COLOGNE, GERMANY

Day 200 - 201

After spending the day mooching around Koblenz and having coffee's at as manz cafe's a we could to fill in time before we hoppped on the ferry to Cologne we finally arrived..and yes, more problems with the tickets on the second leg to Cologne! But we finally got that sorted out...crikey, anyone would think we were trying to get a free ride!!

The ferry lunch was beautiful though, on both legs...cruising the Rhine, drinking wine, eating...so lovely. The castles are truly maginificant that's for sure!

The first thing we noticed when we arrived in Cologne was the incredible cathedral there..so MASSIVE! Apparently this is the cathedral where the THREE WISE MEN are enshrined.......not sure how much i believe stuff like that though..i mean, how long can a person's remains last in a shrine......hehe

But! THe cathedral is fantastic! IT just stares out at you when you arrive...we arrived at the port and THERE IT WAS...and then when we left on the train, THERE IT WAS! So massive...ornate and just incredible. We've seen some cathedrals but i think this takes the cake!

We found a hotel here, called the GOOD SLEEP HOTEL near the central station on the fourth floor. The people at the tourist centre said there was a fair going on and accomodation was all around the 200 euros...but we found this one, cheaper, and pretty close to the centre. So i think it just takes a bit of mooching around to find something suitable!

Before we left Cologne we took a city tour bus..which was pretty crap and a waste of money..some of these tours are really good. This one was ridiculous..the only exciting part of it was when they were talking about when the witches got burned in the centre of the town...then it was back to just pointing out obvious buildings...!

Off to Amsterdam tomorrow..and REALLY looking forward to it!

xx

PS I forgot to mention that while we were on the Rhine we went passed the bridge that the Germans preserved as a rememberance for 7th March 1945 when the "Americans freed them!" Interesting concept, that the Americans freed Germany. We understand it to mean that Germany was liberated from Hitler's Rule which freed them from his rule.

Another comment they made on the tour was that Hitler always claimed the Autobahn as his 'baby' and creation. But it wasn't! And the Germans want that quite clear! IT was the Mayor of the time, Konrad Adenauer, who created it! Building started in 1929 and completed in 1932, ONE YEAR BEFORE Hitler came to rule!