Day Three - Escape from East Berlin

They're Taking Over Europe

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They once enthralled me, but with them sprouting up everywhere around Europe I'm starting to think they are a blight on the landscape. But still, I think Gail took a great photo here as night began to fall. Too bad that stupid car got in the picture, but at this point we were stuck in a traffic jam.

The Nosy Family

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While creeping through this part of the Autobahn outside Leipzig that white van kept passing us, then falling behind as our lane sped up. The family inside seemed utterly fascinated by us or our shiny Opel. They just stared daggers at us whenever they drew near us. We started to put on our own show whenever they came by: We pretended we were all asleep (including me), then we all stuck our fingers up our noses and we acted like we were having a dance party in our van.

Downtown Colditz at Night

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When we finally got to Colditz we were starving, but we couldn't eat anywhere until we found an ATM. At the opposite end of this little town square we found a rather modern bank with a big room full of money dispensers.

Dinner at Sophien Klause

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Ralf directed us here. The sign was lit, a few lights were on inside, but no one seemed to be home as we knocked, then pounded on the front door. I really glad we persisted because we had a great meal.

A Glass of the Local Brew

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Actually I TRIED to order the local beer, but the proprietor told us it was awful and suggested this beer from Northern Germany instead. It was average for a German beer which means back home Gilde Ratskeller would be the best in town. A tiny bit bitter, I prefer a wheat beer.

Trying to Make the Proper Choice

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For a little restaurant in an out-of-the-way place like Colditz, the Sophienklause had a remarkably varied menu. There were at least twenty pages of foods and drinks. And even though the primary focus was on German cuisine, there were a surprising number of Irish dishes. The decor in the room also reflected the owner's interest in things Irish.

Beer and Gulaschsuppe

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On this rather cold, damp and chilling night a nice bowl of Gulaschsuppe sounded perfect. We all ordered some along with our beers.

Time for Another Round

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Service wasn't slow at the Sophien Klause but we were very very thirsty. Tyler and Gen quaffed their half liter glasses before the main course was served.

Switching to a Tastier Poison

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I had read through our menus too quickly when I ordered my first beer. When I discovered that the restaurant also served a Weissbier from the Andechs Monastery, I felt like it was Christmas already. That monastery is considered holy ground in the world of beer connoiseurs and their opinion was good enough for me. It turned out to be the second best beer of the trip (the wheat beer at Ettal is still my favorite).

Once Again Cassie Doesn't Want Her Picture Taken

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For some stupid reason (like maybe we were too hungry to stop) we never took a picture of our meals, but trust me, it was delicious and sumptuous. After dinner we sipped more beer while Cassie acted goofy and did her best to deny Gail a decent picture of her.

Now Our More Mature Child Gets into the Act

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It was a good thing we were the only people in the restaurant because we started to have a little too much fun.

Cassie's Having a Good Time

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She wasn't even drinking but for some reason Cassie actually cracked a smile. I must've spilled something or had beer foam in my mustache.

Die Rechnung, bitte!

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Here's a copy of our dinner bill. Looks like we ran up a nice bar tab. I love the way the Germans incorporate the tip into the bill. You just round up a couple Euros to make it a generous tip.

Maybe It's Time to Leave

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With a great meal and some delicious libations under our belts, we spent the greater part of the evening showing-off our photos taken thus far in the trip. The proprietor left us on our own until we sought him out to pay the bill. We told him just how much we enjoyed dinner and promised to return soon.

A Late Night Stroll through Colditz

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We bundled-up then left the now empty Sophienklause. We decided to take a little hike up to the top of the castle hill. Like virtually every old vaguely historic building, Colditz Castle was well lit with floodlights. Next door to the castle was this church.

The View from the Top

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From where we stood just outside the castle entrance we were unable to really get a decent night photo of Colditz Castle. We were too close and the view of the castle interior was obstructed by the compound wall. The most important thing we learned while up there was that the castle would be open for business on the next morning. These steps led back down into the town square and to our hotel.

The Colditz Town Christmas Pyramid

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The little town square was tastefully decorated with sprigs of greenery and whitle Christmas lights on most of the buildings. In the center of the town square sat this oversized Christmas pyramid.

Time for Bed

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When we returned to the pension Ralf was nowhere to be seen. We had the run of the top floor. Just as we headed for our rooms Cassie decided she didn't want to sleep in my room. She moved her suitcase and herself to the third bed in Gail's and her mother's room. Fine with me. I was asleep long before any of the others even settled into their rooms. As the trip chauffeur I felt I needed every second of sleep I could grab. The others had all day to nap in the van.