Church Or Cathedral

< i>Attracting droves of           spectrum of sensory bliss as you   tourists every year, Europe     skip from one country to the       promises the ancient, the       next, searching for that tiny      diverse, and the completely           unique detail that you will        fascinating. Most travelers           fondly relish for the rest of      scurry past the major sites and       your life.                     cram in as much as possible in                                           order to get through a list of        Did you know that there's a        ‘must sees.' Unfortunately, much      difference between a 'church' and  is overlooked due to lack of time     a 'cathedral?' When you travel     and money while the infinite          throughout Europe, you'll run      unique treasures sometimes hidden     into them in all sizes – from the  for the resourceful traveler          rural, humble ones that are        remain undiscovered and               content to be nestled next to a    unappreciated. Not that visits to     mountain to the majestic 'I dare   the key attractions should be         you to not feel in awed when you   dissuaded!                            step inside' ones. How do you                                            tell which boast the title of      On the contrary, I’m simply           'cathedral?' I'll give you a      inviting the European travelers       hint…it's not in the               to dig a little deeper into their     architecture…                      destination country and find the                                         gems that will make them smile as     I didn't learn the answer to this  they recall them even decades         question until I visited Cologne,  later. Remember and celebrate the     Germany last year. Cologne (or     taste of a fresh German pretzel,      Köln) is home to Germany's second  the sweet smell of the air in a       tallest cathedral (515 feet).      Tuscan vineyard, or the baby soft     Archbishop Konrad von Hochstaden   petals in a colorful field of         began construction in 1248 and it  Dutch tulips. Savor an entire         took on 14 aerial bombs during     WWII yet stood its ground. My         pillars glow. Study each glass     Grandpa Krape remembers seeing it     panel, which is a work of art in   after the bombing.                    and of itself.                                                                                              He says, "when I went through         I recommend the tour…normally I    [the cathedral] during the war,       don't take these but this one was  there was mounds of rubble inside     very good…and you learn the        on the floor. Several priests         answer to nagging questions such   were walking around the rubble on     as 'what's the difference between  paths through it, saying their        a church and a cathedral?' Have    prayers. One could see daylight       you guessed it yet (I gave a tiny  through the roof in spots. The 3      hint in the second paragraph).     doorways lined with statues had       It's actually very simple…much     been defaced and some beheaded.       more than I would have guessed. A  Someone obviously stood outside       'church' is a building where       with a machine gun - the bullet       religious services are held. A     knick marks rose as he turned due     'cathedral' is that AND enjoys     to the gun climbing as it's           the presence of a bishop or        fired."                               archbishop. So even if a building                                        is monstrously gothic-sized, if    Wandering through the Cologne         there’s no bishop it's only a      Cathedral leaves you taken aback      'church.'                          by its sheer magnitude. Stand at                                         the very end of the center aisle      The Cologne Cathedral will also    and watch the sanctuary almost        let visitors climb up into her     grow in front of you, higher and      spires. The staircase will give    higher. The walls are almost          your legs a hearty work-out and    covered in stunning stained glass     when you get to the top, look      windows which let a rainbow of        straight up through the pinnacle   light in and make the stone           as the sun casts interlacing       shadows all around you. Leave the     area. Make sure you rest before    spire for a walk around the top       heading down – my legs felt like   while enjoying the almost             Jell-O by the time I got back      limitless view of the surrounding     down to the bottom!                About the Author: Vicki Landes is the author and photographer of Europe for the Senses, a Photographic Journal. She has been soaking up Europe for the last six years and has visited 42 countries. Learn more at Europe for the Senses Published At: www.Isnare.com