From Bonn to Cologne and Back!

Today, our group made our one day voyage to the nearby city of Cologne. We took a railway train car and entered the train station in under thirty minutes. From the moment we stepped foot out of the station we were confronted by the trademark of Cologne: the Cathedral. Words can't put to justice the size of this cathedral; the sheer size makes a person feel as though they are an ant among giants. And still throughout the day, the shock of this building didn't wear off. Every time I was able to glance upon it through the market buildings of downtown Cologne it still slightly took me aback. It was even more amazing that this building was erected in 1248, when the modern construction amenities of today weren't even thought of.

We had an excellent guide that showed us some of the best qualities of the cathedral and some of the surrounding areas; everywhere you looked in the cathedral there was history: from the monumental stained class panes that were hand crafted, to the gold and jewel encrusted tomb of the Three Wise Men, and to the multiple century old painting that still looks crisp to this day to name a few. Even more amazing, was the fact that this cathedral survived the onslaught of bombs dropped in the area during WWII. Despite the fact it was aimed at from above by Allied bombers, it still escaped with minimal damage.

The museum near the cathedral was also very interesting; the number of Roman artifacts found in the area is quite amazing. I think the historical piece that took me aback the most was the preserved floor that was discovered and left in its original position. This floor has been dated back to 50 AD.

After a quick lunch, we attended a museum that was transformed from the local offices of the Gestapo. This included peering into the vaults that prisoners were held in until their time came for interrogation, a synonym for torture in this time. This was one of most unique emotions I've experienced from seeing history firsthand; being in the basement where they were kept, seeing what they wrote on the walls in their last moments, and viewing the room they were tortured in, it was almost surreal. It really made the horrors and tragedies of WWII more "real" for me. It almost hurt trying to imagine what these innocent people experienced inside those walls.

Now off to Berlin.....