After a late breakfast Klaus and Uta arrived and we all travelled in Klaus’ new Tesla car to Cologne which is about 60km south of Hilden. Our travel on the auto-bahn was fast with the Tesla able to accelerate impressively and our top speed often above 150km/h. Instead of braking normally the car converts kinetic energy to electrical energy through an alternator and recharges the battery in doing so. The car can travel up to 400km between charges depending on the driving mode. High energy consumption occurs when the car accelerates dramatically such as his can; 0 – 100km/h in just over four seconds.
Despite some road works causing diversions we eventually found the car park in Cologne that we wanted with its E-car charging point. Klaus used his phone to find a code and then plugged in even though his batteries had sufficient to get us home later.
Klaus organising Tesla recharge at e-car charging station
e-car charging station, Cologne
Final display, Tesla e-car charging station, Cologne
We walked into the old part of town and visited the Kolumba Museum. This museum gives an insight to the city’s history of two thousand years as a memorial landscape. One major exhibition room houses Roman ruins on which are the ruins of the Church of St. Kolumba. Other rooms have modern art and minimalist exhibits which were less interesting. More of interest were the recovered gargoyles and angelic carvings from the nearby cathedral. The amount of atmospheric pollution has caused such damage that they’ve been removed and stored internally within the museum and the replaced with replicas that are acid rain resistant.
Roman ruins, Kolumba Museum, Cologne
Roman ruins, Kolumba Museum, Cologne
Recovered carving from the Cathedral, Kolumba Museum
Recovered carving from the Cathedral, Kolumba Museum
Recovered carving from the Cathedral, Kolumba Museum
We spent some time in the Cologne Cathedral. This Gothic masterpiece is world renowned for its splendour and complexity of design. Its construction commenced in 1248. Many additions to the cathedral have continued since and now the whole complex in its vastness is undergoing refurbishment to overcome the effects of time in a polluted world.
View of the Cathedral from Kolumba Museum, Cologne
The Cathedral, Cologne
The cathedral has much to enthral with such spectacles as the wonderful stained glass windows, floor mosaics, symbolic gilded rods, smaller chapels, epitaphs to past Archbishops, the Miraculous Picture of the Virgin and the Shrine of the Three Magi. The intricacy of the cathedral doors is beyond easy description but fascinating in its complexity of detail.
The Cathedral, Cologne
Stained glass window, Inside The Cathedral, Cologne
Inside The Cathedral, Cologne
After this we walked along the banks of the Rhine and stopped for coffees and a special local beer called Gaffel Kolsch brew. It was very nice with a strong hop taste but you have to put a coaster on top of your beer glass to cover it otherwise they will keep filling it!
Statue of Friedrich Wilhelm III, Cologne
Buildings on banks of the Rhine, Cologne
Sunset over the Rhine, Cologne
We then had dinner in a Lebanese Restaurant in the old part of Cologne and it served as a preliminary celebration of Uta’s birthday which is tomorrow.
We then headed back to collect Klaus’ car which had added 58 kW h of energy during the afternoon.
Back in Hilden we talked for a short while and then headed for bed after a great day’s visiting the famous city of Cologne.
Later tomorrow we start our long journey home at the conclusion of this wonderful adventure.