Cologne: The Cathedral, Some Chocolate, and the Rhine

We went to Cologne for a second time.  Last year we unknowingly went over karnival (or fasching).  We saw some really awesome parades, but we didn't get  to see much of the city.  We set off to explore the city a little deeper.  This time our friends Joee and Julie (Layla & Hank too!) went with us.
Show me a city with a body of water and I am already in love.  Cologne is located on both sides of the Rhine River.  It is a very large city, the 4th largest city in Germany, with lots to do.  We began the day by doing a self-walking tour stopping to see some key points: The Cologne cathedral, Heinzelmaennchenbrunnen (fountain) Town Hall, Farina House (where eau de cologne originated), Lindt chocolate factory, and a mustard shop.  The Schokoladenmuseum was better than expected.  It covered the history of chocolate, had a mock environment of where the cocoa bean can grow, and then took you through part of the factory where you could actually see small chocolate bars being made on an assembly line.  The kids loved it, especially the chocolate fountain at the end.  We got a few samples along the way and a slice of chocolate cake to go.  We ended the day at a delicious Brauhaus feasting on delicious food such as bratwurst, Goulash, pommes frites (fries) and of course sampling the local brew.  Dinner was very satisfying and the kids were well behaved; it was a great end to a fun day. 
We started our second day by working off our chocolate samples.  We signed up for a 5K and were very thankful for the nice weather that accompanied us.  One we arrived on site we found out that strollers were not allowed on the run, and as it turns out the muddy trail wouldn't have allowed it anyway.  M being the nice gal that I am opted out and stayed behind with the kiddos while Ben, Joee, and Julie participated.  After the race, we visited the Koeln Triangle.  We took an elevator to the observation deck for an amazing view of the city.  It was a perfect place for picture-taking.  After grabbing a quick bite to eat, we spent the rest of the day at the Odysseum, a science center.  The kids had such a great time exploring.  There were many themed rooms: one with water works and a giant play area, another was focused on stars and planets, one room featured optical illusions, A T-rex dominated the animal room, and there was a kid-sized train right in the center of it all.  In the end all were worn out and we enjoyed a quite ride home. 
The cathedral in Cologne is one of the better ones we have seen. Between the beautiful churches, river, and chocolate, Cologne ranks high on my list of favorite places to visit!

The Koln Dom





Us at the top of the triangle overlooking the city. 
Avree was asleep in the stroller.



Ben, Joee, & Julie at the race



Ben helping the kids use the pulleys to draw water