Cologne Cathedral

Today was my last scheduled day off before Sarah arrives so I decided to make the long trek to Cologne. Most of my other day trips were about 2 hours away by train, but Cologne was 4+ hours away. It was a long day of traveling, but I knew I would regret it if I was this close to Cologne and didn't see the cathedral. I spent about 9 hours on the train to spend about 3 hours in Cologne, but it was well worth it as you can see below! The next time I post, Sarah will be with me in the Alps!!

The Cologne Cathedral

To tall to get it all!

Makes the other cathedrals I've seen look small!

Amazing stained glass

Shrine of the Three Kings which hold the remains of the Three Wise Men

I complained about the 303 steps in Heidelberg, but today there were 533 to the top of the South Spire. Mom would not have liked this point.

St. Peter's Bell which weighs 24tons and is the largest swinging bell in the world.

View of the Rhine from the South Spire

The cathedral from across the Rhine

Love locks are quite the craze in Europe....they completely line the bridge across the Rhine.

Close up.....That's a lot of locks. Apparently they signify everlasting love, so people get real upset when cities talk about taking them down.

 It was a long day and I'm gonna sleep good tonight! Just a week until Sarah gets here and two weeks until I'm home! Its been a great trip, but I can't wait to come home.

Miss everyone!
Derek