Hollandaze: Cologne, day 1

A chic German cafe?

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Nein, it's McDonald's!

Cologne, Germany, is about 2 1/2 hours away by car. Dan read a feature about it in an airplane magazine Wednesday night and was inspired to go. We headed out on Saturday morning and rolled in at about 11:30. We were lodging at the Hotel Lyskirchen, where we were able to check in early and which spontaneously upgraded our room!

Our first stop was the Lindt Chocolate Museum. We were greeted with a complimentary chocolate. The museum consisted of a history of chocolate and its origins, a small manufacturing section, chocolate in a historical context (featuring Central American artifacts), and commercialization of chocolate products. Following the tour, we ordered a piece of chocolate cake at the outdoor cafe.

"Mr. Cocoa"

There was a miniature rainforest in the museum.

We wandered into town, stopping to get a bratwurst along the way. The brat was delicious, but I still prefer the Wisconsin-style, beer infused version. We also made a beeline for a doner kebab. As we waited, I noticed the cook slip a piece of dough into the oven. Although I had ordered in German, I thought, "Did he misunderstand me and think I ordered a doner pizza?" But no, he was simply making the bread for our sandwich! As you can imagine, the fresh bread made the sandwich all the more excellent!

We then strode over to the Dom. The Dom is Cologne's famous church. It was bombed over 14 times during World War II, yet somehow survived. The Dom houses relics from the three Magi. As we approached the Dom, we noticed how sharply the brightly clad skateboarders and tourists contrasted with the Dom's blackened exterior. My initial thought was that the blackness had been caused by pollution, but Dan's assessment that it had been caused by the bombings made more sense.

Dan had visited the Dom once before, so he offered to watch the girls while I climbed the 509 steps to the top. Once I got up the spiral staircase, I had to walk up scaffolding stairs to get to the very top. I was amazed by all the detailing and ornateness of the carved stone, even at such a high point on the structure. The top afforded panoramic views of the city and it was hard to imagine the utter devastation from the bombings amid everything that has since been rebuilt. As Dan later observed, it is hard to fathom the colossal scale of the Marshall plan considering the extent to which Cologne had been rebuilt, not to mention the countless other cities in Europe.

A pre-war building. In German today, Cologne (Koln) is spelled with a K. When this building was erected, it was spelled with a C.

We stopped by the nearby Ludwig Museum, which houses contemporary art, but learned that it was about to close. We then decided to make our way to the Hausbrauereit Paffgen to sample some of Cologne's hometown brew, Kolsch. It was a beerhall in every sense, complete with beer garden and brewing equipment out back. The personnel would go back and forth to the brewhouse and bring a barrel to the front. The servers would tap the barrel and fill up all the .2L glasses in a beer caddy to distribute to customers. An empty glass indicates that one is finished, unless it's covered with a coaster. I also learned that when you say "Prost," you clink your beer glass at the bottom. We enjoyed the Kolsch, along with hearty German fare. Dan had bratwurst and I ate some hamhock with fried potatoes! At some point, a table inside even sang a drinking song. After we left, we tried two other kolsches, but nothing could hold a candle to the Paffgen!

Bratwurst

On the way back, we passed by what is known as 4711. During Napoleonic times, buildings were given a number. In Cologne, 4711 belonged to the Farina family, who were the originators of "Eau de Cologne." Yes! It's really a frangrance unto itself. I got to smell it the next day and it was nice although I didn't purchase any. As a Kolner proudly told me, it was the world's first trademark.