Cologne

The "Aegir" - we have a French balcony room on the main level

We arrived in Cologne on Saturday morning and took a walking tour with a local guide. They began building the Cologne Cathedral in 1248 and finished it just over 100 years ago. It is now in a constant state of repair. They employ 80 full time artisans and it is hard to get a good picture because it is surrounded by scaffolding.

Cologne Cathedral

I was surprised to learn that the Roman Empire included what is now Germany - where was I during World History? We saw mosaic floor tiles and a Roman road that were excavated when they were digging an underground parking lot.

We had to look at the mosaic floor through a window!

Remnants of a Roman road - imagine a chariot race!

We saw two weddings in the town square - a bit chilly for an outdoor wedding but, a Cologne tradition!

I read about the "Padlock Bridge" before we left so I brought a padlock for Roger and I to lock on the bridge, throw away the key and have our hearts locked together forever! I had to do it - you know what a romantic Roger is!!!

We ended the day with a brewery tour and dinner in Cologne. The most common beer in Cologne is "kolsh" and it is brewed with strict guidelines regarding ingredients so bottom line, we couldn't tell the difference between any of them! This beer is served in small, tall glasses holding about 7 ounces not in the big steins we were expecting - a good thing!

A professor, from Cologne, with economics and history degrees came on board the ship and gave a presentation about changes in Germany since 1945 that was really interesting. He explained how West Germany absorbed the East Germans when the Berlin Wall came down and many other issues since the war.
          -Germany is about the size of Montana but has around 81 million residents
          - Now add all the refugees and immigrants - they have a similar controversy as the United                     States - let them in vs keep them out.
          - Germans pay about 40% of their income in taxes - plus a 19% VAT (value added tax) on all                  items they purchase, including food.
          - Catholics and Lutherans pay a "church tax" but other religions don't and people can "opt out"             of this tax if they wish.
          - All residents, whether they were born in Germany, immigrated, or were refugees are entitled               to free health care, Social Security, housing assistance and a free college education as soon as             they arrive in the country!
       
We are amazed a the amount of cargo traffic on the river - huge barges carrying all types of goods.
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