Dresden Day 2

     Today started out with a disappointment.  I went to the Älte Meister  Galerie and it was closed!

It will be open on Friday.  So I went to the Residenz instead.  I went through the whole thing - the Historisches Grünes Gewolbe, the Grünes Gewolbe, and the rest.  My lunch was at a burger place and then I had to come back and sleep because of the beer and wine I drank last night.

Dresden Beer

Dresden Residenz

Dresden Lunch

     I am staying at the Dresden Hilton for the second time and I have to say it is wonderful!  My room is exactly what you would expect and the location can not be beat.  Also the price is great!

Dresden Hilton

Dresden 1

     I   arrived today in Dresden!  It is as wonderful as ever!  The train ride was from Weimar to Erfurt to Dresden war ganz einfach.  The Hilton, in the middle of the city, is great!  This is the second time I am here, ( at the Hilton, not in Dresden).  I just love it here.  It may be the east german Disney World but it is very beautiful and peaceful, in some way.
     I ate at Maredo.  Here it seems to be more expensive than other cities.  >But it is good.  Then I went up to the Bruhlische Terrasse and had a few. What a beautiful view.  There is construction on the Augustas Brucke.  Now I am in the HIlton bar.  A nice waiter helped me with my new German computer.

Görlitz 2019

     For 3 nights, from 16 July to 19 July, I was in Görlitz, Germany.  Görlitz is the eastern most city in Germany.  It is in the region known as Silesia and across the Neisse river is, what is today, called Poland.  It was an interesting trip.  There are 2 things definitely worth going to there.  One is the Kaisertrutz.  This is an old fortification building that now houses a museum about the history of the region from the pre-historic times on to today.  The other is the schlesisches museum which is in the schonehof and is the history of the city and Silesia.  I enjoyed both.  It is also interesting to walk over the bridge to Poland, although once you are there there is nothing to do.    Görlitz  was not destroyed during WWII so everything is original and you can enjoy many different types of architecture.

Schonhof

Kaisetrutz

     There are places to eat and "hang-out" at on the Untere Markt, the ObereMarkt and the Bruder Strasse.  I ate German food at Arcanthus,  which has a very pleasant terrace over looking the river, Gambrinus Bierstuble, which is down a little side street off the Bruder Strasse, and Destille, which is not in the "center" but right there.  All were very good and exactly what you would expect in  terms of selection and price.  I also did some drinking at the places around the Untere and Obere Markts.  All nice with the same selections and prices.

Obere Markt

     My hotel was the Romantik Tuchmacher Hotel.  It is very centrally located.  It is billed as the "best" hotel in the city.  I had a superior double which was bog and nice.  I was in the annex building next door to the regular, which had its pluses and minuses.  Plus was I could come and go as I wish3ed and the room was made-up immediately when I left.  A Minus was no hotel bar to finish the evening in and then get in the elevator.  The people there were great and the price was wonderful.  I would definitely recommend it.

     All in all my Görlitz trip was a success!  It is worth a visit.  I always think that you need at least 3 nights to see somewhere but I guess 2 nights would serve here.

Bridge to Poland

Weimar 2

       Well I have been here in Weimar for 2 weeks now.  After having a heat wave while I was in Berlin,  we had maybe two good days here and then the weather turned.  It has been cold and dank and rainy.   So of course that puts a damper on things since you really can't sit outside to eat and it's no fun being out in the evening and being cold.  It is especially disappointing because the annual Wine Fest began Thursday night.  I was there but in the rain, not as much fun.  I have not been back.  Tomorrow is the last day so maybe I will go again.
      I have eaten in my favorite restaurants.  I have been to India twice, (tonight!), Sachsische Hof, Texas, Bim Bim and of course Pomodoro multiple times.  They make the best Saltimbucca I have ever had.  I have only been to Schwarzburger Hof once!  Again, who wants to sit out on the terrace on a cold, rainy night?
     Anyway,  tonight I booked my hotel for my first short trip.  I will be in Gorlitz, Germany for 3 nights.  Gorlitz is on the border with Poland and is the furthest east in Germany one can go.  I have never been there and have read interesting things about it.  Everything I have read says it is beautiful and worth a visit.  I will be staying at the Romantik Hotel Tuchmacher.  I can write more about it once I am there.   Here's hoping for some sunny summer weather.

Weimar I 2019

     I arrived in Weimar on July 1.  The trip here was, of course, easy.  Herr M-L was waiting for me and we had our usual encounter.  Since then the most exciting thing I have done is go to the theater.  The Deutsche National Theatre had "Drei Tage auf  dem Lande" - eine Komodie.  So I bought a ticket for the 4th row middle for 30 euro and went on Thursday night.  I enjoyed it.  It is always an enjoyable evening there.
     Other than that, I have been running in the park and going to my favorite restaurants for dinner.  So far, I have been to Texas (steaks), India, Pomodoro, Sachsisches Hof , and a new restaurant named al Dente.  I have been to Roxanne bar in the afternoon and in the evening and I have been to Schwartzburger Hof.  That of course is my "lokal" and I am concerned.  They took away the umbrellas and none of the usual people were there!  I hope it was just an odd night.  Next week is the Wine Fest and I have to decide if I want to go away that week or not.  I also got my hair cut.  Syriana is not there any more so I went to Akbar in the Graben.

Berlin II 2019

     The rest of my week in Berlin was spent rather quietly.  After all, this was the 15th time I have been there.   There is nothing "new" for me to see, so I can take it easy - which I like.  It was my 5th week long stay at the Eurostars Hotel in Berlin.  I really like/recommend this hotel.  The location is great.  Down the block from Freidrichtrasse station and minutes from Museum Insel and Unter den Linden.  The rooms are exactly what you would get in any 5-star chain hotel.  The service is very friendly, if not so efficient, and the breakfast lacks for nothing.

     I did go to the Pergamon Museum.  It is the first time I have gone in a few years.  The main building is getting an addition and renovation so you enter from the side and you can not see the actual Pegamon Alter.  You can see the Babylon Walls and the Islamic collection - all good.

I also got to see the progress on the Berliner Schloss.  I have watched this from the beginning!  The first time I went to Berlin in 2002 the old Palais der Republik was still standing.  This was the East German building for culture put up during communist days on the spot where the Hohenzollern Stadt Schloss stood for centuries.  On my many returns to Berlin I have seen the Palais der Republik turn down and the area turned into a green space where people laid in the sun and played volleyball and frisbee.  Then they began excavating to begin the redconstruction of the Berliner Schloss.  The exterior is basically done but for the dome entrance and the landscaping.

     I also did a lot of walking around and some shopping and possibly drank some beer.  I really enjoy Berlin, its walk-ability and they places to stop and while-away an hour.