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Published: June 16th 2014
Sagitarrius Statue
The Sagittarius in our group "strikes a pose"!After a nice breakfast at the bungalow, we are off to Dresden! I am excited to explore there with the kids as it has been one of my favorite destinations in Germany so far and I think the kids are going to be amazed. Having this time all together has been a precious gift, a wonderful chance to experience new things together. It's been fun to see how well everyone is getting along and really enjoying the chance to get to know each other. Ines is gracious enough to host our Dresden City tour. The core of historical Dresden is just about 1/2 mile by foot so we set off along the River Elbe to begin our exploration for the day. First official stop, the Trinity Church. Each time I see it, I am even more impressed by the detail in the architecture and just how elaborate these structures are, especially considering they were built at a time when there was no modern machinery. We lit a candle for our friend Chuck who passed away just days before our departure to Germany. It is really quite a sight to see the altar which is filled with all the candles dedicated to
those loved ones. On a less serious note, Jamie has offered to hear Alec's confession in one of the original confession chambers found throughout the church. Not surprisingly, Alec declines! Then a walk through the passage into the city square which showcases another of my favorite things in Dresden, the wall of rulers. Going way back to 1220, the wall depicts each of Dresden's kings. We pause for a brief history lesson and a few pictures there and then off to the Meissen China Shop. Deciding that 300 euros is too much to spend for a tea cup, (Sorry Mom) we are off for a refreshment at a cute little café with an outdoor patio facing the Church of Our Lady. It's the equivalent off about 92 degrees today so need to keep hydrated. Feeling rested, we get a chance to see the statue dedicated to Martin Luther and learn more about how this entire segment of Dresden was bombed just days after World War II and painstakingly restored in the last 25 years or so, in many cases brick by brick from the rubble. Another fascinating thing about this city! Then we get a chance to walk through the
Church of our Lady, really one of the top three impressive things to see in Dresden, and it can be seen from miles away. We are also lucky today to go all the way up to the top of the church tower for a most amazing view of the city. After navigating the hundreds of stairs back down, we get a chance to walk a little and see some of the museums and have a lovely serenade of an Adele song by Alec! Then an ice cream break, Again, Jamie enjoys her "Bruno" child's cup! After wandering through some of the side streets that house the former residence of the royal family and many of the museums in the city, we get a chance to see the famous Kempinski hotel and then on to the Palace which was primarily used for royal parties and seeing the expansive courtyard, you can almost imagine it filled with party goers in full mid evil dress. There's lots to see here and consequently many photo opportunities. Ralf is still going strong with his self timer skills with the camera for his now famous "Ralfie's" so we have lots of pictures of the 5 of
us to remember this special time. Everyone is hot and getting sore feet from all the walking, so we spend some time at the Semper Opera House, an absolutely breathtaking sight, and then cross the bridge to walk along the other side of the Elbe to a popular watering hole called Dresden Puro Beach. It's one of Ines' hip hang outs so despite sore feet we walk for "just three more minutes" (which seemed to be more equivalent to about 30 US minutes!) to "The Beach" and finally enjoy some cook refreshments and Ralf's Mamba dancing demonstration. Sadly, he could find no one to dance with him. This was the only bar I have ever been to featuring a swimming pool...pretty cool! After a long walk back and more of Ines' tour guide explanations of the buildings along the river, we arrive back at the hotel for a quick shower and then off to dinner at a cute little outdoor Tapa's restaurant where we spend several hours with very entertaining conversation and lots of laughs. It has been a full, but very fun day, of getting to know each other while seeing the city of Dresden.
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