GERMANY

 

Koln - Koblenz

 

11-13-2003

  We bought a rail pass and we went from Amsterdam to Cologne, Germany.

The Cologne Cathedral located right next to the train station. 

Building it started in  1248 and was halted in 1473. 

It was left unfinished until the 19th century and finally completed in 1880.

 In Koln, we went to the info-center and asked about the city.

We were told (very rudely, I might add), that if we wanted any information, there was a bookstore around the corner.

We went directly back to the train and on to Koblenz.

 We did not stay long in Koblenz either.

Although, it did seem friendlier than Koln.

 

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Frankfurt

 

 We arrived in Frankfurt late in the evening and the info-center was closing, but they did manage to help us find a room right across the street from he train station.

 We had dinner at a little restaurant behind this Christmas tree.

We sat at a long table with a group of soccer players from Australia.

Everyone had a great time.

 We walked through a bit of the town and then headed back to our hotel.

The inn-keeper took us to our room and locked us in.

He said that it would be safer that way.

We heard sirens all night. 

In the morning, we were released and went on to Munich.

 

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Munich

  

 We spent a lot of time on the trains, and some unexpected time in the train station.

I forgot to mention our unscheduled stop in Dusseldorf.

Everyone was taken off the train.

We found out that there had been a train wreck ahead on the tracks.

So we waited and waited and waited.

Eventually we got back on the train and on to the next destination.
Munich (München) means the Monks place.
In 2003, the city's Motto was "Weltstadt mit Herz" (Cosmopolitan city with a heart).
In 2006, they changed it to München mag dich" (Munich likes you). 

We and some German People were waiting to cross the street at the pedestrian walk.
A very fast German sports car, that was ear-splitting loud, passed in front of all of us.
Kevin made a remark about the size of the driver’s manhood (in English), and everyone laughed.
I tell that story because most of Germany was regimental and disciplined,

so it was refreshing to see smiles. 

 

This is the main Catholic cathedral in Munich,  called "Frauenkirche". 
It has twin "onion" towers.

And luckily, it survived the World War 2 bombings.

The inside is really beautiful, but it was too dark for pictures.

 We had lunch at the Kaffee Kuchen.

Kevin ordered Weiner Schnitzel, but what he got was Oscar Meyer's hot dogs.

The waiter said that American's do not like the taste of real German food.

They had put out bread on the table, and I assumed that it was free.

I took a piece and realized that it was stale.

When we got the check, we were shocked at how much they had charged us.

We will never go there again. 

 The town center was a bustle of shopping.

You can see the cathedral in the background.

 This is the famous Munich Clock Tower.

I captured a picture of the Clock Puppets, but they did not move.

The Clock animation was turned off for winter.

It was serene walking by the water in the evening. 

 It was the middle of November, and Christmas was coming.

As we walked, we came across groups of children, with lanterns.

They were singing and celebrating, and making stops at houses along their route.

It was sort of like Trick or Treating on Halloween in the US.  

 Not sure where this one was taken: maybe in the Cathedral.