Continuing our first week with two trips to Cologne was one of my favorite excursions so far. The Cologne Cathedral was absolutely breathtaking inside, outside and up top. I was unaware of my fear of heights until I was 70 meters high standing on a tower of the cathedral. It was so surreal. The view looking out was beautiful enough to capture my attention distracting me from the streets directly below. Having an interest in art history, I took a course my freshmen year of college and was amazed just by looking at the pictures on the presentation during class so, one can imagine how I felt being there looking at such an impressive building. Although interesting in structure, the cathedral also had many facts and figures. Over 6 million euros are spent annually on renovations, which are not destined to be finished but continuous. Over 180 tons of iron resides in the underlying structure of the cathedral roof. Unexpected statues lie amongst the gargoyles, which took even the tour guide a couple of years to find. The cathedral even has restrooms on one of the higher levels containing what many consider the most expensive toilets.
The beginning of the week was a lesson in history laying the foundation of the trip but it was nice to tour the medical school to begin our lessons in medicine. Other tours included walking around Cologne City and through the Gestapo prison. I am happy to know that Cologne is not very far from Bonn.
Anticipating my first weekend trip to Switzerland in only a few hours, I can tell that these weeks are already slipping away. I love that my agenda each day has been full from morning to night because I want to do and see as much as I can. Although tired, I am having a wonderful time.
Brittany
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