Cologne, Germany

We've sailed down the Rhine into Germany and are spending a very rainy day in Cologne Germany, in the southwest part of the country. Koln, as it is spelled and pronounced here, is fascinating to me primarily because during World War II it was carpet-bombed by the Allies due to its strategic location, and the only buildings left standing were 5 houses and the Cathedral of St Peter, which was constructed ... well, started in the 11th century and finished in the 19th century. Not sure why it took over 600 years, but anyway, it was mostly spared in the war. And a good thing too, because it is the most massive gothic cathedral we've ever seen (makes Notre Dame look puny).

We also visited a nearby museum devoted to Roman artifacts found in Cologne. This was an important city in Roman times, and the Romans built a walled city here to defend the Rhine. As a consequence, whenever they dig for a new subway they uncover tons of ruins, including what's shown in this picture above: this is the floor of a dining room, all done in mosaic tiles. It's a huge floor and was uncovered intact! Incredibly impressive.

Roman tombstones.

 

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