By the time we were ready to check out the rain had stopped but it was still pretty murky. I walked with the two English guys back to the train station where we parted. They didn’t have any wet weather gear and really, apart from the cathedral there isn’t a lot to see or do in Koln, particularly on a Sunday.
I loaded everything I would need during the day into my smaller pack and then locked my rucksack into one of the lockers at the train station. I had until 7.34 p.m. to amuse myself. Fortunately for the remainder of the day there were only a few showers and by lunchtime the mist began to clear.
I first explored the inside of the cathedral. The colourful stained glass windows are gigantic in size. I managed to recognize a number of the scenes being depicted. I then climbed the tower for a splendid view of the city. It was a long way up and very exhausting. I counted nearly 500 steps on my way up the narrow spiral staircase.
Before lunch, I went on a one-hour round trip on the River Rhine. There wasn’t really anything spectacular to see. However, it was quite pleasant enough as boat trips go and it proved to be a satisfying diversion.
Lunch
consisted of a German version of a hot dog, though with a slight difference. The sausage was expected to be eaten separately to the roll and not wrapped around it like we do. Another curiosity I noticed here is about the pedestrian crossing. They have the same green and red men as we do which tells you when to cross. However, there must be a strict law, which says you cannot cross the road under any circumstances if the little man is red. Everybody seemed to be waiting even when there were no cars!
I spent the remainder of the day just walking around and then resting up in the cathedral. Koln is certainly not a beautiful city and apart from the cathedral and a few other churches and buildings, there is nothing really old. This is due to the heavy bombing the city suffered during the last war.
Before I went back to the station, I bought myself some supplies for the journey to Moscow with the remaining Deutsche Mark I had. I bought three litres of mineral water, a box of biscuits, a packet of crisps and some mints. I thought about buying the Mail on Sunday to read on the 38 hour train journey but the cover price of the newspaper had been marked up by three times as much. There was a similar mark up with the other English newspapers and books. I have a 60 page book I brought over from England which I haven’t started yet as well as all my music cassettes.
The Russian train arrived and then departed on time. I have a small compartment at the back end of the train. It is about six and a half feet by five feet. I seem to have it to myself at the moment, but for how long I don’t know. It looks like it is meant for three people! Rather cramped I think. The toilets either end are pretty small too and grotty.
this morning by heavy rain. Not the best of weather to explore a town. Breakfast was included in the price of the bed. It would seem that the Germans do not have a cooked meal in the morning but rather a bowl of Cornflakes and some bread rolls. As a filling, we had the choice of cold meat or jam.
