An Engineer and A Globetrotter: THE EUROPEAN TOUR SERIES 2013 : COLOGNE, GERMANY

Köln, Germany At Night

More than a year ago in Netherlands, while I was debating myself of what to do for the upcoming long weekend because I was starting to get bored, I made my last minute decision to go on a trip southeast of Netherlands, in Köln Germany. At first, I was undecided to which city to visit but after checking the possible options, Köln is the most realistic and practical choice. It is the closest though still required me to travel by train for approximately 4hours and 3 transfers. There were direct routes but It can give me only a 30minutes difference but will cost me almost three times more.

That’s the thing I learned as I started to get used to the planning of all my travels. Traveling can actually be cheap! After all, traveling is all about going to new places, exploring new things, learning new culture and meeting new people. It is not about staying in expensive hotels, taking a first class train/plane ticket or shopping (unless you are traveling to shop). Why would you spend hundred bucks per night in a 4-star hotel well in fact you’re staying there only to sleep and to take shower? It doesn’t make sense to me. But, maybe am a guy. It is a different story for women of course. But what I am saying is, you can save by being practical. Again, traveling doesn’t have to be expensive. But, there is one thing that I would normally splurge on...food! I can be very fancy on food.

And so, I bought my ticket online and am all set for my next adventure. I board the train from Rotterdam Central Station and below was my exact route:

Train Route to Köln, Germany

* Rotterdam Central Station - breda

* Breda - Venlo

* Venlo - mönchengladback Hbf

* Mönchengladback Hbf - Köln Hbf

I arrived Köln Central Station late in the afternoon and I headed straight to my Hotel (Günnwig Kommerz Hotel). Since it was a last minute decision, looking and booking for a cheaper hotel is already difficult. August is the summer vacation in Europe so every hotel is fully booked. I had no choice but to spend more than what I would normally spend. The only take out from this hotel, it’s just a walking distance from the central station. Once I get out of the station, I just needed to cross the street and it’s there right in front of me. The additional bucks I spent weren’t bad after all!

In all of my travels, I only have one go-to site for booking my hotel(s). Booking.com is my reliable source of hotel options in every city I’d been to. Aside from the fact that they don’t charge you right away, it also allows you to cancel the booking within specific time frame without costing you a penny. The reviews and comments from different travelers provide the most accurate information in choosing hotel that fits my needs and budget. And being a registered member entitles me for some exclusive rates.

The Köln, Cathedral

After Checking-in the hotel, I took a short rest then freshen-up myself and I went out. I headed to a huge building situated right next to the central station, an iconic building that dominates Köln Skyline - The Kölner dom or Cologne Cathedral. The cathedral is a renowned monument of German Catholism, A Gothic architecture and a World Heritage Site. In the whole of Germany, the Cologne Cathedral is the most visited landmark. It also holds the record of the largest Gothic church in Northern Europe and 2nd tallest spires. The foundation stones of the cathedral was laid on 15 August 1248 and finally completed on 14 August 1880, exactly 632 years from the time the cathedral was commenced.

The Giant Spires

The outside of the church is already impressive and its two spires facade is considered the largest in the world. The inside of course didn't disappoint me as it is equally grand from the Glass stained windows, the altar art pieces and the details and craftsmanship of the whole structure.

Stained Glass Window

I often hear and read the Baroque and Gothic churches before but I had no idea of how to distinguish one from the other. Having been to a number of churches and after doing some research, I somehow acquainted myself of the distinct differences of the two. Gothic always has rib vault, buttresses, large windows, rose windows, towers, spires, pinnacles and orate facade while Baroque often have large scale ceiling frescoes, broader naves and sometimes given oval forms. From the outside, the distinct differences of these two styles are very obvious. After strolling around and taking my dinner, I decided to go back to my hotel and rested.

Day 1

I started the day with a heavy breakfast knowing the fact that I will be doing alot of walking around the city. McDonalds is everywhere in the world and Köln is no exception. So, McDonalds it is for my breakfast.

Inside the Cathedral

I want to explore the church more so I decided to start my day going to the Kölner Dom for the second time. The church is so huge and to appreciate it more, one needed to stay a little longer. As expected, the church was full or tourists both Catholics and non-Catholics alike. Inside the church, everyone is dwarfed by its high ceilings and the vastness of the space. But it made me think why it needs to be this high, huge and expensive. I read somewhere a rather eloquent explanation for such. The writer explains and I quote “religious architecture and art were to medieval feudalism what advertising and commercialism are to modern capitalism: A rather effective way to build support for the status quo using aesthetics instead of argument. My claim, in short, is that Notre Dame played the same role during the Middle Ages that fashion magazines play today. Notre Dame was not an argument for feudalism and Elle is not an argument for capitalism. But both are powerful ways to make regular people buy into the system.” In my personal opinion, it is also a way of showing power by the elites who built them.

Hohenzollern Bridge

A walking distance from the church is Hohenzollern Bridge which crosses the Rhine River. Originally, the bridge caters both the railway and street bridge. However, after its reconstruction due to destruction from WWII, it is now only accessible to rail and pedestrian traffic. While I was crossing the bridge, I noticed the thousands of love padlocks on the fence which is very similar to the ones in Paris. Surely, in this time and age, people are becoming more innovative of expressing and immortalizing their love for each other. A symbol of Everlasting love indeed! (Not unless someone got the key at the bottom of the Rhine River!). Going further to the other side of the bridge is a commanding view of the bridge and the cathedral at the further end; a view that has became a promotional landscape of Köln.

