| Eurorail is easy and effective; go to the station, pick a train, and jump aboard. We hopped on a train to Germany. It stopped in Cologne, which amazingly, was where we wanted to go. Too excited, we jumped off one stop too soon. Travelers tip: Hauptbahnhof means main train station. By wandering around town, looking ridiculous in our safari outfits and backpacks, we found a bus to take us to the car rental desk. We will drive through Germany; Americans can't resist a chance to speed on the autobahns. After South Africa and England, it seemed strange to drive on the right side of the road. We sped into the center of Cologne, a city famous for its cathedral. This immense church supposedly holds the remains of the Three Wise Men and was also the tallest building in Europe before the Eiffel Tower. It is Germany's representative to the world church building competition. We climbed 509 steps up the cathedral's tower for a spectacular city view. Cologne is also famous for eau de Cologne, invented locally. We didn't buy any; no reason to smell like $100 when dressed for $10. |
