A heat wave and high humidity: - to Dresden, a lovely city
The mosquitoes helped us to get an early start packing up in the morning. It was great to be able to use the incredible kitchen/dining room facilities and avoid the biting bugs. While we were eating, the rain started. We are hoping for the weather to clear a bit and be less hot. Yesterday, we had considered going on to Dresden, but 90 km + was more than we wanted to do in these conditions (75 km was plenty). So, an easy ride today to explore Dresden. Since it is Saturday, there are so many cyclists on the trail today, day trippers and large groups of cyclists on a tour wihout carrying their gear. We were a bit envious of their lightness and speed. Found an amazing bakery along the way and enjoyed the view. When we arrived in Dresden, we were really impressed by its beauty and accessibility. We were going to head along to a campground after Dresden, but wanted to stay and sightsee - plus the heat was killing us. The Tourist Info was really helpful and recommended a terrific bargain, 3 star plus hotel in the quiet area of Neustadt. We had just checked in when the thunder storm began. In a very short time, heavy rain flooded area and the wind forced us to close our windows. Went for a walk to see Dresden after the weather settled down and also visited Globetrotter. This store is always a treat for us to explore. Dresden is a smaller, more mellow version of Prague. Even though the buildings are not original - the city is very impressive. At the end of WWII, Dresden and the surrounding area was destroyed by American and English bombs. Since the 50's, there has been a tremendous effort to revitalize and replace those buildings.
Our first glimpse of Dresden - the heat makes it look like a mirage.
