[From Beth] So after a two hour flight from Tallin, Estonia, to Bremen, Germany, followed by a tram ride from the airport to the train station and a two hour train ride through the picturesque countryside, we arrived in Cologne (Koln), Germany. Mike stepped out into the sunlight and said something smart like “I wonder where they put that big cathedral that’s supposed to be here?”

I feel kind of bad for the other dozen or so cathedrals in the area, whose founders had the misfortune to stick them next to Madame Overdo-It-Much? either because of poor planning, or because this sucker was under some phase of construction from about 1248 to the late 1800’s, and who knew they were going to take things this far?

In some cases, it looks like someone may have started something, realized what was going on at THE Cologne Cathedral wasn’t slowing down, and said: Aw Screw It. This was evidenced by some of the archeological ruins we ran across in the downtown area.

After a nice dinner at a place where the help completely ignored us, then acted like they could speak English although the word “meatball” was new to them, we strolled around trying to look like we knew how to walk on cobblestone streets (there is quite a lively night scene in Koln, by the way, with people well into their respective evenings doing far better on cobblestone streets than these weary tourists), Finally, we said “awe, screw it,” ourselves, and sat down with our ice cream in the Cologne Cathedral plaza to contemplate the big ass work of generations of Germans who don’t know when to call it good.