Köln
Wednesday, January 16, 2008 by Reece Harley
So today, another huge breakfast (photo right) and then off on a one hour b
us trip to Köln (or Cologne as we Australian's refer to it).
My photos do no justice I am certain, mostly because it is hard to see in the photos I have taken just how immense and detailed the building is.
After our tour, we asked the 'Swiss Guard' if we could sing, and thankfully we were allowed... An impromptu concert commenced with a very appropriate rendition of Locus Iste... a latin piece by Bruckner written for the anniversary of the dedication of a church. Very quickly a crowd of people gathered around to hear
us sing and we received hushed applause under the watchfull eye of the Swiss Gurads. we shuffled off, in the cold amazed at our luck to have been allowed to perform such a beautiful piece of musioc in one of the most impressive buildings in the world.
Perhaps it is human nature to want to conquer challenges as they present
themselves to us, so the 550 stairs to the top of the belltower was an irresistible opportunity to prove our worth... By the end of this tight, clockwise vertical march high above the city we were filled with a mixture of physical exhaustion, visual awe and draed at the trek down. The view from the top, looking over the Rhein and 360 degrees around the city is an absolute must-do though we were pleased to be at the bottom again.
Then onto a late lunch at Fruh Brauhaus for traditional German fare and then an hour-long bus ride home again.
us trip to Köln (or Cologne as we Australian's refer to it).Köln is perhaps most famous for it's Gothic Cathedral situated right in the herart of the old city and just a stone's throw from the Rhein. For many hundreds of years the Cathedral was the tallest building in the world, its construction beginning nearly 600 years ago. Today, the Cathedral is the region's biggest tourist attractions and still one of the biggest cathedrals on the planet.
We were lucky enbough to have organised a guided tour around the cathedral which 
gave us a very in-depth understanding of the Cathedral's history and its importance in the area. During WWII alomost every building around the cathedral was razed to the ground but the cathedral itself stood intact apart from minor and superficial damage to the facade... Whether by an act of god, or lady luck, or by a benevolent allied presence in the area, today the cathedral in cologne is one of the most awe-inspiring human constructions that you will find anywhere.
gave us a very in-depth understanding of the Cathedral's history and its importance in the area. During WWII alomost every building around the cathedral was razed to the ground but the cathedral itself stood intact apart from minor and superficial damage to the facade... Whether by an act of god, or lady luck, or by a benevolent allied presence in the area, today the cathedral in cologne is one of the most awe-inspiring human constructions that you will find anywhere.My photos do no justice I am certain, mostly because it is hard to see in the photos I have taken just how immense and detailed the building is.
After our tour, we asked the 'Swiss Guard' if we could sing, and thankfully we were allowed... An impromptu concert commenced with a very appropriate rendition of Locus Iste... a latin piece by Bruckner written for the anniversary of the dedication of a church. Very quickly a crowd of people gathered around to hear
us sing and we received hushed applause under the watchfull eye of the Swiss Gurads. we shuffled off, in the cold amazed at our luck to have been allowed to perform such a beautiful piece of musioc in one of the most impressive buildings in the world.Perhaps it is human nature to want to conquer challenges as they present
themselves to us, so the 550 stairs to the top of the belltower was an irresistible opportunity to prove our worth... By the end of this tight, clockwise vertical march high above the city we were filled with a mixture of physical exhaustion, visual awe and draed at the trek down. The view from the top, looking over the Rhein and 360 degrees around the city is an absolute must-do though we were pleased to be at the bottom again.
Then onto a late lunch at Fruh Brauhaus for traditional German fare and then an hour-long bus ride home again.Tommorrow we are off to the Netherlands (about 20 minutes away) for the day before our final, and biggest concert in Vluyn. The church here seats about 500 and the last time that we came to Vluyn to perform in 2004 people were turned away at the door and a traffic jam ensued. Hopefully we can top it! ha ha...
Reece :)
