Aachen, Germany
Let’s head out on our next day trip and take the 30 minute drive to Aachen, Germany. Our first stop and primary destination is Aachener Dom. Aachener Dom is the first cathedral we visited and also the first cathedral in northern Europe. Built by the Emperor Charlemagne beginning in 796 and consecrated in 805 by Pope Leo III. Aachener Dom is a UNESCO world heritage site.
I took a ton of pictures here, however, again I can’t find them so I borrowed a few. The photo on the left is looking up into the octagon central structure of the Aachener Dom cathedral. In the center is the view from the back looking through the octagon at the golden altar and Karlsschrein, or Shrine of Charlemagne. The photo on the right is the Karlsschrein which contains the remains of Charlemagne. The remains were moved from their former resting place, in a sarcophagus beneath the floor, and placed in the gold and silver shrine and sealed by the Holy Roman Emperor, Frederick II in 1215.
After exploring Aachener Dom cathedral and walking the streets of the old city, we stopped in to our new favorite restaurant called Rose Am Dom.
Gram and I shared our dinner by one of us ordering Schnitzel Rose and the other ordering käsespätzle. We then split each one and each had half. The food was delicious and the place was full of authentic old world charm. Of course we had a beer or 2 to go with the food.
Cologne, Germany
Our next day trip was to Cologne, Germany on New Year’s Eve. We visited Kölner Dom, or Cologne cathedral. The cathedral in Cologne is the tallest twin-spired church in the world. Construction of Cologne Cathedral began in 1248 and was not completed until 1880, a span of 632 years!!! Kölner Dom is also a UNESCO world heritage site.
Time For a Beer
After the cathedral we stopped at Früh Am Dom for a few beers. Cologne, like Dusseldorf, has it’s own local style of beer, Kölsch. These 2 cities are only a 40 minute drive from each other and both are fiercely loyal to their respective beer style. Kölsch is traditionally served in a cylindrical 6 to 8 ounce glass. The server, called a Köbes, carries eight or ten glasses in a circular tray resembling a crown or wreath.
You don’t order a refill, instead, the Köbes replaces your empty glass with a full one, marking a tick on the coaster under each glass. If you do not want another refill, you place the coaster on top of the empty glass and pay for the number of beers marked on the coaster. We had 3 or 4 beers before we headed back to my brother’s house to ring in the New Year.
New Year’s Eve
We were counting down to 2018, drinking beer and enjoying ourselves and it turned out that I was the only one to remain standing until midnight. My brother made a valiant effort, but passed out on me about 10 minutes too soon.
Fireworks!!!
I had been hearing fireworks going off outside so with no one else to welcome in the new year with me, I went to find the source of the fireworks. At least I should be able to see them. As I walked out of the overhead garage door, the small street party outside became very obvious. I walked toward the sound of the partiers, and as I rounded the corner of the building, I heard the garage door behind me closing! Oh well, I’m out now, may as well join in the fun.
Locked Out
As it turned out, my brother had gotten up and with no one around, secured the house, closing the garage door, and my only return access, and went to bed. The source of the fireworks outside was the neighbors next door, who gladly accepted me into their party and we welcomed in the new year with beer and fireworks! After some time had passed, it was time for me to find a way back in to my brother’s house.
Getting Back In
There was a small, fenced in patio outside Gram and my bedroom, so let’s see if I can climb over the fence. Just as I was weighing the options of dropping into the dark unknown of the patio or finding a different way in, the door opened. Gram scolded me with “what the hell are you doing?” and I explained myself, to the best of my ability. She decided it would be best if she opened the garage for me instead of me dropping in over the fence. Good choice! I found out in the morning just how good that choice was. If I had completed my fence jump, most likely I would have ended up tangled up in empty coolers, a few gardening tools and other miscellaneous stored items hidden to me by the darkness.
Brussels, Belgium
For our last full day on this trip, we drove to Brussels to see the Grand Place and take a chocolate tour. We also spent the night in a hotel because our flight left from Brussels to return home the next day.
The Grand Place
The Grand Place is the central square of the City of Brussels. There are many historic buildings which create the walls of this cobbled courtyard, including the City Hall, Guild houses and the Maison du Roi. The Maison du Roi translates to King’s Household and was the Royal household of the King of France. Several of these buildings are decorated in gold, or at least what looks like gold.
Chocolate Tour
Our chocolate Tour was to meet in front of the Godiva chocolate shop in The Grand Place, and we didn’t go in! Apparently, Godiva is way too widespread and commercial for this tour. We were given a historic walking tour where we visited 5 high end chocolate boutiques, explored the streets of the old city and made a selection of our own chocolates at a maker’s workshop. All five of the shops we visited had outstanding chocolate treats for us to try. One specialized in hot chocolate and other drinks. Another had small bars with tons of real ingredients covered in chocolate. The last shop we visited was simply called Mary. Mary has been an exclusive chocolate supplier to the King since 1942!
After the chocolate tour, we wandered in to a nearby restaurant and got dinner and a couple of beers before heading off to our hotel for the night. The next morning, it was up and off to the airport for our trip home.
I hope you have enjoyed my trip down memory lane as much as I have, and I am working on more to come!
In case you missed part 1 and part 2, you can find part 1 – Our first trip to Europe! Netherlands, Belgium and Germany and part 2 – First Trip to Europe Netherlands, Belgium and Germany – Part 2 at these links.
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