A Weekend Away

Saturday
was my first trip outside of the Bonn area so far (if you don’t count our train
slip up the first week) and it was to see Köln and its wondrous
cathedral. Now I’m no architect obviously, but the combination of sheer overall
size and amazing detail within made this one of the most impressive buildings I’ve
ever seen in person. After taking more pictures than most have ever taken of
any one structure, we paid €1.50 to endure over 500 steps of climbing to catch
the best view of the city. 533 steps down, one cut finger, and 30 pictures
later we were wandering around the city. Overall I liked the atmosphere, though
that may have had something to do with the impending soccer game that evening.
Must say I’m looking forward to a second (and possibly third) impression this
week.
Sunday’s excursion was definitely
a great full day once you got over the initial shock of having to be in Bonn by
7:30 (yes, A.M.). The Benedictine Monastery’s mass looked nice, though my
German skills allowed me to catch about three words total. After that I heard
the three most beautiful words anyone can ever say: “Free Hot Chocolate!” All
warmed up and ready to go, we headed to the Castle Bürresheim to go on
a very informative tour. Lunch was next, followed by our final stop in the town
of Monreal. Climbing up to see this last sight and others was a fitting ending
to an all-around good trip.