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Monday 27 August
A leisurely morning, pottering around, breakfasting and packing before our departure by faithful tram No 4 to the Bahnhof. We had over an hour to wait for our ICE (no 1557) express train to depart. Enough time for it to switch platforms. It was late arriving, but we successfully found our places, stowed our bags and settled in for a smooth 200 kmh ride.
Arrival in Dresden was a few minutes later than scheduled. We shelled out for a taxi to the apartment (10 €). The location of our new apartment, in the Plauen area, is not as salubrious as was our Leipzig digs, but the apartment is just as spacious.
Minuk has had a bad day today, so we took it easy. Went out to the nearby Netto to get supplies, and I went for a walk to check out where to buy transport tickets tomorrow. There is a bus stop almost outside our door, but no ticket machine. Walked up to the Dresden-Plauen station, which is only 5 to 10 minutes walk away, where there is a ticket machine.
Then I walked up through the Bienertpark, up quite a steep incline to find myself in a forested park, interspersed with grassy meadows. Many locals were walking their dogs, and a few intrepid cyclists were puffing up the cobbled incline. Walkways lead to overlooks atop steep black cliffs looking down on the ravine in which the Vereingte Weisseritz, a tributary to the Elbe flows. The keeper of the Hohen Stein viewing tower was good enough to open it up for me to have a look at the Dresden skyline (which was mostly obscured by trees. Oh well). Walked back down the hill and found that the next but one bus stop from our apartment IS provided with a ticket machine.
We enjoyed Paprika Chicken Thighs for dinner (with mashed potato and cabbage salad). Dessert was Shwartzwalder kirchetorte. A very LARGE Shwartzwalder kirchetorte. But yummy.
Beer of the Day: Pupen-Schultzes Schwartzes
Tuesday 28 August
The day dawned cloudy and we had a bits and pieces breakfast and a slow start to the day. Had some more Shwartzwalder kirchetorte for early elevenses, then set off to do some sightseeing. We bought a ‘Family’ day pass on the public transport system, which cost 9 € for 2 people. Caught a No 62 bus which was supposed to take us to the centre, but instead we’d caught it in the wrong direction, and were headed for the suburbs. Backtracked and arrived at Pirnaischer Platz, the rear of the Albertinium (location of the Gallerie Neue Meister). We walked down to the Elbe promenade, passing in succession the Dresden Fortress Museum and the Lipsiusbau Palace with its distinctive ‘lemon squeezer’ glass dome. The massive dome of the Frauenkirche soared above all of this. We made our way onto the Bruhl Terrace, dodging the quite extensive reconstruction work. As we approached the Augustusbrucke, the Ss Trinitatis Cathedral loomed up, its rooftops bedecked with saints. Behind it the Semper Opera House, and to its left, the gables of the Rezidenzschloss. We took a detour along the Langer Gang, where hordes of tour groups were admiring the Fürstenzug (Procession of Princes).
A passage lead through the Transport Museum to the Neumarkt, where Martin Luther’s Statue stands proud before the Frauenkirche. We found tourist information, and bought Dresden Museum Cards to use tomorrow on the major Gallery and Palace Museums (21 € each, equivalent to the entry price of the Gallerie Neue Meister and the Gemaldegalerie Alte Meister, with another 11 attractions also included over 2 days). We plan to use them on Wednesday and Thursday. Afterward, we headed for the Zwinger Palace to admire its gardens, pools fountains an exuberant statuary.
We took lunch at Ahn Do, a Vietnamese place in the Altmarkt Gallerie Shopping Mall. I had a very acceptable Red Curry with tofu, but Minuk’s choice of Basil Chicken was much too salty. It was a very economic meal, just 6 € a dish, and the place was staffed by actual Asians – we could hear Thai spoken between the staff, so we were surprised that the kitchen could stuff up something so simple!
After lunch we navigated the tram system (No 7) to reach the Bundewwehr Military History Museum, up north of the Neustadt. That this is not your typical Military Museum is illustrated in the building itself. An undistinguished classical building, the old Royal Arsenal is sliced in two by the massive metal "wedge" designed by Daniel Libeskind. It is quite the arresting image.
