Hi to all. Just a quick entry to let you know we haven't dropped off the world.
We have spent the last four days in Dresden. And it has become official - we have voted Dresden to be the most picturesque city we have seen, surpassing even Prague, which we had previously thought top be the best.
Lots to see and do in Dresden- the Zwinger Museum complex which houses an art gallery of German masters (I was the sole visitor to see this), a mathematics and science museum, and a porcelain museum. You could easily allocate a day to each section. Then there is the Transport Museum which Julie and Sam went to see and thought it very good. There is also a military history museum which we saw and enjoyed. As well as a history of German military, it also looked at the role of the military in the development of European society in general.
Time to get on the road as we head back to Frankfurt to drop Jake off for his flight home. More on Dresden later.
For a city that was almost razed to the ground in WWII, the historical heritage of Dresden seems remarkably well preserved. Not sure how much of the "old city" was destroyed, but if it had to be rebuilt then they have done a remarkable job. The buildings look as though they have been there forever.
Apart from the Museums and monuments (which are many), Dresden is a multifaceted city, appealing to a wide range of travelers. One night we ventured into the more bohemian area of the city about 1km from our hotel. Walking along darkened streets, we wondered if we had made the right choice. Everything looked downbeat and "grungy". But we never felt unsafe. There were still plenty of people out and about, even if some of them looked like they were down and out. Found a small Italian restaurant tucked away in a side street, went in and had a great meal. After we dined, Sam convinced us to go to a bar called the Groove Station. It turned out to be a pool hall with Fusball tables and table tennis. Looked real grungy on the outside (inside as well as it turned out). However we weren't attacked or anything so we played a few games of pool and had a few drinks, interesting and enjoyable.
Last night after we had dinner in the city we ended up at a cocktail bar called the Champagne Lounge. As you can see from the photos, it was a throwback to the '70s. Very swish though. And they do make a good martini, and a long island iced tea. Good way to finish off our last night in Dresden.
Tomorrow we're off to Frankfurt again. We'll overnight there, drop Jake off at the airport, then Julie, Sam and I will head off for Paris for a few days.