The RIAS program allows US journalism fellows to extend their trip for individual projects, and in 2001 I spend a few days in Cologne with radio journalist Katja Luekert and her husband Bernard Mueller-Ulrich. This trip was my second opportunity to see the Cologne Cathedral. This time there was less scaffolding to block the view of the magnificent gothic structure with its intricate stonework and flying buttresses. Amazingly, it suffered relatively little damage despite taking 14 hits when Cologne was bombed into rubble in World War II. It’s Germany’s largest cathedral and one of the largest in the world, depending on how you measure. It is impossible to do justice to it with a simple tourist camera, but RIAS fellows gave it their best shot.
Our RIAS director guided us to an outstanding restaurant on the Rhine, which specialized in Berlin food. But since we had visited the Cologne restaurant in Berlin, it balanced out. Another evening of food and fun, such as taking a picture of WTVG’s Anthony Knopps taking a picture of me!