Cologne

What a lovely day I had on Saturday. I took the 8am train and had a nice visit with the woman sitting next to me. She has been a flight attendant for 37 years and had some very interesting thoughts on other cultures (she told me I should leave the Netherlands as soon as possible. "You don't want to stay here. The Dutch aren't good to live around.").

The Cologne Cathedral is amazing and of all the churches I have visited so far, it was the place I felt most comfortable. It lacked the splendor and over-the-topness of the Spanish cathedrals, which is probably the outcome of a cathedral being built in the midst of 600 years of shifting city-states, empires and principalities versus 600 years of solid Catholic influence above all else. But the scale is amazing and the stained-glass windows were beautiful and I loved the vaulting (because I am the world's biggest dork).

The Ludwig Museum. Can I say for the record that I have seen more amazing art in the six months that I have lived here than I have ever seen before. And I have seen me some art in my life. The 20th century collection is absolutely amazing. The best part of viewing modern and contemporary art is watching the other people viewing the art. Some of them are jazzed to be there and react to the pieces in some way -- even if it is a look and a quizzical head tilt -- but they soak it all in. The other group is there because they think they are supposed to be there and spend their time only looking at artists they have heard of before ("Where are the Piccasso's?") and dismissing the rest. Modern art isn't for everyone. Some people are moved by a still life where a bouquet is rendered in exact detail and the craftsmanship is apparent. Those people might not be impressed by a solid field of red on a giant canvas, and they shouldn't have to be -- let's face it, Abstract Expressionists, as cool as it is to like them, ain't for everyone. Anyway. The collection was incredible and I walked through it with a giant grin on my face. I saw so many amazing pieces -- it blew my mind.

The Christmas market was very crowded with my favorite group, the Brits. Despite them, I enjoyed a mug of mulled wine and happily wandered amongst the booths. Didn't stay too long, as after a point it got a little too twee for me.

Seeing the architecture of the city really brought the reality of the war home to me. Not that they didn't deserve to be bombed to bits, but you see how everything (EVERYTHING) was destroyed and had to be rebuilt. Unfortunately it was rebuilt in the ubiquitous inexpensive Bauhaus style also popular in the US in the 50s and 60s. No modernist sensibility about it -- this is all function and no form.

The last two hours before my train were spent in a bar next to the station, sipping whiskey while looking at a view of the cathedral and listening to American Christmas music played over the speakers. John Denver's "Away in a Manger" never sounded so good. The bar was very 1920s (wood paneling, high ceilings, waiters in tuxedos) and I know that it was once the meeting point of Nazi officers waiting to catch their trains. That was strange but also real. Something about being in that environment made me think of that period with a certain amount of historic distance, which, if you know me at all, is a ton better than the bitter personal attack perspective that I typically filter all thoughts of Germany in general and that time in particular, through.

Great trip. I'll go back to Germany again. And I am coming home in FOUR DAYS!!!!!