Cologne: I knew two things about Cologne before today: first, the eponymous scents, and second, Keith Jarrett played a seminal, improvised solo piano concert here in 1975, and I wore out the resulting album (The Koln Concert) during college, by which point I was tired of his grunts and moans. If you’ve heard the record you know what I mean.
What can I add after stopping here? Cologne is vibrant, bustling, and – after Amsterdam – mercifully free of crazed cyclists. The cathedral is imposing. Kolsch ale (the local specialty, produced by countless breweries) is very light and tasty but can pack a punch. The old town (Alter Stadt, which does not mean altered state, which is much more likely in Amsterdam) is charming, with cobbled-stone streets, shop-lined alleys, and tree-shaded squares. And there’s a lot of money here: in the shadow of the cathedral I saw stores selling Leica cameras and Hasselblad lenses (I may have drooled on their window), Rolex and Tag Heuer watches (less drool), and similarly high-end perfumes, crystal, china, etc. (saliva-free windows).
Koblenz, Rudesheim: Tuesday was a three-parter: In the morning we had an informative, enjoyable walking tour of Koblenz, a small city at the confluence of the Rhine and Moselle Rivers. The highlight, as so often, was gastronomic – rich hot chocolate and richer pastries in a traditional (slightly prissy) café that brought to mind the tea shop in Book 5 of the Harry Potter series where Harry and Cho endure an uncomfortable date.
In the afternoon, we glided down the Middle Rhine Valley, home to vertiginous vineyards, dour castles, and picture book villages, each with its own gleaming white church. The scenery is often spectacular but (jaded traveler that I am) a bit repetitive; oh look, here’s another quaint little town, and up on the hill there’s another hulking castle from centuries ago.
In the evening we gingerly walked the rain-slickened streets of Rudesheim and ate a delicious dinner.
Heidelberg/Speyer: We spent the morning in Heidelberg touring the castle (part ruins, part preserved) and strolling the high street, which is lined with a mixture of brauhauses, purveyors of local arts, crafts, food, and drinks, and global chains. Heidelberg is yet another scenic, centuries-old small city in the Rhineland. Besides having the oldest German university, it boasts more gelato shops and bakeries per capita than would seem economically viable. This afternoon we wandered around Speyer, a small, delightful town where I had a large, delightful beer.
PuffinlessTravel 