Cologne Christmas Markets
All the passengers on board were thrilled that the Cologne Christmas markets had not been cancelled! However due to low water issues the ship had to dock outside of town and groups would have to be bussed in to the market area. The busses provided an hour tour thru the central city for the guests before they were released to shop. The travelers were then led on foot and ended in the Christmas Markets once they opened around 11AM.
The tour walked along the river and under an elevated train rail. The trains would pass over the river on this bridges every 45 seconds. There was also a set of stairs up to the train/pedestrian bridge.
The steps also accommodated bicycles. See the video above. The tour continued into the old section of town. This area along the river was vital to the citizens of Cologne for income and trade. It is the point on the river were the larger deeper boats had to dock, unload their goods to then be placed on smaller shallower vessels for those goods to continue downstream. As part of that process, it was law that the goods that arrived would pay a tariff, followed by a requirement to be offered for no less than three days for local merchants to purchase for resale. This was legal Piracy and the creation of the Middleman.
The guide then directed the guests thru the narrow streets, with pubs and town buildings, and soon to be opened Christmas Market. Here are some more pictures.
One building had a unique statue which appeared to be mooning the square below. The figurine sat atop residential roof line and acted as a drainage for rain water. A bit of an architectural sense of humor from old! The story that was shared suggested it was the homeowner’s message to the town hall of his disdain for their policies and procedures.
The town hall building was directly across from this residence. In an effort to respond, the town hall built a clock facing the residence. Each hour that the clock chimed the statue of a face under the clock would stick its tongue out.
The town hall had a lengthy line of couples waiting to be married. The line also consisted of the entourages waiting for the official marriage ceremony. Church weddings are not recognized as legal but ceremonial. After the ceremony the group would head to a nearby venue to celebrate!
The tour wound thru some very busy streets, with cars, trucks, bicycles and pedestrians all sharing the crosswalks. The group paused at a shop which was the home of First cologne that was invented which made Cologne synonymous with perfume. Here is more on the Farina brand. A worker from the store brought out samples that were distributed to the group. The smell was pleasant and not very strong. The store location remains today as a landmark and open shop, that also remains in the original family.
Another Cologne only item was a specific type of Beer called Kolsch. It is a Pilsner that can only be brewed in Cologne. There was a store dedicated to this unique brand.
At the city’s center was the Cathedral (Dom) of Saint Peters which took 632 yr to build starting in 1248.
This church also famous for a gold clad tomb where it claims (as some others also claim) to house the bones of the three Wise men. This has attracted lots of pilgrims (and their business) over the many years.
Nearby was a Roman museum built on the spot where they discovered a beautiful mosaic from the Roman Empire. The mosaic was part of a first floor residence and depicted a dancing and party theme for the room.
The group was released right at 11 am for 1 hour of shopping in the Markets to find a variety of hand made unique treasures. Masks were required in the market as well in any shops in on the pedestrian walkways as social distancing was hard to maintain.
The many venders had set up the display of their wares in 12x12 tent booths. There were many food and beverage booths as well as woven scarves, handmade ornaments, toys, carvings, glass figurines, cups and other memorabilia. Theresa found a few items that she hoped would survive the trip home for Xmas gifts! The markets were not that crowded when they first opened, however at about noon we saw a large number of determined people with empty suitcases heading to the Christmas market to shop!
As Theresa headed back to the group that was gathering to return to the bus, she noticed another passenger with a Gluhwein mug that she thought was fun. Gluhwein is a mulled wine, and each market has a unique design for the mug that you make a ‘deposit’ on when you buy the wine. Theresa was told there was enough time to go back to the booth and make the purchase before the group had to leave. She quickly walked over and ordered her beverage. Even though the booth was outdoor venue she was required to present her COVID vaccination card before her purchase was complete! She returned to the group with her treasure, just as it was heading off to make a short walk to the busses back to the ship.
As Kevin was following the large group down some steps, he felt someone feeling his back jacket pocket. He turned around to see 2 young girls and said “excuse me!” and they quickly backed off. We were warned of the pick pocket peril in the busy streets and especially in the crowded markets. We were cautioned not to put any important items (passports, money) in outside pockets of backpacks as that was clearly and easy target. So, zipper pants pockets came in very handy to secure the important items.
With shopping complete, the two spent a leisurely afternoon reminiscing and working on the blog while in the relaxing atmosphere of the ships lounge.
10pm was the push off time to depart Cologne so everyone was required to be back on board.
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