A BIG day in Cologne as, according to BBC, right now the pope is barging on the Rhine to arrive at some international Christian youth gathering in that city - probably arriving de-barging right by Cologne's dramatic Dom - arguably Europe's most impressive cathedral when seen from the outside - also one of the largest. Thousands are packing Cologne's delightful riverfront to greet the Pontiff. This is Benedict's first visit to his homeland since the white smoke appeared at the Vatican.

On Sunday the Pope, who will stay in Cologne for 4 days, will celebrate an open-air mass here that expects to attract over one million folks!

The pope hasn't been on a barge: his Rhine transport was the RHEINENERGIE, the newest and biggest passenger ship in the Köln-Düsseldorfer fleet
(www.k-d.com).

Oh well i was just parotting NPR who said it was a barge - i thought to myself that didn't sound very good - the flagship of KD fleet makes more sense. WWJD - Jesus no doubt would have taken a barge!

"Jesus no doubt would have taken a barge!"

And if I remember correctly from my Sunday School class, didn't he turn water into Rhine. Come to think of it, I might have missed class that day.

Wouldn't he have just walked up the Rhine?

As an old street preacher in London once said: I can't turn wine into water but i can turn water into wine!

No, Our Lord, frugal as he was, would have used a Eurail Pass and ridden in on one of those more ordinary K-D Rhine boats for free!

Did anyone else think this was a funny title? I kept trying to NOT reply, but kept having things run through my head - mostly about Bush.

Bush Barging into Battle

I guess I have a weird sense of humour. But it's good to laugh - keeps the tears away!

Well barging was not a good choice as besides riding a barge, not true as it turns out, it implies a W-like barging forcefully into something - Benedict may have once 'barged' down the Rhine when he was in the Hitler Youth Corps. New title: Pope Cruising Down the Rhine. Now cruising too has certain implications - turn out the redlights in Koln!

Cologne is the site of over 200 gay bars and also the site of Europe's largest gay pride event held every June.

Coincidental? Perhaps but I kinda doubt he went there to visit the shrine of the Magi at the cathedral somehow.

>Pope Barging Up the Rhine<

Just because he's the Pope doesn't give him the right to barge into line.

Roseanne Rosannadanna