Europe 2014

Cologne, 8 May

		Approaching Cologne in the morning, we went through a very industrial area. †
		We walked in to the city along the river, in cold and wet weather that was to stay with us for a week. Cologne seemed very grey and bleak, and the weather did not help. This is the cathedral, with train in front. When the railway was built, the King decided that the cathedral should be the first thing seen when arriving by train. *
		One of Cologne's many churches, with another tour group cluttering the background. *
		Shop sign. *
		Statues in a square. *
		The modest Town Hall. *
		Town Hall clock. *
		A sculpture pointing in the direction of the Town Hall. *
		Deliveries large and small. *
		The cathedral is huge—it was the tallest building in Europe for centuries until the Eiffel Tower was built—and is difficult to photograph from close by. *
		*
		Statues on the outside of the cathedral. †
		One of the altars had this lovely Annunciation diptych. *
		The Three Magi reliquary behind the main altar. *
		A powerful statue of St Christopher. †
		An ancient crucifix. *
		*
		Assorted saints. †

Then back to the Amabella, for the final journey into Amsterdam, which started our brief visit to the Netherlands and Belgium.