A day exploring Dresden and I have to say this seems to me to be the Jewel in the Crown. A hard call given the pleasures of both Hamburg and Berlin but Dresden just epitomises an amazing spirit of regeneration. I’m in awe as anyone would have to be visiting this city of the way it has risen up and rebuilt itself. And it is so COOL!! And the people are SO lovely. Twice today people actually came up to me and asked if they could help when I was peering at transport maps.
So where did I finish off? I think I was just heading out to dinner…which I did, to this lovely, very ‘typical’ restaurant just a couple of blocks away. The waiter was so sweet and helpful. I asked him what I should order and he recommended this sort of corned beef (only sort of), dumplings and sauerkraut…being very typical of Saxony. OK said I let’s give it a go. Delicious it was, but so huge. The dumplings were like 2 massive apples!! Anyway I worked my way through about a third of it, which I tell you was quite a substantial meal, then I had to give up. They brought me a very alcoholic digestive and gave me a doggy bag for the leftovers. Then they told me there was a very typical desert which, being the sucker I am, I agreed to… a pancake with all things sweet and German inside. I waddled home. I took a photo to share with you but my phone refuses to send anything from it so I can’t get it to you.
This morning I set off. First I have to say that I bought a Dresden card for all the Museums. But it is for 2 days so I didn’t want to start my 2 days today so I had to find things not covered by the card. First I went to the local train station to suss out the way I get myself to the airport and to buy my weekly ticket. Both accomplished. Then I went into the centre to firstly the Frauenkirche, the massive cathedral in the centre of Dresden. This is a story in itself. totally destroyed in the massive carpet bombing of Dresden in February 1945. Once they got rid of the Russians in 1989 they started to meticulously rebuild the massive edifice from the rubble that had just remained there. So between 1994 and 2005 it was totally reconstructed. They have a film about it and they were happy to show it to just me, rather than have me wait for a show time. I have to say I ended up with tears in my eyes (I know, I know, very easy for me) but it was totally extraordinary.
Then I went to the Residenzschloss, the massive Saxon palace in the centre of Dresden. There are a number of important museums within but I went to the Historisches Grunes Gewolde (the historic green vault) which is the only one not covered by the Dresden Card. Amazing again…just dripping with beautiful silver, gold, ivory etc…and jewels…wow…emeralds, rubies, sapphires and diamonds of very grand proportions. That took a few hours and was totally overwhelming.
Then I decided to use my newly purchased public transport ticket and get a feel for the other side of the river in Neustadt. This is definitely where the cool cats hang out. Its Fitzroy, NeuKolln, St Pauli all on steroids. Amazing street art, cafes, artists etc. I had lunch in a very groovy restaurant Die Scheune which was built on a bomb site in 1951 as a Youth Club. The waiter was, again, totally gorgeous and talked to me for ages telling me about the restaurant and the politics of Dresden and Germany as he saw it. Neustadt largely escaped the bombing in 1945 except for the block where the restaurant was. I left there and walked the streets looking at the street art. The best part was the Kunsthohpassage. These are these 5 or so courtyard spaces all linked together and taken over by artists who have made them beautiful and who are still there working and selling their art. It is a fabulous space that I loved. Time to go home exhausted. But I needed wine and bread. Now there’s a challenge!! Not the bread but I couldn’t find wine for some reason. Anyway to cut a long story short I did eventually find some in a horrible Chadstone-like space back in my hood.
So I staggered home after another long day. Last nights leftovers for tea were a godsend. I think I should be spending more time in Dresden but not at the expense of coming home!! Oh that reminds me, the other brilliant thing about today was that it was 10…yes 10 degrees…double figures no less!!!!
Museum day tomorrow!! Off I go to the Zwinger I think.