The Porta Nigra into Trier is ancient and huge and epic, but the best thing of the day so far has to be the discovery of a whole load of Roman busts on sale in the Porta Nigra’s shop... (and a Roman helmet!) 
And the worst thing? The opportunity to buy a life-time’s supply of Karl Marx busts. 😡
The survival of the Basilica built by Constantine in Trier is fascinating for so many reasons. One: it is HUUUUGE. Look at how little I am in contrast to the arches. You don’t really understand how massive it is from the photographs.
Two: this shows how important Trier - or Augusta Treverorum - was in Constantine’s day. The Second Rome (before the real Second Rome), and imperial headquarters over the centuries of warfare against the Germans. This was the Imperial audience chamber, and it shows.
The importance of the town guaranteed it an important bishopric - and its Archbishop was naturally an elector. Here’s his former (😢 #SaveOurRectories) palace, tacked onto the side of the Basilica. It’s all fallen apart now, and Trier is only a minor diocese under Cologne. (😢😢)
Also, to file under “How the mighty are fallen”, the Basilica is now a Lutheran Church, and a lovely place to say Evensong, and has rather charming little signs of being a functioning church (with a strong Rural Anglican Parish Church feel to it).
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