Blogs from Dresden, Saxony, Germany, Europe - page 5

After months of anticipation,, our travel day finally arrived! We met Jamie and Alec in Fort Myers from their connecting flight and then off to Germany. We had a quick bite to eat before boarding and then a trip to the Air Berlin Lounge for an overview of German geography and trip kick-off festivities! Jamie will always remember her first international flight by her proximity to the bathroom. Let's just say she had constant entertainment for the ten hour flight (but not much sleep)! After a connection in Dusseldorf, we were off to Dresden where we were met at the airport by Ines, Berndt and Friedi. Tired from the flight but ready for our adventure to begin, Ines chose a very nice Biergarten for our first stop. Kids enjoyed their first bratwurst of the trip and ... read more

Dresden Germany 26 to 27 May 2013 After travelling along the A14 we arrived at Dresden…and still raining. How annoying! Oh well, we must go with the flow. Dresden, with a population of over 500,000 people, is said to be one of Germany’s most beautiful cities. It blossomed in the 18th century, when it became the cultural centre and acquired many magnificent buildings. Almost all of these however, were destroyed during World War 11, when allied forces mounted vast carpet-bombing raids on the city. Today restoration work continues. We saw some buildings that still require reconstruction, even now. It was on 13 February 1945 when 800 British aircraft launched the 1st of 5 massive firebomb raids on the city. These destroyed the greater city and killed 35,000 people, many of whom were refugees. After driving around ... read more

The adventure of day two was overtaken by fatigue and the commentary on day two of Dresden is just now available for your enjoyment. Wonderful breakfast at the Bulow Residenz, yummy egg salad, unique and tasty trout salad, fresh pineapple, strawberries, grilled eggplant, crunchy wheat raisin seed roll, fresh squeezed grapefruit juice, and a double espresso in a room fit for royalty. Champagne, eggs to order, muesli, variety of cheeses and cold cuts, assorted croissants and pastries are also choices available to the guest. Met with my tour guide, Al, for a walking education of Dresden. The tour covered three major attractions. 1) a overview of the Zwinger, with it's baroque and Rocco architecture, the complex holds a prominent place in art history and was used only for royal entertaining and festivals in the time of ... read more

From the minute I stepped out of the taxi and spotted the Johnny-jump-ups framing the front door of Bulow Residenz, my current accommodations, I was totally charmed and completely vulnerable. My room is more than lovely but not quite grandiose. It measures approximately 25 x 20, plus the foyer, plus a bathroom. Everything is framed or made with cherry wood; all the cabinetry, the minibar and snack cabinet are finished with brass and glass shelving, the oversize king size bed is dressed in gold and burnt orange bed linens. The windows bay-set, with arches and marble sills are framed with floor-to-ceiling window dressing that backset the loveseat that is anchoring the entire room. What a great first 20 minutes! Starting out on foot, I went no more than 100 feet and stumbled upon a charming antique ... read more

4 a.m. is early no matter where you are in the world. That’s what time I woke up this morning. Since we did laundry last night and had clothing hung all over the room, I had to wait until this morning to pack. We were able to pack, tidy up our room, pack a lunch (thank you mom for doing that), and still make it to the main bus stop on time. We took the bus from Hradec Králové to Prague without a problem. Then we realized that the bus to Germany didn’t come to the same station. We had to take the subway to Florenc in order to catch the next bus. We’re acquired a steep learning curve and actually purchased our subway tickets before getting on the subway this time. Of course, we didn’t ... read more