Germany Part 3

Today was the day we went to Koln (Cologne) Germany. Jason and Clayton did some research on what we could do in Koln and decided we would go to the Chocolate museum, the cathedral, and while we actually didn't go we had planned on going to a zoo there to let Preston run around.

We were going to go to the chocolate museum first. Jason set his gps and we went. When the gps said we had reached out destination Jason was confused but turned. We took a look around and decided that he had just driven up onto the side walk. So we got back on the street and drove while looking for parking signs. I saw a parking garage entrance and Jason had just driven a bit to far and decided to make a U turn in the middle of the street. But we made it into the garage, which happened to be under the cathedral so we started there instead.

When being around the cathedral I was so awe struck and dumbfounded for words that Jason of course got to do his big brother jabs. Making fun of my incomplete sentences and dumb sounding words. All I can say is when you look at the pictures tell me if you don't go "dumb". You just don't see architecture like this anymore.

The cathedral had started being built in the 1200's and was left unfinished in the 1400's. In the 19th century work was resumed and the cathedral was finished in 1880. 509 steps will take you to a viewing platform that is 322ft above the ground. Did I mention that the 509 steps are a spiral staircase that barely give people room to pass while one is going up and the other down. Also that Clayton was carrying Preston in his kid pack. He was getting a lot of comments (some that we could understand and others that we had to guess at). One comment I heard sounded like she would be saying ooohhh poor daddy, though she said papa.
Also because this doesn't happen in the USA, I have to say before I continue that I had to pay to pee. Tourist trap!! Get to Koln and I had to go to the bathroom where I had to pay 50c in Euro, so there's my warning to everyone else.

 

 

So freaking beautiful, I could have sat and stared at this cathedral for days.

It was a tad windy and I wasn't bothering to move my hair.

The largest bell

Two side bells

Clayton was so done with climbing the stairs at this point but wasn't going to stop.

Inside look at the top of the spire

Wish I had gotten a better picture of this, this was showing how high everything was.

The outside of the spire

From the viewing platform, the specks are people.

Saw this date while on the viewing platform. On the way down we ran into the date 1835 above a doorway.

View of another church from the viewing platform

The cathedral front entrance

On either side of the church were candles, Jason gave me 1 Euro in change to donate and then light a candle.

Not a good picture but in the center is the organ. I feel sorry for the person who has to sit up there and play. I'm guessing they aren't afraid of heights.

There was a service going on

On our way to the car (after the chocolate museum) we decided to take some more pictures

It ended up being a good picture but yes Clayton did a photo bomb.

 

After viewing the cathedral we started our walk to the museum. Of course we took in some more sights along the way.

 

One of many fountains/statues found all over the place.

 

When we go to the museum we noticed that where Jason had driven up onto the side walk he could have driven a little further went over a bridge and back onto the street right in front of the museum. But the walk didn't hurt us and if we had parked near the museum than we would have walked to the cathedral. The museum was interesting. The very beginning was a bit dull just because it dove into the history of chocolate and the plants of the cocoa bean and frankly I just want to see it made and drool over it a bit :) And oh my when we got to the factory part, yuuummmmm, we had already had free samples from the clerk up front and it was so rich and creamy. Watching it made didn't help. Luckily at the end there was a chocolate tree (I am guessing) and under that was a fountain with people dipping wafers into it and handing out. I was lucky enough to be holding Preston and got two wafers. Preston liked his for a bit and then didn't want it anymore. SCORE for mommy.

 

After this it was forced out of the white containers onto a belt where we watched an arm take it from one belt to the next to get wrapped. We stood and watched the arm for a couple minutes, we saw that the arm is kind of the decision maker on what pieces get to go on and what get re-melted and has to start over. I didn't get a picture of that part but we wondered why we could just stick our hand down and take the rejected ones.

 

The wrapping process.

 

After the machinery we got to walk by a chocolate shop where they had pretty much a basketball sized heart shape chocolate that was on sale for 13 Euro. SOOO MUCH chocolate. They even had a class going on (a field trip for some young kids) where they were making their own chocolate. After this we went down to the store they had. Jason and Clayton went straight for the chocolate beer, sadly later on they realized it tasted more like the packaging than chocolate. I went searching for something but couldn't land on anything but a tiny bottle of Marzipan, yes it was sweet but it didn't taste like packaging and it was really good!

