The Rhine River flows north; Wednesday Dave and I slithered beside its picturesque banks on our railway journey to Cologne.
Our destination was the “Dom”, the sooty, funereal spires in the heart of the city. The Cathedral was begun in 1248 and took over 600 years to complete (approximately 300 years of construction, with time off between 1560 and 1842). Just as it was 
completed in 1880, the coal-burning era arrived. The Dom is incredible now — no doubt it will gleam like heaven once it’s polished (cleaning is underway).
Dave and I arrived two-by-two, but some tourists arrived by the busload. And boatload. Pleasant weather made it possible to stop in Remagen for dinner, to enjoy cold Kölsch along the Rhine while carrier ships and oil tankers, sight-seeing boats and cruise ships peaceably shared the swirling waterway. A U.S. Navy cargo plane 
even made an appearance, tilting and winding at low altitude, flying upriver.
The journey gave new meaning to “timeless Autumn”. Roman ruins and medieval castles, Renaissance art and industrial artifacts all mingled together with twenty-first century living.