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In Dresden we are hosted by die Familie Schröer, I must say some of the kindest and most interesting and fun people I've ever met. Lifelong Dresdners, they've lived here through the war, the firebombing, the DDR, the fall of socialism, and now the rebirth of their extraordinary and beautiful city. We've seen and learned so much more than I could have hoped on my own (even though they were pleased by my hyper-planning, and pulled out a guidebook wherein the published list of must-see sights in Dresden matched my list both in content and in order of significance).

Thanks to the Schröer family auto, we've also gotten to see some wonderful sights that were not on my list as they are too far outside of town for effective public transport: Schloß Pillnitz (a short ferry ride over the Elbe River) yesterday, and Schloß Moritzburg today. We also violated the museum limit and saw both the Mathematisch-Physikalischer Salon and the Porzellansammlung this morning at the Zwinger, in the Altstadt, the center of Dresden. It was painful, but worth it, and gave us yet another reason to be grateful to be taxied around all afternoon and evening.

Strangely enough, the Frauenkirche, my number-one reason for coming to Dresden, was a letdown. It's still being rebuilt, so one can't go inside, and walking around its exterior is impressive, but not that much different from seeing pictures. I guess I was hoping to learn something new. Now, I got distracted by the gift shop and managed to completely fail even to look for the informative/interpretive center that Rick says exists. We're going back there tomorrow morning, so I may try to swing by for another attempt.

I've been able to ask the Schröers all manner of questions about their life and times in the DDR. The museums are informative, of course, but there's nothing like being able to sit down and discuss these things with living, breathing, former-East-Germans. I've learned so much, more than I could possibly do justice in a blog. I asked them if they could summarize any kind of message for me to take home to my friends about the DDR, past, present and future, and what they said was this: come here and see it for yourself. Having done so, now, I couldn't agree more!

This evening, after a hot, sunny, muggy day, we're having classic sundown thunderstorms. Not violent like the midwest, just cleansing and wonderful. Back to Rotwein and excellent conversation. Tchüss until Prague!

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