Tuesday, October 11, 2016 – Dresden, Germany

Raphael, Cranach, Rubens, Durer, Van Dyck, Caravaggio, Tintoretto, Holbein, Cranach the Elder, Cranach the Younger, Titian, Rembrandt, and the works of other great artists make the Old Masters’ Gallery in Dresden an exquisite museum. The collection of art is not overwhelming in number, but it is high quality. Set amidst the grandeur of the Zwinger Palace, the royal home of the Saxon kings, it was a time well spent. We walked through Dresden’s old town and marveled at the splendor of the baroque buildings. It is an appealing atmosphere.

We loved spending part of the day in a shopping mall, marveling at the electronic directory where you simply touched the name of the store you wanted to visit, and the board produced a map from your location to the specific store. We loved people-watching and visiting local stores to compare with our American experience. We noted that the food areas had very little that we would find in our malls, or that it was presented quite differently. You could watch bakers making the breads and pastries. Restrooms are sparkling clean, and you pay 50 cents to enter. There were name brand stores we would know, but also many we would not. Taking this time is one of the reasons we like to arrange our own travels, so that we are not rushed through to simply see the sites.

We loved our evening meal, set in an antique-filled space. Sauerbraten, rouladen, potato and sausage soup, pumpkin soup, red cabbage, potato dumplings, and local Dresden beer and wine combined with laughter and good company made for a delightful evening. WEG