A Busy End to 2011 Part II: Dresden (Plus Why I Love Markets)

 Dresden, Germany

Hofkirche...and other pretty buildings...

In early December we headed to Dresden, which is only about two hours north of Prague, just across the border into Germany (formerly part of East Germany). Before going I had known nothing of Dresden outside of the firebombing by the Allies (US) in WWII. Related to that, I had only the image carved in my own imagination from reading Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut (a great book, if you haven't read it). I was therefore interested in going for historical reasons, but had a very fuzzy image of what was actually awaiting me there. 

We found a last minute Couchsurfer to host us (see http://www.couchsurfing.org/ for more information about that) in a big student flat, and all of the flatmates turned out to be welcoming and friendly. They had a huge party the second night we were there, which gave us the opportunity to meet lots of unique and memorable people. 

Frauenkirche

We had basically one day to see everything, because we had gotten a special deal on bus tickets, so we had to maximize our time. This meant waking up at about 7am and walking around the city the whole day, until 11pm. It could have felt like a miserably long day, but the city was so lovely, and the company so pleasant, that I didn't even notice the time pass - until about 9pm, when it grew dark and cold...

Among the sites we saw were some beautiful cathedrals, museums (but we didn't get the chance to go in because of time and money constraints), a beautiful opera house, and the Zwinger palace. Many post cards showed pictures of the city after its destruction in 1945 compared with current pictures, and the contrast is stark. It is a stunningly beautiful city, with real charm. It is entirely possible that a good deal of charm was due to the markets. It was Christmas Market season, so we walked through the stalls selling foods, arts, crafts, drinks, trinkets, and more. 

I'm also in love with this guy, at Zwinger Palace

Side Note on Markets:

This brings me to an epiphany of sorts that occurred to me in my travels this month: I am completely in love with these markets. I am in love with all markets, in fact. When I think of all my travels around the US and the world, I remember markets vividly. My experiences of markets - walking past them, walking through them, "window" shopping, buying things, smelling things, tasting things, trying things on, checking things out, communicating (verbally or non-verbally) with people - these have been some of the most memorable experiences of my life. So, for just a moment, I would like to honor the markets which have contributed to my love of traveling and interacting with people all over the world: the Farmers Markets in Madison, Ithaca, and Prague; the outdoor markets in Paris,  Milano, Venezia, Firenze, Roma, Kumasi, Accra, Medie, Klikor, Seoul, and Busan; and the Christmas Markets in Prague, Dresden and Vienna. 

Back to Dresden:

After seeing the sights, we went to see the Dresden Philharmonic. We got last minute student tickets in the very first row, which distorted the sound and the sight lines, but didn't detract at all from the fantastic performance. Plus, from my seat I could see the facial expressions of the conductor, who was easily one of, if not the most, animated and excited conductors I've witnessed. It was clear from start to finish that he was passionate about his work, and the orchestra responded in kind. I was thrilled to be there.