It is within the wedge that the thematic treatment of war is explored. Beginning at the point of the wedge, and it’s view of the reconstructed spires and dome of the city, one is confronted with pavement taken from cities affected by mass ‘terror’ bombing in WWII – Dresden, Rotterdam and Wielun. From this bold beginning follows eleven "themes": war and memory, politics and the use of force, music and the military, fashion and the military, language and the military, war and play, animals in the military, war and suffering, the formation of bodies, technology and the military, and protection and destruction. There is a vast amount of material, and the unconventional arrangement allows one to browse and one sees fit, without feeling constrained to a chronological pathway. We spend a couple of hours browsing the collection.
Made our way home by tram and bus, with a stop at the local Netto to get food and drink for the evening meal. Crumbed fish, baked in the oven and served with mashed potatoes and salad. And of course, more Black Forest Cake for dessert.
Beer of the Day: Freiburger Pilsener
Wednesday 29 August
We breakfasted on fried roastie toasties this morning, before heading into the historic centre to give out two day Dresden Museum cards a proper working out.
We began in the Zwinger Palace, with a visit to the Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister. I had a look at the 18th Century scientific instruments in the Mathematisch-Physikalischer Salon before lunch at Curry24 where we sampled currywurst for the first time. ‘Twas OK.
After lunch a diversion by tram to Pfund Molkerei in the Neustadt where we admired the phantasmagoria of majolica tiles before walking through the hipster suburbs, passing bars and restaurants and coffee shops aplenty to find the Kunsthofpassage, a quirky set of courtyards, each designed with a different artistic theme. These are also lined with craft shops, restaurants and bars, but on our visit, pretty much all closed.
We returned to the Altstadt by tram and made our way to the Residenzschloss, where our ticket provided entry successively to the Neues Grünes Gewölbe (incredibly skilled and expensive crafts, most of which were in execrable taste), Türckische Cammer (Ottoman weapons and painted horses) and a special exhibition devoted to Polish freedom of Expression which was a bit meh. We will return tomorrow for more.
Before we returned home, I took a walk over the Augustus Bridge (which is under renovation, so no trams) to the Goldener Reiter equestrian statue of Augustus the Strong. The gilt statue looks rather lonely at the end of a pedestrian walkway. I also found the position at which Canaletto hade made his famous ‘View of Dresden’ in 1748 (saw the original earlier in the Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister). Was gratified to know that even Old Masters had to put up with that bane of the photographer, the scaffold!
Picked up half a chicken and potato salad for dinner and tottered home.
Beer of the Day: Dresdner Feldschlößchen Urbock
Thursday 30 August
Our last morning in Dresden dawned grey and cloudy, but the promised rain was not in evidence on rising. However it began to drizzle whilst we ate our now traditional roastie toastie breakfast. We thought we were fortunate that the weather seemed to have cleared when we set out to catch the faithful No 62 bus to the Altstadt.
Our luck lasted until the bus reached our stop at Pirnaicher Platz, and quickly developed into a heavy downpour. We were able to shelter under the portico of the Police Building for 20 minutes until the shower slackened of enough for us to brave the short walk to the Albertinium without getting soaked.
We found that the Neue Meister Gallery to be less impressive than yesterday’s gallery. There were some works by the famous, including Monet, Degas, Picasso, Van Gogh, Munch and Gaugin, but the more interesting works were by lesser known German painters, most notable Otto Dix, Ernst Kirchner and Max Slevogt. There is also an impressive gallery of works from the years of the DDR, which are much more ‘modern’ than one might expect, given the supposed ‘regimentation’ of Eastern Bloc countries.
We ate a quick snack for lunch in the Solino Caffe & Bar in the Atrium (shared plum cake, coffee for moi and a coke for Minuk). We checked out the Lipsiusbau Palace, in hopes of seeing the fine glass dome from beneath, but found that the exhibition hall (with an exhibition on ‘Slavs and Tartars: Made in Jermany’) did not in fact lie beneath said dome. So it was onward to the reconstructed Frauenkirche, where we enjoyed a view of the pastel coloured interior, soaring up to the dome.
Finally visited the Residenzschloss once more, to complete yesterday’s visits. Took in the Renaissance Wing, with its displays of arms and armour and costumes of the Electors of Saxony. To finish, I took a walk up the 220 steps to the viewing platform whilst Minuk took the opportunity foir another look at the New Green Vault.
Finally, after picking up Indian takeaway from Sher-e-Punjab (Chick pea curry and Chicken tikka, only 6.90 € with rice) took the tram and bus back home.
Indian food wasn’t bad. Finished up the last of the cake.
