Germany's Magnificent Dom Cathedral, 1996

      The very next day we  got up at 6:00, packed our bags began our excursion to explored the rest of Europe, beginning with Germany.   With our packs on our backs, we labored through Amsterdam’s very empty streets to the tram stop.  There we waited and waited, finally realizing that the next tram was not scheduled to stop for another 30 minutes, so we decided to find another stop closer to downtown, where the trams were more frequent.  There we we joined a couple from India who were also waiting for a tram.  They needed to catch a plane, and the man was very worried about missing the flight, but his wife wouldn’t let him hire a cab.  When a tram finally arrived, we all relaxed.

    When our tram began to approach Amsterdam’s Central Station, it unexpectedly stopped.  Passengers in the front of the tram started to get off, but a uniformed woman who had some handcuffs boarded, and seemed to be telling us to stay.  Then, when she did direct us to go, a uniformed man passed us, heading for the back of the tram, and I think they were in the process of busting some guys in the back of the tram.  Once out of the tram, we noticed that there were a couple of cars, blocking the track.    

        At the station we caught a train headed for Klon, (Cologne) Germany.  I was surprised when we arrived at Klon to see that its train station was right at the base of the very impressive Dom Cathedral, which was amazing in its size and detail. 

    To me it seemed a strange situation inside the spectacular cathedral with the hundreds of tourists milling around, while the locals were trying to have their religious experience, but I guess they were used to it.

    We climbed the three hundred spiraling steps up the steeple.  Just as we approached where the enormous bells hung, they began ringing (not a strong enough word for the intense sound we experienced.). It was so incredibly loud in the bell room.

    From the bell area we continued our around and around climb up the narrow steps, until we got to the top level of the steeple.  From there, we could look out over the whole city and countryside.  Even up at those upper levels, there were religious statues and knick-knacks everywhere, things that no one who just visited the ground floor of the cathedral would see; all quite amazing.

    The ground floor of the cathedral was mosaic.  The stain glass windows were colorful and very intricate, but most of all, it was the immensity of the Dom Cathedral that struck me.

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