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kmusserMy last full day here. Originally I was planning on going back to the Spiel, but my shopping is done and I don't feel like spending the day fighting to get into games. I decide to take the Aachen recommendation and am glad I did.
Aachen was the capital of Charlemagne and the main attraction is the cathedral he had built. I arrive via train and while the cathedral isn't right in front of the station like it is in Cologne it is easy to find and within walking distance. On the way I pass through the gate that is all that remains of Aachen's medieval city wall. At the cathedral sunday services are still going on so it's not open to tourists yet - I stop to have a cheesy crepe-like thing for breakfast and then cross a courtyard over to Aachen's other attraction - the city hall. It is built on the ruins of Charlemagne's imperial palace, incorporating some of the original stonework into the towers. Inside the audience chamber is one massive open room with vaulted ceilings and decorated with Charlemagne-themed paintings. Also there are replicas of the imperial jewels of the Holy Roman Empire.
After oohing and aahing there the cathedral is open and I join the rest of the tourists. The cathedral is pretty impressive from the outside - the inside is amazing, mosaics cover almost every surface. The church is much more compact then many of the other big European cathedrals - it reminds me of the Eastern Orthodox churches I'd seen in Russian with all the gilding. The stained glass is also amazing, each window rising approximately 100 feet.
I learn that there is an English language tour at 2 so I wait around for that, especially since then I'll get to go up on the 2nd level. The tour also lets us into the apse of the church to get a closer look at the two shrines, one containing the 4 relics of the church, and the other the remains of Charlemagne himself. The 2nd floor gives a very nice view of the rest of the church and also contains the throne used by the Holy Roman Emperors, starting with Otto I in 962. I'm amused that there is a Nine Men's Morris board carved into the side. Also with the tour I get the dates for the different portions of the church, the central octagonal chamber and the front doors are original to the church Charlamagne had built in 805. The choir chamber with all the stained glass was added in the 15th century, and all the mosaics are relatively recent, being added in the 1880's.
After Aachen, I decide to make a brief visit to Liège since it is so close, mostly just to say I've been to Belgium. Unfortunately the train station there isn't downtown and I don't think I have enough time to navigate the bus system, so I just wander the nearby neighborhood and talk a brief walk along the Meuse river. I figure the Belgians would make a good hot chocolate and am not disappointed. After that I make the trek via train back to Essen.
My last day is just packing and the long flight home. Delays at O'Hare mean I get home much later than anticipated, but I do get home eventually and all is well - more importantly all the goodies in my luggage survive the trip intact.
Aachen was the capital of Charlemagne and the main attraction is the cathedral he had built. I arrive via train and while the cathedral isn't right in front of the station like it is in Cologne it is easy to find and within walking distance. On the way I pass through the gate that is all that remains of Aachen's medieval city wall. At the cathedral sunday services are still going on so it's not open to tourists yet - I stop to have a cheesy crepe-like thing for breakfast and then cross a courtyard over to Aachen's other attraction - the city hall. It is built on the ruins of Charlemagne's imperial palace, incorporating some of the original stonework into the towers. Inside the audience chamber is one massive open room with vaulted ceilings and decorated with Charlemagne-themed paintings. Also there are replicas of the imperial jewels of the Holy Roman Empire.
After oohing and aahing there the cathedral is open and I join the rest of the tourists. The cathedral is pretty impressive from the outside - the inside is amazing, mosaics cover almost every surface. The church is much more compact then many of the other big European cathedrals - it reminds me of the Eastern Orthodox churches I'd seen in Russian with all the gilding. The stained glass is also amazing, each window rising approximately 100 feet.
I learn that there is an English language tour at 2 so I wait around for that, especially since then I'll get to go up on the 2nd level. The tour also lets us into the apse of the church to get a closer look at the two shrines, one containing the 4 relics of the church, and the other the remains of Charlemagne himself. The 2nd floor gives a very nice view of the rest of the church and also contains the throne used by the Holy Roman Emperors, starting with Otto I in 962. I'm amused that there is a Nine Men's Morris board carved into the side. Also with the tour I get the dates for the different portions of the church, the central octagonal chamber and the front doors are original to the church Charlamagne had built in 805. The choir chamber with all the stained glass was added in the 15th century, and all the mosaics are relatively recent, being added in the 1880's.
After Aachen, I decide to make a brief visit to Liège since it is so close, mostly just to say I've been to Belgium. Unfortunately the train station there isn't downtown and I don't think I have enough time to navigate the bus system, so I just wander the nearby neighborhood and talk a brief walk along the Meuse river. I figure the Belgians would make a good hot chocolate and am not disappointed. After that I make the trek via train back to Essen.
My last day is just packing and the long flight home. Delays at O'Hare mean I get home much later than anticipated, but I do get home eventually and all is well - more importantly all the goodies in my luggage survive the trip intact.