On January 11, the Bosch Fellows traveled from all corners of the world to meet in Köln (Cologne) for the first day of Seminar II. After a scenic and sunny, nearly 5-hour train ride from Berlin, I arrived along with some other Boschies in the city of Cologne and we immediately headed to the hotel. The Hotel Hopper et cetera was a converted Monastery with many fun details and interesting facets. From there we headed to the famous Kölner Dom (Cathedral) for a guided tour. The Cathedral is nothing short of breathtaking! It was built starting in 1248 to house the sarcophagus containing the highly valuable relics (bones and remains) of the Three Kings. Construction of this gothic monstrosity took over 600 years to complete! Following the tour, we ambled through the bitterly cold winter evening to the Brauhaus Früh, where we were greeted with a glass of Kölsch beer and were seated for dinner. After an introduction by our coodinator, we enjoyed an evening of fine food and drink. Then we spent the night exploring Köln.
Awe-inspiring: the Cathedral
The Cathedral: was once the world's tallest building until the Washington Monument was built.
"Halt die Klappe" - this common phrase in German, translated literally as "hold your trap" (meaning, "shut up"), has its origins from these church chairs! Each seat has a little compartment underneath that can be accessed by lifting up the seat bottom. When the priests would stand up quickly, this trap door would slam and make quite a racket in the church. They were then advised to "halt die Klappe".
The focal point: This gold sarcophagus holds the relics of the Three Kings. The presence of these holy objects ensured prosperity for Köln over centuries because it attracted thousands of pilgrims.
Brauhaus Früh: Here we warmed up and enjoyed some fine Kölsch food and drink.
Mittelstrasse in Köln: this city is very nice and walkable.
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