 

Once we left we needed to eat something and low and behold there was a little cart outside the museum. Pretty much sold different kinds of bratwurst with hard rolls instead of hot dog buns. Still very good though. On this day I was able to take one more picture of a smaller church on our walk back to the cathedral and the car.

 

Such beautiful pieces here. Including the different colored housing building shown in this picture,

 

Well I am ending here for now. After all the walking we did this day I started to wonder why I got up at 430 with Jason and went to the gym. Oh well, spent some quality with my big brother!

Enjoy :)

 

 

Germany Part 2

So we've been in Germany for 2 days now. Felt like only a day and a half though when I look back on it because Tuesday threw me off and I took somewhat of a nap that day due to traveling. But I do believe I'm on to Thursday the 3rd day of our trip. This day I will admit was kind of disappointing because it showed us that February is just not an ideal time to be visiting Germany. We tried a zoo that said it was open but no one was around so we decided that we weren't just going to venture in. We went to a castle called Schloss Hamm but going into the court yard came to the conclusion that it was a tourist visiting castle sense it looked like someone was living there and (lets just say) a gardener was going about his business. But I still managed to score some pictures.

 

Please excuse the dates on the pictures.. apparently this was before I corrected it and had just put the batteries back in.

Leaving Schloss Hamm.

 

The next castle we went to after driving home was a tourist castle, Manderscheid. Except when you arrive 20 minutes after it closes haha. But again we still got some pictures.

 

After climbing up Jason realizes that it wasn't the entrance...

View from the road

So these next two pictures got to me. After noticing that we were too late to go to Manderscheid we were walking back to the car when I saw this cute little bridge over the creek and wanted a good picture. Yes it was dribbling rain but nothing was on my camera and this orb was not in my view when I snapped the photo. Which leads to the next picture...

After noticing the orb in the first picture I snap again and this time it is fading away. Now I'm not sure that any of you who read this believe in the paranormal or ghosts, etc.. but I do. I have had some paranormal experiences and have learned from watching those type of shows that orbs are some form of spirits. I apparently disturbed this one or it decided to show its "face". Thought I'd share with ya'll.

I had walked away from my orb experience and was still shocked so I turned in the creeks direction and snapped another photo.

 

Earlier in the day we had tried to go to Bernkastel's castle but it is getting some construction done and is closed off at least. But we visited and roamed the town and let Preston run off some energy. Germany has some cute little towns and one part of Bernkastel actually made me feel like I was in Switzerland. Also don't let me forget to mention the vineyards, the hill sides are taken up by them.

 

Vineyards

Bernkastel in the distance

Walking up to the castle

Even on steep inclines they have vineyards

So beautiful

No rail, can I jump mommy

Yes I literally stopped so I could watch the barge go under the bridge.

The town with vineyards above.

A village off in the distance

Put my camera between the panels on the door and got a picture of inside the castle

Upon leaving the castle we noticed this and Jason "slammed" on the breaks so we could get out and check it out while he just sat in the middle of the road.

It ended up being (one of many we saw driving) a shrine to mother Mary. And because of my paranormal history I decided that it was to sacred to disturb and could only get this close. Clayton went inside but this was good enough for me.

A cross up on some rocks, and I believe the date on the shrine says 1554 but I could be completely wrong.

Look mommy KITTY!!!

Okay I'm done see you later. Before he laid like this he was actually facing the bench laying down.

     This was day 3 of our travels and for dinner we went to a truck stop for dinner. Was not what you'd think of when you here truck stop. In the states is gas station, casino, junk food, greasy food. But there it was a nice respectable restaurant. They once again showed they're love for babies when (I'm thinking) the owner came out and gave some gummy bears to Preston after we ate. The food was good, the ice cream better. 

 

Well now that you've seen some more of our trip, I've decided that this is another good place to leave you wanting more. I should have them all finished with by the end of the week.

Once again hope you have enjoyed so far.