First day in Cologne

A great thing about Europe is the rail system. Even four or five hours on a train can be pleasant, especially if the scenery is lovely! We travelled more than four hours yesterday from Berlin straight to Cologne (no transfers) and we enjoyed the trip very much. We really liked the option of being in a cellphone-free car!
The weather let us down again, but at least it felt warmer. A few minutes after we arrived, a bit dazed and confused, a cloud burst kept us inside another 20 minutes. We finally found out where our hotel was and set out, just as the sun emerged from the clouds just depleted of rain.
The hotel is small and very modest, but adequate. The Cologne cathedral (Dom) is very close, right beside the train station, actually. We can see everything from our window! Luckily, the train noise didn't continue all night, so we slept.
We felt more tired than we expected. Looking for a place to eat proved difficult, as this is tourist central, and tourists tend to like a restricted range of (mostly familiar) food. We like more unusual fare....
We ended up eating very good fast food, and chatting very pleasantly with the manager in English. When you travel, you must be open to serendipity. Flexibility is key.
While the sun stayed out, which wasn't long, we passed the cathedral, found some art museums, and walked along the Rhine. I asked about the boat cruises that are free if you have a rail pass. One is five hours up the Rhine and four hours back! A little too long, I'd say....

Along the Rhine

Cologne Dom

The Dom is truly magnificent. I found it rather scary - like a castle where dangerous characters cast their spells on unsuspecting peasants. The crenellations, imposing size and filthy exterior (it is very, very old after all) gave me that impression - or so I thought.
Then the bells sounded at 7:50 pm. The bong-bong ran under the cobbled streets, belying the 21st-century aspect of shops and tourist throngs. Suddenly it was 1700 again ... about 100 years before completion of the structure, but likely around the time the bell tower would have been up for, say, 300 years? The whole thing took well over six centuries to finish building!!!
The inside is awesome. We went when many people had left, so it wasn't too crowded. I don't know the names of the structures, so I won't shame myself by trying to describe them. But the resemblance between the interior and an old-growth forest took my breath away - and not for the first time inside a cathedral. (York Minster in England, 1983, was probably the first.)
My overall impression of this city, after Berlin, Potsdam and Dresden, is not very favorable. Perhaps if we see older and less touristy areas today I'll revise my opinions. I plan to see those art museums, in any case.