Dresden: Destruction and Delight

After a two hour drive we were back in Germany for the last three weeks of our epic journey. Personally, I was thankful to be back in a country where I could read signs, talk to people in their language and not think about converting such bizarre currency. Things just seem simpler here and I am more at ease.

Our first destination was Dresden. We all know it for its tragic flattening in 1945 by Allied forces in retaliation for Germany bombing Coventry. Amazingly, the city has been rebuilt from the ground up and there is little evidence left of its devastating past.

The city council has set up a Motorhome Stellplatz right in the middle of the city on the edge of a large park. After arriving we spent the afternoon relaxing in the van, more application writing and a ride round the park, which is fast becoming a favourite pastime of mine. Riding along leaf covered paths in near freezing conditions is incredibly refreshing and I do so with a giant smile on my face. Matt, the silky man he is, forgot his gloves on that occasion. He nearly lost 3 fingers.

The next day we took to our bikes again in order to explore the city. Dresden has embraced cyclists with an abundance of cycling lanes on main roads, cycling paths and special cycling crossings. This meant it was easy and safe to get around.

We rode first to the city's iconic Frauenkirche. The church was all but destroyed in the bombings and, after much fundraising and 13 years of building, in 2005 it was reconsecrated as a church. The alter alone was pieced together from 2000 pieces and is a stunning sight. This was the first protestant church we'd been in since the UK and you could certainly tell the difference.

We then rode around the Theatreplatz, taking in the castle, the Zinger and Opera House. We locked up our bikes nearby, right next to a couple of sewer grates that were emitting the strangest musical sounds. We could only conclude that there were speakers in them and it was some sort of strange arty thing. Either that, or a new age band was practicing in the sewer.

We enjoyed traditional German cuisine from the food court for lunch. No where before germany has had food courts so we're taking advantage of them. They're so much cheaper, have so many more options and we can order what each of us feels like while still being able to sit with other. Might sound like a simple concept but after 4 months of eating in restaurants or cafes when we're out can get pretty old! Not to say expensive.

We then rode across the river to the Neustadt - while named the new city it is in fact as old as the old city back where we'd come from. We settled ourselves down on a park bench in the tree lined mall in the sun and read our books. We lost all sense of time and, by the time I realised I was quite cold, the sun had almost set.