Out and about in Cologne, Germany

Located approximately 200KM (125 miles) away from our home in Brussels lies the picturesque city of Cologne, Germany. Located along the banks of the Rhine river, Cologne (or Koln, as it is known to the Germans) is the 4th largest city in Germany, offers a great mix of things to do and is an easy weekend destination from Brussels.

I briefly visited Cologne on a business trip with Toyota earlier this year. But, after seeing the Cologne Cathedral for the first time, I knew that Jo Ann would really enjoy it. It really is an awesome site!

Besides being home to the largest bell in the world ("Big Pete" at over 24 tons!), Cologne Cathedral has a spiral staircase that visitors can climb up to the top of the cathedral towers.

I was perfectly willing to believe the signs that said there were 509 steps, but Jo Ann decided that our trip would not be complete unless we confirmed it. So after paying the admission, we headed up the narrow staircase, with me holding DS' hand and PS being handled by mommy. But, after about a dozen steps, PS decides that she would rather be carried by daddy. Holy crap! (oh sorry, I forgot we are in a church!)

After countless revolutions around the staircase, the girls and their "sweat-drenched" daddy made it up 3/4 of the way up, all the way to the bell platform, where I decide to "throw in the towel". Jo Ann figures that she has come this far and presses on to the summit. After reaching the top, she stopped to take some pictures and came back down to meet us at the bell platform.

Next to the towers, the next best view of the city is from the skyway that carries passengers across the river. The skyway lets off at a park across the river bank, where DS and PS enjoyed the greenery of the park and the vast playground. Which reminds me, the playgrounds in Europe are typically much nicer than those in the US. The play areas are much more challenging and the equipment seems to be very well kept. And they are huge. Space doesn't seem to be at a premium when it comes to parks in Europe...

During our visit to Cologne, we had heard that the ice cream in Germany was excellent, and we were not disappointed. The flavors were rich and creamy and even the cones were light and flaky. All this for the rock-bottom price of 1 EUR ($1.50)

It's just the thing after climbing 500 steps up a spiral tower. (Well, almost 500).

Click here for Christmas Markets in Cologne...