Dresden

While a referendum changes Scotland forever and the people put their faith in politicians' promises, false or otherwise, Dr Anne is coming to terms with power of a different people.  

WW2 is dominant here in Dresden. The bombing of February 1945 devastated the city.  The extent of the damage is beyond belief. Exhibitions in churches and museums focus on that date. The rebuild is not near to completion.

The Old Town.  These buildings have been completely rebuilt with modern interiors but traditional exteriors.

The old rises out of the new.

The School of Fine Art.

The door knocker of the Academy of Fine Arts

The feel of the city has Soviet influence - trams and concrete.  The rebuild was limited during the Soviet years as it was not a priority and it also evoked the idea of Western Imperialism.  

War is war.  Below is the Cross of Nails which came from Coventry, a town also devastated by bombs.  It was gifted as an offer of reconciliation.

The Chapel in the Church of the Holy Cross.

The Old Town of Dresden

Dr Anne and Lois headed for the old town of Dresden.  Four eras shaped the city - the golden age in the mid 18th century under Augustus the Strong, the city's destruction by fire bombs in WW2, the communist regime (1945 - 1989), and the current 'reconstruction after reunification'.

The Hof Kirche

The Chapel at the Hof Kirche 

The Frauenkirche

The Dome in the Frauenkirche

The Royal Palace - museums

The Royal Palace

The Zwinger Palace - museums

The Parade of Nobles built with 24000 tiles of Meissen porcelain illustrates 700 years of Saxon royalty.

All the way to Dresden.

After breakfast at a patisserie, Dr Anne and Lois headed for Frankfurt's main railway station.  Lois was in carriage 7 and Dr Anne in carriage 6. It took 3.5 hours to Leipzig then another 1.5 hours to Dresden.  It was undulating countryside at first with many small towns.  As one got near Dresden there were large fields of corn and potatoes.  There were a few sheep and cattle.  Outside the towns there were many allotments.  

There have been many reading opportunities and Dr Anne is progressing through 'I am a Pilgrim'.

Dr Anne and Lois are staying in an apartment on the second floor near the old town.  It is recently renovated and offers all the facilities needed for a great stay.

The pilgrimage begins tomorrow...

Frankfurt

Dr Anne arrived in Frankfurt early evening.  She went on the Skyrail to Terminal 1 and read her book until the Singapore flight arrived.  Lois and Dr Anne then took the train into the centre of Frankfurt and up the Kaisser Strasse to the United Hostel.  They have a room with four Korean girls.  The walls of the main areas are covered in Jack Vettriano images.  

Dr Anne is on her way...

Aberdeen Airport was very busy today.  The queues were long and very slow moving.  Dr Anne eventually had to jump the line to security then leg it to the departure gate.  

Now waiting for the flight to Frankfurt at Heathrow Terminal 5.  

Reading - I am Pilgrim.

Lois

Lois just sent a family photo.

The Big Trip

Dr Anne is heading off on an adventure with her good friend and penpal of 50 years.

Lois Kleinig and Dr Anne first wrote to each other at the age of 12.  Lois was a pupil at a school in Cooke Plains, South Australia and Dr Anne, a pupil at Fordyce Academy.

After writing for nearly 30 years, the two met face to face in 1990 when Dr Anne and her mother spent Christmas with them in the Blue Mountains.  Since then, they met in Boston in 1994 while Lois' daughter was studying there and they travelled to New York.  In 2003, Lois came to Scotland with her husband and the intrepid two travelled to Verona, Venice, Florence and Sienna.  When Dr Anne's mum died where would she go to spend Christmas and New Year - meet up with Lois in Auckland, New Zealand, Melbourne and then South Australia.

Now is the big trip.  Lois and Dr Anne are off to Prussia to search for Lois' ancestors.

The Kleinig family with their spouses in 2010.