Touring Day, seeing Koln, train to Berlin, a night ride through the city

Very nice morning relaxing with host over breakfast: breads, jams, and tea. Our conversation flowed from subject to subject. His wife is an artist with ceramics. I bought something for my host in Berlin. I know she loves homemade things. Finally I packed up, ready to ride back to local train station. 

I arrived in Koln with the bike and parked it in bicycle parking area. I locked my bags to the frame. Not the most secure option, but I didn't want to carry them everywhere as I played tourist.

I had about 3 hours before my train to Berlin. 

I went to the grand Dom or cathedral, the structure left after WW2 bombings. I arrived in time for noontime prayers in a side chapel. After a priest directed us to touch a golden orb by an altar. I wasn't inclined. I'll have to look it up at home to see the significance. I did pray no one would steal stuff out of my bags. 

I went looking for a toilet and found entrance to the tower climb. Of course I did this for 6 Euros. No lift, just steps the top. I got some dramatic pics, again most of the city is "new ." I splurged on a kebab and ate by my friend the Rhine, then walked the old town. I went back to the station and my train was posted.

I felt like a pro figuring everything out and even relaxed a little. I got the bike hung up in the bike carriage and went to look for my seat. I couldn't find my place and was tired and sat down anyway at a table with a young mother and baby. I asked a ticket taker where on my ticket was my seat number. She said my ticket was only for the bike and to look for my ticket. I went to my phone but could only find this one. I was stressed and a seat neighbor leaned over and said in English, You MUST have a ticket. I could feel my body tensing. 

Finally another ticket lady came through and scanned my ticket and said all was correct; I grabbed her hand in heartfelt Danke.  

  

I'm still living the dream.

.......

Post script

My friend Mia was meeting me at the station. Of course I was doing the hard part listening for directions , searching for an elevator off the platform, then moving my stuff down 2 flights in a busy crowded Berlin rail station. The elevator was not working at all. I saw fellow travelers with bikes put theirs on the escalator, all around me these people were falling down because of course the steps grew too steep for them to hold on. It felt surreal. Meanwhile, Mia wrote me that she'd cycled to the wrong station and would be a few more minutes.

This is how it is with Mia. She arrived and immediately wanted to dance to the buskers in the platz. We maybe did this for 45 minutes, talking, dancing, and laughing. Finally, I said let's head to your place.

of course, we didn't. We didn't: instead she rode me around nighttime Berlin, which was celebrating a Festival of Lights. On a lot of the important historical buildings there was projected a light show. All the colors and representations recast the structure into a new dimension. For example in one square a building with Ludwig on the front next to some kind of library looked a bit like an iguana with iridescent reptile skin.

We cycled around until finally I said I was cold and tired. It was a lot to take in. So we started for Mia's place and it seemed far. But with her nothing is a straight line. Berlin at night, under psychedelic lights was a fabulous entry.