DESTINATION 1: COLOGNE (KOELN), GERMANY

Headed to Koeln early in the morning. I was really happy that we were given some free time. My whole face beamed and my mum knew what I wanted to do (because I said I wanted to climb it like so many times back at home).

The famous Koeln Cathedral from far. (Reminds me of Lambertikirche.) Mum and Koeln cathedral.

A closer and better look at the painted glass panels (better because I am using a better camera as compared to a year ago).Not all people in the past are literate, thus painted glass panels helped to convey the story of Jesus and to explain the Bible to the common people.I know I'd took this kind of pictures before. Whatever.
The big big church bell found in the middle of the climb.My brother, halfway through our journey, still going strong (while I was panting like hell).Caged.
The view from the top.

As my mum's legs are not that strong, I wanted her to stay in the church's groundfloor while I go climb my way up the cathedral. But halfway through, some kpo aunty "forced" my mum to climb by nagging at her. What the hell. You want to climb then climb yourself. Why you drag my mum along! Glad that mum made it to the middle of it.

It costed about 1 Euro to enter (but I don't really care about the price). The way up was terribly tiring for someone (like me) who does not do regular exercise. In addition, as I know that my mum was waiting for me below, I climbed like a monkey nonstop for half the way up, and ended up panting heavily, as you would be able to hear in the videos I took. The scenery was not exactly breathtaking but the wish that I held close to my heart was finally fulfiled. That made me happy already. Simply shiok.

After the climb, I had a minor headache and my feet were wobbling like jelly. *wobble wobble*

I asked a tourist to help me take a picture but it turned our so dark that I deleted it and decided to take one myself. Not bad lah huh, my photo-taking skills. Haha.

After meeting my mum in the midway (mum only managed to climb half of it), we went to walk around the Weihnachtsmarkt (Christmas market) outside the cathedral. Mum was rather fascinated with the beautiful gingerbreads and forgot that I actually bought one back home when I visited Prague and that she complained that it did not taste nice. -_-

Had some warm wine (Gluehwein) with a cranberry flavour, met a friendly couple from Scotland (who said Singapore is a beautiful country), and two men from another part of Germany (forgot where) who took a picture for me and mum.

The warm feeling after drinking the wine was shiok too. Felt dui that my stomach had no room for sausages and crepes that were found in the market. :( I hate Chinese food overseas. Boo.

Anyway, me and mum were choosing magnets and keychains in a small store just opposite the cathedral and the kpo aunty said that we are suah ku. O_o WHAT THE HELL. Both of us were of course, very angry and gave her a nickname "Modern". Wahahahaha~ No one knew about the nickname except for me, my mum and her friend. Since you're so modern, can you tell me why you're visiting Europe together with us? You should have done so much earlier what. Some people just talk in the darnest way.
Chocolate figurines.
Things bought: