04/18/2022: Cologne, Germany

We motored down the Rhine all night. Our pace is about 15 knots per hour. I’m somewhat surprised by the noise and vibration from the ship’s engine. I wasn’t expecting it to be so noisy, but we are sailing upriver and because the Rhine flows rather swiftly, we were alerted that there would be lots of sloshing as we go against the current. It’s been very interesting seeing what lines the river. This morning we saw lots of camping places. Apparently, caravaning is quite popular. The shoreline has lots of “beaches” where there are gentle slopes of sandy areas to the water and this is where there are RV parks.

As you might expect there is a lot of industry along the river. The Rhine is a major transport river with lots and lots of barges moving cargo up and down the river.

We sailed past Dusseldorf, Germany this morning heading to our stop in Cologne.

Our tour director, Barbara, who has done all the Olivia riverboat cruises, gives a talk every morning. She is an encyclopedia! This morning, in an hour, she went through the history of Germany from Roman times through the present. She highlighted all the major political, religious, and cultural events that shaped Germany and it was fascinating. Germanic tribes have inhabited the northern area since antiquity. The Roman era ended at the end of the 5th century, but they are responsible for the Rhine River being the major transport corridor. German territories were an important part of the Holy Roman Empire in the 10th century, but then we know the name Martin Luther. He started the Protestant Reformation during the 16th century. Then the French came in the late 1700s. Then there was the German Confederation and in 1871, most of the German territories became a nation state. After that came the turbulent time of the early 1900s and then two world wars. After WWII, the Allies divided Germany into West and East. And then finally in 1990 the country became a unified federal parliamentary republic. It is a very rich history and the Rhine River is at the center of that history.

We docked in Cologne at about 2:00 p.m. We went on a 90-minute walking tour through the old town. Of course, Cologne was bombed to smithereens during WWII, and it occurred to me listening to the fact that 90% of the city was laid to ruin, that the U.S. and the Allies did the bombing. Because so many buildings were destroyed, the old section of town is a replica. Only a handful of buildings are original.

Of course, Cologne’s major attraction is its cathedral. Twenty thousand people a day visit the cathedral. Easter Monday is a holiday in Germany and so the place was mobbed. There was a street fair where our ship was docked and it, and all the market squares, were packed with people. Of course, the weather was fabulous with bright sunshine, blue skies, and very warm.

Street fair – ship’s sky deck is the lined beige carpet

The cathedral was started in 1248 and construction stalled in 1560. The building was finally inaugurated in 1880. The original building plans were found in the early 1800s and that’s when it was decided to complete construction. The cathedral was originally built to house the relics of the Three Kings and this has made the cathedral a popular shrine. The cathedral is a huge Gothic structure with loads of spires. It has flying buttresses holding up its roof. The exterior is quite blackened from the environment. Some sections are being cleaned and it’s a remarkable different between a sandstone color and the black grime. During WWII, some of the cathedral was damaged. However, they had the foresight to remove the stained glass, of which there is a considerable amount, so that it was not destroyed.

After visiting the cathedral, we headed back to the ship, but we made a stop on the Huhenzollern Bridge where there are thousands of love locks attached to the bridge. This fad began in 2008 when couples attached a padlock to the bridge and then threw the key into the river to signify their love and commitment. Apparently, there are nearly a million padlocks on the bridge.

I wonder what percentage of couples having padlocks on the bridge are still together??!!

Back on the ship I spent a couple of hours fiddling with the cellphones and SIM cards. I was able to finally get the phones able to call each other so if we get separated, we can at least call. That’s a relief!

We had a nice dinner. We’re meeting interesting women during meals. Many women have reserved specific tables and/or are creating a large table for their “bubble,” but we’re doing dine around, a few tables where anyone not at a reserved table can sit. The food has been okay, not spectacular, but presented on a pretty plate.

There was a really good singer and band this evening playing oldies. It was fun and we danced and had a great time.

Our day ended with a nice view across the river where a carnival was being held.

We sailed away from Cologne at about 10:30 p.m. Tomorrow it’s the Rhine River gorge and castles!

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