Sunday: Another cold day with patches of sun and drizzle. It is surprising (though probably shouldn’t be) how many boats are going up and down the river. Many of them seem to be tankers presumably carrying fuel. Not so many recreational boats but it is probably a bit early in the season. There are lots of caravan parks on the side of the river with literally hundreds of caravans and people clearly in occupation. Not exactly getting away from it all but then our motor camps are just like mini suburbs I guess.

The food on board is excellent as is the service so am trying to keep to normal portions though it’s an effort. We had lunch in the dining room and there is a lovely selection of soups and salads as well as hot dishes. Free beer, wine and soft drinks with lunch. I had Diet Coke!

After lunch we had a guided tour of Cologne. The boat moors right in the city centre so it’s not exactly a long walk. We heard some very interesting history about the city, which is very old but was largely demolished and then rebuilt during and after WWll.

They have some very ancient Roman buildings and structures and it is the birthplace of 4711 eau de Cologne.

The city’s pride and joy is the Cathedral which is the 3rd highest in the world and is huge. They are continually renovating because acid rain attacks the sandstone and limestone walls, turning them black and then crumbly. It kind of looks odd where they have replaced sections of wall or spire with brand new white stone that is carved onsite as an exact replica. The same thing is going to happen to the new stone so it gives the stonemasons work for life.

The guided tour ended at the cathedral which is only about 400m from the river where we started.

Inside the cathedral is vast and quite spartan in decoration but with beautiful stained glass windows.

It also has a golden casket thing at at the back of the altar which is supposed to hold some of the remains of one of the 3 wise men that were at the birth of Jesus. Hmmm. It was enough to bring Mediaeval religious tourism to Cologne but carbon dating a few years ago found that the clothing is from the 1st or 2nd century AD.

Barron (our cruise director) had told us about this staircase up to the top of one of the towers where you can get a great view, so we paid our 5€ and climbed the 533 steps to the top. It was bitterly cold so at least the climb warmed us up.

Part way up we went into the bell tower which was fascinating. Wouldn’t want to be in there when they rang though. There is a great view from the top but it’s hard to get photos as there is wire netting all around.

The bells started ringing on our way down but they had shut the doors to the bell platform area.

After the cathedral we found a pub (well you’d have to be pretty impaired to miss one) where they sell Kolsch beer. It is a type of beer brewed in the area and there are over 30 varieties from different breweries. They bring you 200ml glasses and keep refilling them unless you put your coaster on the top.

The empty glasses get collected on this circular tray thing and new ones come back full the same way. The beer comes from quite a small barrel so they have to keep changing barrels. They keep a record of the number of beers on the coaster and you pay at the end – in cash. It’s a pretty straightforward business model. Sell one product, in one size and keep supplying until people say no. The pub also sold food of some description and some people were drinking bottled beer in the dining area. No sign of any spirits though.

After that we had a stroll through the mall at the railway station (being the only shops open on a Sunday) and back to the warmth of the ship.

Dinner was excellent again and there was a group that came on board and played (badly) 1960s hits at a tempo that was possibly meant to inspire dancing but was too ridiculously fast. A few souls danced but it was a relief when they packed off just before the ship left at 10pm. At that point the ship’s piano player took over on guitar as well as singing and he was excellent. Close your eyes and you’d swear it was Eric Clapton! Slept well after an evening of dancing and wine!