Our walking tour of this major German city started a bit later allowing for a more relaxed pace. Met the guide on the cobblestone walk along the shores of the Rhine in the drizzling rain which didn’t really let up all day. The old town has been rebuilt after being razed during WWII leaving only the cathedral standing along with a couple of houses. The cathedral is truly massive, the foundation stone was laid in 1248 and it took over 600 years to reach completion with lengthy pauses in construction due to funding etc.
The Holocaust memorial’s single rail is a poignant reminder that there was only one direction to the concentration camps. After the walkabout, we managed to get a table at a very interesting brauhaus (Papa Joe’s) adorned with puppet musicians (coin operated) and player piano, the place turned out be more of a biker bar than a tourist trap. Tried the Kölsch beer offering with a pretzel which apparently is more of a Bavarian confection and not that popular in the Rhineland. We also tried the more conventional Peter’s Brauhaus where no pretzels were served but the bratwurst was excellent swilled down with a 20 cl Kölsch. We then wandered over to the very busy Schokoladenmuseum, but decided not to join the throng queued up for the tour, much to K’s chagrin. No matter, the chocolate shop was heavily laden with every arrangement of figures and bars imaginable. Back aboard the Viking Honir for a nap prior to the enrichment lecture about modern life in Germany, which proved to be not overly memorable. Dinner was followed by a duo playing classical music by guitar and flute, which seemed an unusual combination.
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