Dresden
Hello - it has been a minute but we have been busy! We just returned to Meckelfeld from spending six nights in Dresden. Our time there started with a free walking tour. I highly recommend a free walking tour to learn the history of the city and find out the important things to see.
Of course our tour guide was Nicolas from Italy, a published author with a PhD from some university in America.
The meeting place at the Martin Luther statue in front of the Frauenkirche (Church of Our Lady). Despite the name, this is a Protestant Church.
The rulers here had some cool nicknames - Konrad the Great, Friedrich the Quarrelsome, Ernst the Soft-hearted, Friedrich the Wise, August the Strong and his son August the Fat.
Bizarre.
This appears to be a fancy gold carpet until you get closer...
A little history lesson is important to appreciate Dresden.
On Feb 13 & 14, 1945 the British Royal Air Force and the American Air Force bombed Dresden. The city was largely a cultural hub and had little military value. The bombing was carried out to demoralize the Germans and to weaken their resolve. The bombs dropped were a combination of explosive and incendiaries ("fire bombs"). Whatever was not destroyed by the explosive bombs burned up by the fires started by the incendiary bombs.
When you stand in "Altstadt" Dresden today you might think that the buildings are very old. Actually most of them are pretty new having been rebuilt after the war was over.
This building, the Frauenkirche, was one of the last to be rebuilt. This Lutheran church was reconstructed between 1994-2005.
The interior of the dome.
We did take a day trip, via train, to Meissen. That city is famous for its Meissen Porcelain. We did not buy anything - it is all hand painted, etc. The saucer for the cup & saucer set was about $20. There were vases there that cost as much as a nice house ($700,000)!
We will hang out in Meckelfeld a fews days, do some laundry, see some friends and then on Thursday we head for Poland!
Take care and stay cool!
Sheri & Carsten
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