Koln, Germany

Tuesday July 27th

Happy 9th birthday Mikhaila! Today we went for a day trip to Koln and had a wonderful time. Of course our first and major stop was the Dom Cathedral. There was an English tour at 10:30 and we truly enjoyed it. Oliver and I have both been there before, but in such a beautiful building, one always learns something new. The girls were awed by the size and beauty of the place. They loved the mosaics and of course the relics of the Three Wisemen were fascinating to learn about. We wanted to climb to the top of the tower – over 500 steps up! Zoe led the way and we made it without incident despite the worn and aged stone stairway. The view from the top was breathtaking and well worth the climb. We all agreed that the climb up was actually easier and more fun, than the one going down!

Afterwards we searched in vain for a charm of the Dom for the girls' charm bracelets. Instead we decided to start a Pin collection. Tante Christiane and Uncle Heinz had already given us all cartwheel pins to represent Dusseldorf, so once we purchased pins for the Dom, a new collection was started!

Of course the girls were hungry so we quickly found the bakery that is now a favourite – Le Crobag where they can buy “moebschen” - soft raisin buns that hit the spot. It's very hard to be gluten intolerant in a country that incorporates bread and fried meats with everything. Not to worry, the hotel includes a large breakfast buffet so while the girls and Oliver feast on the carbs and meat, I'm happy with cucumber and tomato salads.

After lunch and our big climb, we decided to try something different so we travelled across the Rhine by a cable car. It's like being on the Alpine Ride at Centre island or the Ex, except the ride goes over the river and took us to a huge park where the girls spent the better part of the afternoon playing in this huge playground.

Remarks – It was Fun to climb the stairs because it was a lot of hard work – but the view was worth it
We also bought some eau de cologne which was first made here in the 1700's by an Italian chemist. It was basically some scented water to hide the stench of the aristocrats who didn't take baths for a year. We thought it might come in handy during our trip and it's a great souvenir!

Oliver – I thought the cable cars were neat, the fountain of cologne and the tour of Dom were interesting

In the evening we celebrated Mik's birthday with a yummy homemade chocolate cake that Tante Christiane made along with a fabulous dinner of salads and chicken. Everything was absolutely delicious. It always makes me realize how we Canadians need to focus upon our local fruits and veggies in order to get the best tasting food. Local produce is fresher and tastier!
It was sad to leave our wonderful aunt and uncles in Dusseldorf – they gave the girls fantastic t-shirts that said it all, Dusseldorf Princesses. It was very special to spend time with the relatives here – it was a big part of Oliver's childhood and of course, Oma's brothers and sister-in-law. Nothing is better than family.

Mikhaila: Mommy – don't forget they gave us German gummi bears!

We love them so much because they were so nice to us and made sure we had lots of fun.