Cologne

The train to Cologne was exceptionally fast, smooth, and easy to navigate. Once in Cologne, we bumped into a couple of Jeremy's conference friends on our way to the hotel and grabbed lunch near the cathedral. Jer had a meeting, so I explored the Cologne Cathedral.

Stepping inside the cathedral is an incredible experience. Arches crest above arches, and brilliant stained glass windows draw your eye to the ceiling far above. Both the outside and inside are filled with statues of biblical characters and bishops.

The cathedral is without a doubt an amazing work of art. It is hard not to wonder, however, if it exists with the intention to honour God or the people who built it. The tower was built 157m tall, specifically one foot taller than what was at the time the tallest cathedral in the world. In 1880, this made the cathedral the tallest building in the world. Today, the cathedral maintenance budget is over 6 million euros per year, 1 million of which is funded by a lottery. The church provides both incredible artistic beauty and inspiration to prayer for the approximately 20 000 people who visit every day. But do these ends justify the financial means of effectively taxing the poor with a lottery? 

In the evening, I explored the waterfront while Jer's conference started. In both Frankfurt and Cologne, I loved how many people were sitting by the waterfront simply spending time with family or friends. Given the recent shooting in Munich, it was encouraging to see how many people were not giving into fear and enjoying the public space. 

Over the next two days of the conference, I explored Cologne with Laura, the wife of Jer's supervisor. We rented bikes and cycled along the Rhine in the morning. After grabbing a quick lunch, we decided to climb the 533 steps to the top of the cathedral tower. We stood in the belfry while the bells called people to mass - the sound was beautiful and overwhelming. The view at the top was amazing.

After our long climb, Laura and I decided that it was time for the Chocolate museum! The museum was highly effective; by the time we exited, we were quite inclined to buy a delicious chocolate cake at their cafe...

On our second day, it was raining, so we spent the day in the Wallraf-Richartz museum. While a relatively small art gallery, it was once of the best curated art galleries that I have seen. There were beautiful pieces by Rembrandt, Renoir, Munch, and many others, all with excellent descriptions and historical background.

In the afternoon, I attended Jer's talk (which was definitely the best talk in my opinion). He made them laugh with puns, and he didn't make them cry with math. And everyone appreciated his comfortable approach. I was also able to join Jeremy for dinner at a restaurant near the hotel. With around 70 people at the conference, the restaurant was packed. The waiter was rather distressed that the group was so noisy, and we all got more practice saying "entschuldigen" (sorry!). 

Today, we have said goodbye to all of the good friends that we met or reconnected with at the conference. We will be flying to Rome tomorrow!