Koln am Rhein

Today's mail brought me a card from Cologne (Koln)

in Germany, with a view of the famous Cathedral

and a bridge over the Rhein.

This card comes from Jenny who is studying at the university there.

She is studying librarianship and has just started her last year.

Her home is in Thuringia.

Thank you, Jenny, for this great postcard!

Here is another view of the cathedral that I found on the internet. Although

I have heard of the Cathedral, I wnted to know a little more about it.

I found that there is a shrine inside called Dreikonigsschrein. This

translates to 'Shrine of the Three Kings' and refers to

the Biblical Magi, who visited the Christ-child after his birth.

There is a reliquary that is said to contain the bones of the three

kings. A triple sarcophagus stands above and behind the

high altar of the Cathedral.

Jenny put the two stamps (above) on the card, saying that she, too, likes

lighthouses, and she thought this stamp would be perfect for me. (It is!)

The stamp on the left is the Kloisterrinsel Reichnau and, I believe,

is a UNESCO world heritage site. The stamp on the right is

the lighthouse (leuchtturm) Hoernum, which is on the North Sea

island of Sylt. It was built in 1907 and is a popular tourist

attraction and is also chosen as the site for many weddings.

An unusual bit of information: it was used as a school from 1918 to 1935,

with classes being held on some upper floors.