Eau du Cologne (Köln)

Today I also woke up earlier than I should have, however this time it was due to Mum’s giggling at the iBook she was reading on her iPad, and while I should have been pleased that she was using technology for her literary pursuits, it was 3:00am. But, amazingly, this hasn’t presented a problem today, which has been a change for the good!

We enjoyed a lovely breakfast in the quaint dining room of Hotel Domstern, then layered up and headed out to the city centre of Köln (known to you all as Cologne). Now walking down the street gives you a small glimpse of the Dom (Cathedral), but it is only when you walk out from underneath the Hauptbanhof (Central Train Station) that you can truly appreciate just how massive Kölner Dom (Cologne Cathedral) truly is. It’s awe-inspiring. Words can’t describe just how much of the sky it occupies as you emerge from the tunnel.

But in order to prepare ourselves for the Dom, we thought it better to visit a few of the other Romanesque cathedrals for which Köln is famous. These churches simply paled in comparison to the Dom, and unless you’re really, really interested in Romanesque Church Architecture, they’re not that outstanding. We waited a little while for the tour of the Dom to begin at 10:30, so we took the opportunity to walk around the Altstadt (Old Town). I wanted to see the Cathedral of Grosse St. Martin, and as we walked inside we were greeted by the most ethereal flute playing I’ve yet experiences. The whole church was simply glowing under the aural intensity of the harmony, and the nun playing it was clearly having a religious experience - literally.

We headed back to the Dom, and took a wonderfully insightful tour of the Cathedral. Begun in 1248, the cathedral was built in stages as it was funded, and the Dom is dedicated to Peter and Mary, but with its treasures consisting of the bones of the Magi. On Epiphany (two days after we visited) they open the golden chest and reveal the bones to pilgrims, which we were told is a sight to behold. Upon its eventual completion in the 1880s the Cathedral was not only the tallest building in the world, but it also has the world’s largest church facade, a record it holds to this day. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Kölner Dom was my highlight of the trip thus far.

While Mum and Emily headed off to see the film about the architectural style of the Cathedral, Annabelle and I walked the several thousand steps to the top of the South Tower. Surprisingly, the exercise we’d done to get up the tower meant that we weren’t really that cold, and the view from the top was pretty special. We were able to glimpse the enormous Petersglocke (Bell) that rings on the hour! Thankfully we weren’t next to it when we rang, otherwise I’d be deafer than I already am!

Back down again, we enjoyed lunch in a “typical German bakery” - which Emily has listed as one of her top 5 favourite things about Germany (we haven’t been told what No. 1 is yet…). On our way to the Schokoladensmuseum (Chocolate Museum) we discovered an ice skating rink, and the opportunity was no lost on any of us to experience ice skating in a town square in Europe in winter. How very original of us all. The atmosphere was lovely, even if the American songs being pumped out did ruin the whole medieval German atmosphere they had going with the currywurst and gluhwein (mulled wine) stalls.

We strolled over to the Chocolate Museum and factory - which gave the most comprehensive overview of chocolate I’ve ever been given (and probably ever will be given). A small Lindt factory on site also proved to be a hit with the numerous small children wandering around, as was a giant chocolate fountain inspired by a cocoa bean.

Of course no trip to Cologne would be complete without a visit to the Fragrance Museum at the home of the Giovanni Maria Farina - the original inventor of Eau du Cologne, the original light perfume. A little history for you reader;

• In 1708, Farina wrote to his brother Jean Baptiste: "I have found a fragrance that reminds me of an Italian spring morning, of mountain daffodils and orange blossoms after the rain".
• He named his fragrance Eau de Cologne (Water of Cologne), in honour of his new hometown.
• His perfume instantly became a hit with the nobility, and the small circular bottles it was sold in soon became worth as much as half the annual salary of a civil servant - in today’s terms about $2500 for around 50mL of the stuff.
• He once claimed that there was not a royal house in Europe that he did not serve, and Farina was famous for the consistency of the scent that he was about to produce.

When the French invaded Cologne, they allowed anyone to open businesses, meaning that several families set up Perfume businesses, and hoping to grab some of the market share of Farina, and tried to imitate his scent, but most importantly stole the name of his perfume - “Eau du Cologne.” One of the most famous imitators was the man who lived at Glockengasse No. 4711, now home to what is claimed to be the “Original Eau du Cologne” - and the 4711 brand. Now you’ll think twice about that one won’t you reader!!!

The tour was absolutely fascinating, and we were able to smell various different scents and gain multitudes of knowledge about the perfume industry that we would have otherwise seen - and although we didn’t buy any Farina perfume (it’s still very expensive), we were able to recognise the scent of it now on - and I still smell of it!!

We headed back to the hotel for a quick nap, before heading to the Altstadt for dinner at a small inn. I was able to enjoy some more of the delightful potato dumplings (I’ve really taken a shine to them, and the rest of German food in general - it’s more hearty and tasty than I’d first imagined - except for sauerkraut). We walked back through the night to the hotel, and all immediately collapsed into bed.

Tomorrow is a big day!!