Blogs from Saxony, Germany, Europe - page 3

Day 210 Monday 15th August 2016 – Berlin to Dresden Cannot believe we are leaving Berlin today as it only feels like we got here yesterday. Our bus wasn’t till 1pm so we could have a slow start to the day and had our usual breakfast at a café around the corner before getting into our packing. The metro is so easy to use so there was no point in getting a taxi to the bus station. My only problem was that I bought so many books in Berlin that I think I am carrying half the Mitchell Library around with me – I think we will need to send some stuff home again. We left the hotel at 11 in case we had any dramas getting out to the bus station and of ... read more

This Zimmer is a keeper, the owner fell in love with Kirsten. They talked German back and forth, Omi would have had a great time here. He knew all about Fulda; well he knew everything …..he’s German. We had our first German Breakfast; soft boiled eggs, rolls, meats and strong coffee. Kirsten loves it. I turned the phone on to check for messages and yes we have messages. Nothing pressing, so I turned off the phone. I like turning off the phone. I go and load our bags into the car while Kirsten pays our bill. I’m done and waiting and waiting, so I walk back in and find Kirsten and the owners wife just talking away. Hello…. I thought you were in a hurry, oh, you’re done loading the car. She turns to the wife ... read more

The forecast for today when we went to bed last night was not good with rain predicted for most of the day which will not make for a pleasant day of sightseeing. However, the forecasters thankfully have got it wrong and there were patches of blue sky appearing as we awoke. Late last night Gretchen got her mobile phone working and the updates downloaded and there was time to check this morning that it was still working as she had left it last night. Now there was no need to go searching for a replacement phone today. We are meeting Emily today who is taking the train down from Cottbus, an hour and a half or so north of Dresden where she is studying at the University. She is going to guide us around the sights ... read more

I got to see the third city in the trio of significant Saxony cities, Leipzig, which was the trade center in the trio years ago. (Dresden was where the royalty lived and most of the social activity occurred and Chemnitz was the manufacturing/ working class area. Ralf had a meeting there so we stopped on the way back from Berlin and I explored the city on foot for a few hours by myself. I missed my German tour guide but managed to find the market area and got some good shots of the ever impressive architecture.... read more

Geo: 51.051, 13.7337We are saying goodbye to Germany today until 30 September when we travel to Munich for Oktoberfest. Picked up a car in Berlin and drove to Prague with a stop in Dresden. Spent too little time in Dresden, just an hour or so, seeing Zwinger and Frauenkirche (Church of Our Lady). Dresden is the city the British and us (the British are the primary culprits here) firebombed needlessly at the very end of WW II, as there was nothing here but civilians and beautiful buildings.We would like to add it was a pleasure driving on the autobahn again. No inconsiderate folks staying in the left lane. In fact, stay in the left lane with someone wanting to pass and expect to be the appropriate victim of much abuse from everyone. Additionally, we drove a ... read more