As a graduation gift from my parents I was sent to the south of Holland to visit with my mother's family. My second eldest aunt, and her sister-in-law took me on a day trip to Aachen and we visited the Cathedral there. The exterior is in the midst of restoration, and hence covered with hscaffolding, but the interior of the octagon took my breath away. I had studdied Roman culture and archetecture in high school and was amazed at the quality and magnificent state of preservation of the mosaics that cover the interior ceilings of the Dom.

aside from considering it a beautiful site, I didn't really appreciate the historical significance of the site until I began my university education, and in courses in both art and history, learned about the great significance of the aachen dom to the cultural history of Europe.