Beer of the Day: Falkenfelser Weisbier
A leisurely morning, pottering around, breakfasting and packing before our departure by faithful tram No 4 to the Bahnhof. We had over an hour to wait for our ICE (no 1557) express train to depart. Enough time for it to switch platforms. It was late arriving, but we successfully found our places, stowed our bags and settled in for a smooth 200 kmh ride.
Arrival in Dresden was a few minutes later than scheduled. We shelled out for a taxi to the apartment (10 €). The location of our new apartment, in the Plauen area, is not as salubrious as was our Leipzig digs, but the apartment is just as spacious.
Minuk has had a bad day today, so we took it easy. Went out to the nearby Netto to get supplies, and I went for a walk to check out where to buy transport tickets tomorrow. There is a bus stop almost outside our door, but no ticket machine. Walked up to the Dresden-Plauen station, which is only 5 to 10 minutes walk away, where there is a ticket machine.
Then I walked up through the Bienertpark, up quite a steep incline to find myself in a forested park, interspersed with grassy meadows. Many locals were walking their dogs, and a few intrepid cyclists were puffing up the cobbled incline. Walkways lead to overlooks atop steep black cliffs looking down on the ravine in which the Vereingte Weisseritz, a tributary to the Elbe flows. The keeper of the Hohen Stein viewing tower was good enough to open it up for me to have a look at the Dresden skyline (which was mostly obscured by trees. Oh well). Walked back down the hill and found that the next but one bus stop from our apartment IS provided with a ticket machine.
We enjoyed Paprika Chicken Thighs for dinner (with mashed potato and cabbage salad). Dessert was Shwartzwalder kirchetorte. A very LARGE Shwartzwalder kirchetorte. But yummy.
Beer of the Day: Pupen-Schultzes Schwartzes
Tuesday 28 August
The day dawned cloudy and we had a bits and pieces breakfast and a slow start to the day. Had some more Shwartzwalder kirchetorte for early elevenses, then set off to do some sightseeing. We bought a ‘Family’ day pass on the public transport system, which cost 9 € for 2 people. Caught a No 62 bus which was supposed to take us to the centre, but instead we’d caught it in the wrong direction, and were headed for the suburbs. Backtracked and arrived at Pirnaischer Platz, the rear of the Albertinium (location of the Gallerie Neue Meister). We walked down to the Elbe promenade, passing in succession the Dresden Fortress Museum and the Lipsiusbau Palace with its distinctive ‘lemon squeezer’ glass dome. The massive dome of the Frauenkirche soared above all of this. We made our way onto the Bruhl Terrace, dodging the quite extensive reconstruction work. As we approached the Augustusbrucke, the Ss Trinitatis Cathedral loomed up, its rooftops bedecked with saints. Behind it the Semper Opera House, and to its left, the gables of the Rezidenzschloss. We took a detour along the Langer Gang, where hordes of tour groups were admiring the Fürstenzug (Procession of Princes).
A passage lead through the Transport Museum to the Neumarkt, where Martin Luther’s Statue stands proud before the Frauenkirche. We found tourist information, and bought Dresden Museum Cards to use tomorrow on the major Gallery and Palace Museums (21 € each, equivalent to the entry price of the Gallerie Neue Meister and the Gemaldegalerie Alte Meister, with another 11 attractions also included over 2 days). We plan to use them on Wednesday and Thursday. Afterward, we headed for the Zwinger Palace to admire its gardens, pools fountains an exuberant statuary.
We took lunch at Ahn Do, a Vietnamese place in the Altmarkt Gallerie Shopping Mall. I had a very acceptable Red Curry with tofu, but Minuk’s choice of Basil Chicken was much too salty. It was a very economic meal, just 6 € a dish, and the place was staffed by actual Asians – we could hear Thai spoken between the staff, so we were surprised that the kitchen could stuff up something so simple!
After lunch we navigated the tram system (No 7) to reach the Bundewwehr Military History Museum, up north of the Neustadt. That this is not your typical Military Museum is illustrated in the building itself. An undistinguished classical building, the old Royal Arsenal is sliced in two by the massive metal "wedge" designed by Daniel Libeskind. It is quite the arresting image.
