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Some Guy’s Hat sports a pin of the Ulm Münster Cathedral, noting its height of 161 meters.
This past weekend, we headed to Ulm to visit this Cathedral, which boasts the highest spire in the world. Although typically I do not go into detail about our travels in order to allow me to write fresh material for the book, below is a photo essay of the experience of climbing the spire with my child:
Arrive at cathedral and think, wow, that’s pretty high–I wonder if the steps really go to the top? 
See sign for how many steps (768) lead to the top of the steeple. Have no reference, blindly enter.
Kick yourself for not understanding the difference between dressing for the weather and dressing for a spiral death trek. Begin peeling off layers of outerwear.
Pause to take in the view…
…of child saying she can’t go one.step.further. 
Arrive at a landing and realize you are well above the other spires. Also realize you’re not even halfway there. Wonder if you can possibly take one.step.further.
Look at well-worn steps toward the top and wonder if the staircase has been maintained in the past 200 years. 
Get to the top to realize it’s not the freaking top. Ascend tiny steeple. 
Take quick photos at the narrow tippy top, then step back into the staircase.
Run into people who are ascending the staircase. Freak out. Continue down and trade places with husband, who has been waiting with child that refuses to do the steeple climb. Allow child to climb toward the steeple without using the stairs. Watch child freak out and begin crying because she is afraid to come down.
Watch child freak out further on the climb (read: scoot) back down the spire. Listen to her cries turn into shrieks of terror when husband picks her up to carry her.
Read pamphlet about the cathedral… 
…over beer. 
Check it off the list and spend days hobbling around on sore and unsure legs.
[…] This week we spent a few days in Ulm to visit the world’s tallest church spire while sleeping in the world’s most crooked hotel. Details of the steeple climb can be found here. […]