On my way back, I stopped by the Museum Ludwig which is considered the most comprehensive Pop Art Collection outside of the United States. It also housed the third largest Pablo Picasso collection in the world (next to Paris and Barcelona). Me being a museum buff, I cannot miss this opportunity of seeing some of Picasso’s art pieces. I am no expert about paintings but visiting museums allowed me to expand my appreciation and knowledge about art and its artist. Since I was a kid, I always love looking at pictures of different paintings not thinking that someday, I will be able to see some of the most famous art pieces by renowned artists.

It is important to note though the restrictions when visiting the museums. Some museums may allow photography and some don’t. Just be cautious and check the signs. Museums are normally heavily guarded with security cameras so even if you try to steal a shot, you’ll just be surprised by a security personnel approaching and asking you to delete the photo. Museum Ludwig luckily allows photography but without flash. I spent an hour or two to explore its unique collections. After the museum tour, I headed to the oldest fragrance factory in the world.

One Interesting information I learned during my trip to Cologne was the fact that “Eau de Cologne” was named in honor of the city of Cologne by an Italian perfume maker Giovanni Maria Farina. When Farina found a fragrance that reminds him of the Italian spring morning, of mountain daffodils and orange blossoms after the rain, he named it Eau de Cologne ( or Water of Cologne). I love collecting different perfumes and having the chance to visit the world’s oldest fragrance factory made me really excited. I was just in time for the next English tour inside the factory. The tour started with the narration of history of Eau de Cologne and followed by the explanation on the processes of perfume making. The tour is normally done in small groups to allow everyone to appreciate the whole experience since part of it is the chance to smell the different types of oil essences and ask to guess the origin. It was a very interesting experience indeed. As a souvenir item, I purchased “Eau de Cologne by Farina opposite the Jüllichplatz”, a perfume that was once used only as a perfume and delivered to nearly all royals in Europe including Napoleon Bonaparte.

During that short tour also, the difference of fragrances was briefly explained by the guide. Fragrances are always catergorized as “Eau de Cologne”, “Eau de Toilette” and “Eau de parfum” but for those who aren’t very much familiar, the simplest explanation is related to the concentration of the essential oils contained on it. Eau de Cologne has the lowest from 2-5%, followed by Eau de Toilette with 5-10% and then the Eau de Parfum with 10-15% and being the most expensive but the scent stays longer. So next time you buy a fragrance, you know already what you’re buying.

I was surprised of the variety of things that one can do in Köln. And really, the interesting thing is, all the tourist places are located within walking distance and that's very important for those taking a short visit to the city as it allows you to see more for even a short time. Touring on-foot is actually fun as you got to see more places along the way as opposed to taking the subway for example. Whenever I travel, I see to it that I always have my travel body, my iphone. My phone has been my reliable travel companion from maps to best recommended places to see. The Google map provides an accurate direction from point A to B at and the estimated duration of travel. As for the useful information about a particular city, my favorite application is "triposo".

View of the Square from the Cathedral

I’ve seen a lot already for the day so I just relaxed and enjoy the passerbys at the square right next to the cathedral. The stairs up the cathedral façade is good place to hang-around and sit while watching and observing people. Street performers doing different kind of tricks to attract attention of everyone abound but there is one that stands out. There’s this one middle eastern or Indian perhaps holding a pole with his body seating on an invisible chair and appears floating in the air. A trick that for some especially the kids may look unreal and that person possess some unworldly power. But by careful examination, is a deception hidden inside his loose costumes. Nonetheless, it serves his purpose to attract people and get some money for it. I, for one fell for his tricks as well because he caught my attention.

It was a very interesting day but going out at night gave me another excitement because I will be doing my night photography. The weather is good hence a perfect night to capture the beauty and glitter of Cologne. And the for night photography, there is only one place in my mind. The daytime view is already beautiful but all the more when all the lights on the bridge and the cathedral are on. It will be a breathtaking view for sure. With my SLR camera and tripod, I headed to the other side of the Rhine River to get a perfect view of the Hohenzollern Bridge and the Cologne Cathedral. When I arrived the place, I saw a number of photo enthusiasts like me trying capture that one perfect shot. Taking a picture perfect shot at night is not an easy task as it requires a lot of trial and error. I stayed for two hours and headed back to my hotel.

The Last day in Cologne

The Golden Chamber

I still have a day in Cologne because my train back to Netherlands is late in the afternoon. And for this day, I have two places planned: The Basilica of Saint Ursula and The Chocolate Museum. The Basilica is unique in a sense that it is built in the ancient ruins of a Roman Cemetery. The one interesting please inside the church is the Golden Chamber or Golden Kammer where it contains the alleged remains of St. Ursula and her 11,000 virgins who were said to have been killed by the Huns. The chamber is decorated and covered by bones arranged in designs of letter along with the skulls.

There wasn’t a better a place to end my 3-day tour in cologne but to visit a Chocolate Museum (SChokoladen Museum). A structure built on the left bank of the Rhine River directly in front of the old town and a walking distance to the Cologne Cathedral. A building that resembles like a futuristic ship made of glass and aluminium. The museum has three levels and took me into a journey through the 3000 years history of chocolate making from the “Food of Gods” for the Aztec to the modern product that can be a symbol of expressing love to another person. The

The Chocolate Fountain

two main attractions that interested me more were the chocolate fountain, a 3-meter high foundation where the employee can dip a wafer into the liquid chocolate and distribute it to the visitors and the mini chocolate factory in full working condition producing real small chocolate bars which are given out at the entrance. With the museum partnership to Lindt & Sprüngli, I was able to watch my own customized Lindt chocolate bar being made for only 5euros a piece. Like any other museums, the gift shop at the ground level has the assortments of different chocolates and flavors.

My 3-day trip to Cologne maybe short, but the length was actually immaterial. At the end of the day, it is all about the memories that I will forever remember and the stories that I can share to my family and friends.

Next in my European Tour Series the City of Amsterdam, Netherlands.