It is within the wedge that the thematic treatment of war is explored. Beginning at the point of the wedge, and it’s view of the reconstructed spires and dome of the city, one is confronted with pavement taken from cities affected by mass ‘terror’ bombing in WWII – Dresden, Rotterdam and Wielun. From this bold beginning follows eleven "themes": war and memory, politics and the use of force, music and the military, fashion and the military, language and the military, war and play, animals in the military, war and suffering, the formation of bodies, technology and the military, and protection and destruction. There is a vast amount of material, and the unconventional arrangement allows one to browse and one sees fit, without feeling constrained to a chronological pathway. We spend a couple of hours browsing the collection.
Made our way home by tram and bus, with a stop at the local Netto to get food and drink for the evening meal. Crumbed fish, baked in the oven and served with mashed potatoes and salad. And of course, more Black Forest Cake for dessert.
Beer of the Day: Freiburger Pilsener
Wednesday 29 August
We breakfasted on fried roastie toasties this morning, before heading into the historic centre to give out two day Dresden Museum cards a proper working out.
We began in the Zwinger Palace, with a visit to the Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister. I had a look at the 18th Century scientific instruments in the Mathematisch-Physikalischer Salon before lunch at Curry24 where we sampled currywurst for the first time. ‘Twas OK.
After lunch a diversion by tram to Pfund Molkerei in the Neustadt where we admired the phantasmagoria of majolica tiles before walking through the hipster suburbs, passing bars and restaurants and coffee shops aplenty to find the Kunsthofpassage, a quirky set of courtyards, each designed with a different artistic theme. These are also lined with craft shops, restaurants and bars, but on our visit, pretty much all closed.
We returned to the Altstadt by tram and made our way to the Residenzschloss, where our ticket provided entry successively to the Neues Grünes Gewölbe (incredibly skilled and expensive crafts, most of which were in execrable taste), Türckische Cammer (Ottoman weapons and painted horses) and a special exhibition devoted to Polish freedom of Expression which was a bit meh. We will return tomorrow for more.
Before we returned home, I took a walk over the Augustus Bridge (which is under renovation, so no trams) to the Goldener Reiter equestrian statue of Augustus the Strong. The gilt statue looks rather lonely at the end of a pedestrian walkway. I also found the position at which Canaletto hade made his famous ‘View of Dresden’ in 1748 (saw the original earlier in the Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister). Was gratified to know that even Old Masters had to put up with that bane of the photographer, the scaffold!
Picked up half a chicken and potato salad for dinner and tottered home.
Beer of the Day: Dresdner Feldschlößchen Urbock
Thursday 30 August
Our last morning in Dresden dawned grey and cloudy, but the promised rain was not in evidence on rising. However it began to drizzle whilst we ate our now traditional roastie toastie breakfast. We thought we were fortunate that the weather seemed to have cleared when we set out to catch the faithful No 62 bus to the Altstadt.
Our luck lasted until the bus reached our stop at Pirnaicher Platz, and quickly developed into a heavy downpour. We were able to shelter under the portico of the Police Building for 20 minutes until the shower slackened of enough for us to brave the short walk to the Albertinium without getting soaked.
We found that the Neue Meister Gallery to be less impressive than yesterday’s gallery. There were some works by the famous, including Monet, Degas, Picasso, Van Gogh, Munch and Gaugin, but the more interesting works were by lesser known German painters, most notable Otto Dix, Ernst Kirchner and Max Slevogt. There is also an impressive gallery of works from the years of the DDR, which are much more ‘modern’ than one might expect, given the supposed ‘regimentation’ of Eastern Bloc countries.
We ate a quick snack for lunch in the Solino Caffe & Bar in the Atrium (shared plum cake, coffee for moi and a coke for Minuk). We checked out the Lipsiusbau Palace, in hopes of seeing the fine glass dome from beneath, but found that the exhibition hall (with an exhibition on ‘Slavs and Tartars: Made in Jermany’) did not in fact lie beneath said dome. So it was onward to the reconstructed Frauenkirche, where we enjoyed a view of the pastel coloured interior, soaring up to the dome.
Finally visited the Residenzschloss once more, to complete yesterday’s visits. Took in the Renaissance Wing, with its displays of arms and armour and costumes of the Electors of Saxony. To finish, I took a walk up the 220 steps to the viewing platform whilst Minuk took the opportunity foir another look at the New Green Vault.
Finally, after picking up Indian takeaway from Sher-e-Punjab (Chick pea curry and Chicken tikka, only 6.90 € with rice) took the tram and bus back home.
Indian food wasn’t bad. Finished up the last of the cake.
Beer of the Day: Falkenfelser Weisbier