Cologne, Germany

Cologne

We decided for our last day in Germany to go to Cologne.  We promised our children a tour of a chocolate factory and my husband wanted to see the famous Cathedral, or Dom.  It was a wonderful way to finish our stay in Germany, and it made us want to go back to Germany and see more.








We were worried that we would not be able to find the Dom as we were heading there by train, and sometimes travelling by public transport can be confusing and time consuming.  We had no worries though, as we stepped out of the train station we found that we were standing practically on the steps leading up to the Cathedral!.

 Even our children were impressed by the Dom!

We really should not have worried about finding the cathedral, we could see it from wherever we were.  The Dom in Cologne was my husband's favorite cathedral that we saw on this trip to Europe.  He liked it more than the famous Notre Dame.  The details on the outside and inside were breathtaking.

We went to a tourist information desk to find how to get to the Lindt chocolate factory and received excellent directions from the person working there.  I was often amazed at how well people could speak English and so grateful they were so patient with us, who did not speak German, at least not very well.

On the way to the chocolate factory we walked along the river, enjoyed the antics of youth, listened to some local musicians, and enjoyed our walk.  We learned by this time in our trip to look around us as we were walking, not just think of walking as a means to get to our destination, but part of our sightseeing as well.  It was really beautiful there.  We found the signs that were posted helpful and made getting around the city easier for pedestrians.

The Lindt Chocolate factory was so much fun, and more than I realized it would be.  We walked through a tropical room that had cocoa growing, we were able to see them make chocolate, and at the end we were able to buy the most delicious truffles that still make my mouth water when I think about them.  So worth the 1.5 euros each that we paid!  I only wish I had bought more when I had the chance!  We went to the chocolate factory for our kids, but as adults it was worth it!

At the chocolate factory I asked in German where the WC (Water Closet/toilet/bathroom) was  and got a proper response in German.  I guess my German had improved by this point in our trip.

After the chocolate factory we went to a food vendor and bought some sausages.  My favorite was the kraukauer currywurst!  Yummy!

We reserved a seat on the ICE train, the fastest train belonging to the Deutsche Bahn.  It was fun to watch the speeds that the train was travelling, and it took us to Brussels in only about 5 hours from Cologne.