UNESCO World Heritage Site #159: Cologne Cathedral

Posted: 26 Nov 2011 04:00 PM PST

Cologne Cathedral, constructed over more than six centuries, has an exceptional intrinsic value and contains artistic masterpieces. It is a powerful testimony to the strength and persistence of Christian belief in medieval and modern Europe.

Christians met for worship in a private house in Roman Cologne near the city wall. Following the Edict of Milan in 313, when Constantine proclaimed religious freedom, this building was enlarged as a church. Alongside it were an atrium, a baptistry and a dwelling-house, possibly for the bishop. This modest ensemble was extended and enlarged in the following centuries. This immense building, known by the 13th century as ‘the mother and master of all churches in Germany’, was consecrated in September 70.

Post-Second World War excavations, as well as contemporary documents, provide evidence of its form and decoration – a basilica, with a central nave flanked by two aisles and a large atrium in front of its western facade. A two-storeyed Chapel of the Palatinate, in the style of Charlemagne’s chapel in Aachen, was added to the south transept at the beginning of the 11th century, and later that century it was connected by two lofty arcades at the east end with the Collegiate Church of St Mary ad Gradus.

The Cologne Cathedral is one of the most iconic symbols in all of Germany and certainly the most well known important religious building in the country. It towers above the city of Cologne as one of the largest and most important gothic cathedrals ever built.

The moment you walk out of the Cologne Central Train Station you are immediately struck by the enormity of the cathedral staring at you. The fact that it is on a hill and the train station is situated below it only adds to the effect.

Thankfully, the cathedral escaped any serious damage in WWII. It has been in a state of almost constant renovation ever since.

The cathedral was originally built as a resting place for the remains of the three wise men who were stolen from the cathedral in Milan. Today, the city flag of Cologne has three crowns on it, representing the three wise men. The reliquary of their bones in the the back of the church behind the altar.

This was the fourth stop in my November 2011 Eurail trip of UNESCO sites in Europe.

View my complete list of UNESCO World Heritage sites.

Originally posted on the Everything Everywhere Travel Blog. Discover great travel photos.

The Sour Toe Cocktail Club

Posted: 26 Nov 2011 12:20 PM PST

Drink it fast or drink it slow, your lips must touch the toe – Recited before entry into the club

I carry only a few things in my wallet: a credit card, my drivers license and some of my frequent flyer cards. There is one other thing I carry with me. Something that I’m extremely proud of and which puts me in an elite group of people, so small that less than 0.0005% of the world’s population can claim membership.

That thing is my laminated membership card in the Sour Toe Cocktail Club.

To give you an idea how exclusive membership in this club is, here is a list of people who are NOT members:

President Barak Obama
Pope Benedict XVI
Bill Gates
Queen Elizabeth II
Aaron Rodgers
Nelson Mandela
The Dali Lama

The list goes on and on…

Membership in this august, elite fraternity is not for everyone. Many hear the call, but few can pass the rigors which membership demands.

For those who wish membership, this is what you must do:

First, you must traverse to the northlands of the Yukon Territory in Canada. Once here, you must find your way to the City of Dawson, situated just below the Arctic Circle.

Second, you must enter the gates of the Downtown Hotel. Upon entering the establishment, you must have $5 in Canadian currency. You must order a cocktail with thy money.

Third, upon serving of the beverage, a severed human toe will placed in the drink.

Finally, you must consume the drink with the toe touching your lips.

Yes, it is a real honest to God human toe

Since my admission into the club, I’ve proudly shown my card to many people. I’ve gotten many of the same questions:

Q: Where did they get the toe from?

A: There have been 8 toes in the history of the club. The history of each toe is outlined here. They have been donated by people over the years.

Q: Isn’t that unsanitary?

A: The toe is stored in salt and when it isn’t in salt it is in alcohol. It is probably one of the least bacteria ridden things you’ll ever let touch your lips.

Q: That’s disgusting!

A: That is not a question

One day if you should venture so far north, perhaps you too can join this elite body. On that day, we shall become brothers and sisters in the Sour Toe Cocktail Club!

Originally posted on the Everything Everywhere Travel Blog. Discover great travel photos.