We were fortunate enough to be able to dock fairly near the historical center of Cologne, this bustling city which mixes the old with the new. We were also fortunate that we didn’t have any rain, though my three layered outfit indicated that it was COLD.
We spent the morning with a leisurely guided walk around the area of Cologne cathedral, the 14 th century Gothic marvel and UNESCO World Heritage Site.
A short ride took us through a lovely residential area on our way to the city center.
We strolled the area around the cathedral to see the shops. The bakery / café was very appealing even through the gingerbread men looked like aliens!
Our guide was very interesting and informative. He also was very solicitous of our various walking impairments and managed to guide us away from the tricky cobblestones. He mentioned that the cathedral managed to remain unscathed during the Allied bombings, because the structure was more useful to the pilots as a navigational device. It is gradually being cleaned without the use of components that might ruin its intricite details. We were given time to view the interior and the area, and given directions to return to the bus park.
After visiting the cathedral, we went through a few souvenir shops and slowly wended our way back to the parking area.
We found the bus parking area, we saw our friends from the ship and we found the bus which drove us back to the ship.
It was a long, cold morning and we were quite tired and more than ready to return to the warmth of the ship. As the temperatures plummeted, our cold symptoms became more elevated, and we coughed, sneezed and blew our noses the rest of the day. We were not alone; by now, most of our fellow passengers were victims. We looked at the lunch menu for the choice of hot soups.
There were shuttle buses to return us to the city center, but we just weren’t up for it. Some of the passengers enjoyed an evening excursion out to explore the Beer Culture & Dinner. We enjoyed the fabulous chateaubriand! We took dinner in our room, as did many other sickies who remained on the ship and didn’t want to embarrass themselves in the main dining room.
Tomorrow is packing day and in the afternoon we arrive at Kinderdijk, the outdoor museum of windmills. Will we be up for the challenge?
After that, it’s Amsterdam and home.
Thanks for your pictures and comments. The cathedral is spectacular. It looks cold and dreary but at least it wasn’t raining. Happy to know you are both home safe and sound.
Between physical limitations and a miserable cold, touring can be challenging ! Everytime I was in Europe, a virus would find me. Back home in Saudi Arabia, nobody gets sick – it’s desert & dry ! Bless you ladies for “giving it your all”.
DITTO…..