Awe Inspiring!!

Cologne, Germany

We’ll be in Cologne until 4:00 this afternoon when we sail for Amsterdam. The only thing I really wanted to do in Cologne was see the Cathedral, but the ship’s way of seeing it was a four hour walking tour, ending with sampling four different beers. Once again, the walk was beyond my capacity, and I don’t drink beer.

Fortunately, Chad, the Cruise Manager, had an alternative...a pedicab. So off I went with Ishmael, from Turkey, to see the city and the cathedral. I’m glad I had a guide because he pointed out several things I would not have seen if I had gone directly to the Cathedral. The sights were all interesting, but only that. Statues, squares, shops, etc.

One thing was impactful. We stopped in front of a shop that is now a Chocolatier. It was closed because today is a national holiday. so, no, I didn't buy any chocolates. The interesting thing was that this was the only building left standing after the bombings. There was a picture in the front window, taken in 1946, that shows the bomb-destroyed St. Martin’s Cathedral...and the shop, unscathed amidst the rubble.

The Cathedral was closed to the public today, and they were celebrating masses all day so I could only see the outside. We arrived just as they were finishing the gradual before the Gospel. It was broadcast to the square where there were throngs of people. Some were worshiping, most were tourist-ing.

The only words for the Cathedral are Awe Inspiring! In contrast to the Cathedral at Strasbourg, the first glimpse of the Cathedral, even over the crowds, was stunning. I’ll write more about my reactions in my spiritual blog, which I’ll probably write tonight.

In the meantime, enjoy the pictures. They pretty much sum up the day. Occasional photos of city sights, Numerous pictures of the Cathedral. You could spend hours - or days - and not see all the details. The architecture, of course, is astounding. The scale is overwhelming. This was the only time I wished I’d had my Canon with the telephoto lens. The iPhone has done great to this point, and the pictures are good, but not strong enough to get the closeups. I really wanted to walk around the Cathedral, as did some of my new friends, and take close-ups of such details as door knobs, door knockers, and statues. This is the only time on the whole tour so far when I was frustrated by my physical limitations.

I’m back at the ship now, but the spiritual reflections are going to have to wait awhile as i soak in everything I’ve experienced. I try to share this evening.

If you’d like to see the pictures, click here.

If you’d like to read my musings for the day, click here.

Blessings and peace!