Leipzig Day 2

---

This morning I set out to explore Leipzig. My first stop was the Mädlerpassage, one of the many covered walkways lined with (often expensive) shops (see picture). The statues in the picture represent characters from "Faust", a play by Goethe with a scene set here in Auerbachs Keller. Around the corner is a coffee shop where I had coffee and a blueberry muffin - the hotel's breakfast cost €20, which is more than I am willing to pay for a mere buffet breakfast. My next stop was the city museum with its statue of a lion, a symbol of Leipzig (see picture). I wasn't sure what to expect because some city museums are pretty dry, but this one is quite good. It covers the fact that Leipzig sat at a crossroads of two major trade routes in the Middle Ages and this led to its prosperity. I was struck by the model of the medieval wagons pulled up in the town square to conduct trade and the view out the window of trailers parked in the same square for the same purpose today (see pictures). The museum also covered the two world wars, Hitler, and life under the East German government. Somehow I expected it to elide over those parts. I had lunch in the Panorama Restaurant with great views over the city. Here is a photo, using the zoom lens on the camera, of the Battle of the Nations monument that I plan to visit tomorrow (see picture). After lunch I wandered around more of Leipzig and returned to the hotel to prepare for another day on the road tomorrow. This is as far east as I plan to get on this trip. I am pleased to see that the cities here are NOT comprised of Communist-era housing blocks and soulless government buildings. Weimar, Weißenfels, and Leipzig all seem quite attractive, vibrant, and pleasant. Either it was never as bad as we of the Cold War generation were taught, or 25 years of economic development from West Germany has worked a miracle. Probably it is a combination of both.

---