A special note: it is nearly the end of August and finally, we are able to get back to writing in our journal. We have been home in Canada for over a month yet there have been significant challenges which have prevented us from sitting down and completing our journal. Mary Ellen’s illness continued after we got home and then a medical crisis in our family took precedence for the last month. We will try to pick up where we left off. Here goes.......and back to Dresden....
July 5, 2018...Dresden on the Elbe, Germany
Last night as we were searching for a place to stay, Mary Ellen started to feel unwell. By the time we checked in to the Student Hotel, she was off to bed with a nasty cough and generally feeling lousy. Uh oh, this sounds familiar. Last year, on our trip to Barcelona and Italy, Mary Ellen got pneumonia and took months to recover when we got home. It looks like we’ll stay here for a few days to give her a chance to rest.
Dresden is a spectacle for the senses. This grand Baroque city filled with architectural treasures of historical significance is a testament to the determination to rebuild after WWII. In Feb 1945, over 2 days, British and American forces dropped over 4,000 tons of bombs which killed more than 25,000 civilians and reduced the city to rubble. Touring Dresden, you do not feel that you are in a city of rebuilt treasures. Somehow the essence has been captured with authenticity and attention to detail. Some cities present iconic skylines as you approach along the river. Budapest on the Danube R comes to mind as does this city of Dresden on the Elbe.
Barry is touring solo for now while I rest at our Hotel. We had planned to move on after 2 nights here, but we need a third night to give Mary Ellen a chance to bounce back. Our hotel is situated in an ideal spot, close to the train station, next to a Globetrotter Outdoor store and a short walk to the restored Old Town but out of the busy touristic core.
We do love exploring stores that cater to outdoor pursuits and travelling. Globetrotter is a bit like a play zone for people like us. Do a test paddle in a kayak, check out a tent or a cot, try out waterproof gear in a “wet room”...it is all here in Globetrotter, an interactive shopping experience.
The first day, Barry walked for hours and explored Dresden while Mary Ellen stayed in bed. The next day we both headed out to see more of Dresden. It was a full day.
So, all in all we have ended up staying here for 3 nights. We certainly didn’t plan this as our time is running down. We have many options for getting back to our friends before we fly home, but Mary Ellen continues to struggle with a lack of endurance and continual coughing, so we will take an easier option. We had wanted to take the train from Dresden to Bamberg and ride the Main River Radweg back to Frankfurt, revisiting some of the places we enjoyed from riding the Main River years ago. But having lost time with the extreme heat and Mary Ellen getting sick, we have modified our plans. Our tentative plan is to take the train to Bamberg, ride Seavo to Wurzburg over a few days and then take the train to Frankfurt and Limburg to stay with our friends before flying home. A more realistic plan.
This mural is located on the Palace of Culture, a concert theatre built by the Socialist government in 1969. Reflective of GDR times, it features the Red Soviet Star and socialist themes , such as the working class and the role of the teacher.
The mural shown below is 334 feet long and 34 feet high it is the world’s largest porcelain artwork in the world. Amazingly, this mural survived the ravages of war unscathed. What you see is original.
A centrepiece of Dresden is this incredible mural from 1871 made up of 23,000 Meissen porcelain tiles. It depicts the ancestral portraits of the rulers of Saxony between 1127 and 1904.
Here is a close up of this extraordinary mural. It was originally painted in 1871, but as the images deteriorated with the ravages of time and weather, the original work was replaced with the Meissen tiles in 1907.
Also, in the mural, are 59 artisans, scientists, craftsmen, children and farmers. There is only one female. The last image on the mural is the artist who created the mural.
Hof Kirche, built in 1738, is an impressive example of Italian workmanship and a testament to the strength of Catholicism, being located in Saxony, the birth of Lutheranism. Its striking and prominent exterior dominates the skyline.
Europe has so many beautiful sculptures and art pieces in public places. We did enjoy seeing our favourite chocolate bar featured in this piece at the train station.
An aspect we love about Europe are the large historic pedestrian areas in cities and villages. We like that modern section of Dresden is continuing this tradition of car free zones with, of course, bikes as the preferred mode of transport.
