Day eight: Cologne, Germany

Hohenzollernbrücke bridge in Cologne, Germany. Here, thousands of "love locks" have been hung by happy couples from around the world. The keys are then thrown into the Rhine river to symbolize their everlasting love. Aw.

Obviously, we skipped the lock part to go eat some ice cream. 

Waiting for our Rhine river cruise to arrive. 

This was an hour long ride along the Rhine. It had tour narration in German and English so we were able to give Dominick's  voice a break and still got to learn some interesting stuff. 

Shot of the Cologne Cathedral from the Rhine.

Apparently, people pay 8,000€ per sq. meter to buy one of these luxurious apartments along the Rhine. Crazy! 

The cologne cathedral is majestic! There is something about that gothic style that will give you chills. Definitely our favorite cathedral thus far.

Where the Three Kings' remains lie. 

We decided to split off for a little while since we both wanted to do different things and we were running out of time.

Naturally, Kara ended up at the Chocolate Museum...

Claudia decided to climb up 533ft up to the top of one of the towers of Cologne Cathedral. Challenge accepted.

This is what a sweaty break at around 300ft looks like.

475 steps later, this striking picture is proof that someone made it to the top!

The way down was a bit frightening. As you can see the stair way was very narrow and people were coming up and going down the same way. 

Stopped by this fruit stand to grab some post workout carbs. 

Time for more food! 

Dominik tricked us into getting too much food. I guess this is what happens when you can't read the menu. German portions are ridiculous!

This is how the server kept count of our drinks. We learned that here, the servers just keep refilling you by coming around with a caddy full of fresh beer. you have to put a coaster on top of your glass in order for them to stop bringing you more beer. Don't worry, beers are a lot smaller here. They do this so they stay cold and crisp. Brilliant. 

Oh, and don't expect a to-go box. You'll get a piece of aluminum foil.

“Now more than ever do I realize that I will never be content with a sedentary life, that I will always be haunted by thoughts of a sun-drenched elsewhere.” 

― Isabelle Eberhardt, The Nomad: The Diaries of Isabelle Eberhardt

Cheers.