Sunday, August 30, 2015

COLOGNE, Germany - Part I


Sunday, beautiful late Summer morning, and I'm working on my final posts 
from the Spring trip we took from Budapest to Amsterdam, and the last pix from 
Devon and London trip in June. I need to remove many photos from my 
laptop to my TRAVEL portable drive before I travel again ---------
---------I desperately need to free up some storage space !

Cologne, Germany's fourth largest city, is a major cultural center filled with museums, 
galleries, the university, historical architecture and of course the easily recognizable 
Cologne Cathedral which dominates the skyline.

Construction on this magnificent Gothic cathedral in the Old City commenced in 1248
and continued in several stages over seven centuries. Finally completed in 1880, it 
largely escaped the damage that ravaged the city during World World II. 
The largest Gothic cathedral in northern Europe, and a UNESCO World Heritage 
Site, it has two soaring spires and beautiful stained glass windows.


Friends Kim & Rob at the main entrance to the cathedral.
I think this photo shows its massive size compared to the people in the 
background.







In my next post I'll share the interior of the cathedral - a truly fabulous place full of 
color and light, quite different from the somewhat dark exterior.


9 comments:

  1. What wonderful, up-close photos (especially of those two gargoyles snarling at each other!) Just saw Notre Dame in early May and I cannot believe these stunning cathedrals were built back in the days when there were no cranes, forklifts, fancy schmancy technology. Cologne Cathedral doesn't get the attention that ND receives (at least here in the USA) and yet there is so much more intricate detail, all the carvings, etc. Can't wait to see the interior photos! Ann Z/Northern VA

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  2. Oh Mary, your photos are breathtaking! The work that has gone into this cathedral is stunning. Every inch has been carved with such detail and the sheer scale is hard to believe. Thank you so much for this tour, can't wait for part 2!! xx

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  3. Quite incredible. I wonder how many man hours it took, over the years?

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  4. Oh Mary, I'm so glad to see these pictures. What a magnificent structure! I can't imagine it's construction over 700 years! That's incomprehedable.
    I do plan to visit Germany and Austria when I retire in two years. My maternal grand parents immigrated from Salzburg and Munich. Paternal GP's were from Ireland and England. So much history lost. Mother had no interest in passing on her history. We are finding a few documents now that she is gone but the search is slow.
    Reading your blog has given me much inspiration for the places I would like to visit.

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  5. Your pictures are stunning, Mary. I recognize these cathedrals---my sons were guest of friends we know who live in Cologne about 15 years ago. This generous and hospitable family took Jeff and Kevin to many of the beautiful sights in Cologne and made a scrapbook for them as well. They had a great time and Al and I were a bit envious!! :)

    Jane x

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  6. The details on that cathedral are astounding!

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  7. I love European cathedrals. They are so massive, so ornate, so .... oh, there is no words to describe them. Glad you shared those pics with us.

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  8. Wow. The inside and outside of this cathedral are stunning. All the detail in ornateness and the gorgeous tile floors are just amazing. Thanks for sharing your files with us Mary. I need to start deleting some photos too. I just never get around to it as it's a big task. Happy September to you tomorrow. xx Pam

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