto the bridge, and throw the key into the river; as long as the lock remains, the couple’s love will last.
I especially enjoyed the behind-the-scenes tour of the Cologne zoo. In addition to seeing lions, tree kangaroos, giant rats, camels, merecats, flamingos, turtles, and a variety of other animals, we learned a tremendous amount about the elephant care and medical treatment. Their caretaker was kind enough to take us through their new facility. We saw the squeeze shoots and the office from which the elephant enclosure can be monitored. The elephants even approached us, and we were allowed to pet their trunks.
We also got to see the kitchen area where food for the animals is prepared and we got to see and learn about many of the current breeding programs happening at the zoo.
We also took both ground and roof-top tours of the Cologne cathedral. The cathedral took 632 years to build, and prior to the building of the Eiffel Tower, was the tallest building in the world. The cathedral houses the remains of the supposed "Three Wise Men." The stained glass windows pictured above were designed by the famous artist Gerhard Richter and caused quite a bit of controversy. Richter decided the stained glass should be abstract instead of a more traditional scenic window; so, to design the glass, he studied each window already in the cathedral and found 72 common colors. Each of these colors was incorporated into his design. At first glance, the window appears to be a haphazard collage of these colors, but each column actually mirrors another column representing the timeless reflection of the religion.
During the roof-top tour, we learned that the cathedral has quite a lot of character. Different architects over the years have left their mark in tiny ways that cannot be seen from the ground. For example, one of the many gargoyles is actually a man in hard hat.
The view from the top of the cathedral was absolutely phenomenal.
We ended our day in Cologne with a meal at “The Torture Chamber.” The food was great, and I discovered a German drink which I have become quite partial to called Apfel Schorle. It is a mixture of apple juice and bubbly water, and it seems to have become quite popular among our group.
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